Supplement
Malabar spinach is a leafy climbing vine eaten as a vegetable in parts of Asia and Africa, valued for its vitamins, minerals and plant compounds. The evidence on it as a supplement is very limited: one rat study found that an extract combined with another plant raised testosterone levels, with Malabar spinach seeming the more active part. Since the plants were given together, its own effect is unclear, and no human studies exist.
Sources: PMID 30731751
- Updated
- How we grade
- 1 study cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 0
- Outcomes
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 0001
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Testosterone A single rat study found that aqueous extracts of Basella alba combined with Hibiscus macranthus increased testosterone levels, with Basella appearing to be the more active component. However, the combination design makes it impossible to isolate Basella's independent contribution, and no human studies exist. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | |||
Studies that measured testosterone | ||||||
Key findings
- TestosteroneImproves (the measure goes up)
Shop Malabar Spinach
Third-party tested Malabar Spinach products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade D
Links to Fullscript, iHerb or Thorne carry our referral, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Grades come from the research and never change based on what we earn. Fullscript asks for a free account before it shows its catalog and prices. Full disclosure
Studies cited
1 study from PubMed