Suma Root & Testosterone: Review and Benefits of This Powerful Herb
Suma Root & Testosterone
Are you feeling tired lately and having difficulty in performing your daily tasks?
Well, there can be a number of reasons for this but one of the major reasons can be that you are suffering from low testosterone levels.
So, what should you do in such a situation?
Well, one thing you can do is to look into the herb Suma root which research has shown is both a powerful adaptogen and testosterone booster.
If you haven’t heard this name before, don’t worry because this article will give you a detailed description of Suma root.
I will also be investigating whether this Brazilian plant can increase men’s testosterone levels.
So let’s get to it
What is Suma Root?
Suma is often known as Brazilian ginseng. This plant is found in Brazil in the Amazon rainforest.
Although its root, in particular, has a large range of health benefits, the plant’s bark and berries also have medicinal value.
The plant is popularly known in the Amazon as ‘Para Todo’, which literally means “For All”. It is considered as a good herb to increase the health and vitality of a person.
The alternate names for this herb are Russian Secret, Pfaffia Paniculata, and Brazilian Ginseng. It is quite a powerful adaptogenic herb with ergogenic activity.
How effective is Suma?
Suma is nutritionally quite rich and contains a lot of minerals, plant sterols, vitamins, nutrients, and steroidal saponins.
It also has amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins A, B, K, E, and minerals. The energizing effect of Suma is supported by the B Vitamin electrolytes.
Suma root also contains germanium which is beneficial in increasing the overall immune system of the body.
Other than this, an interesting fact is that Suma root has two anabolic agents called allantoin and ecdysterone, which can help muscle growth.
Suma Root and Testosterone Levels
Suma root is particularly effective at increasing the overall testosterone levels of the body.
It contains ecdysterone which as mentioned above is an anabolic agent similar to testosterone that can help support the healthy hormonal levels in men.
When the body has appropriate hormone levels, it repairs itself and grows more quickly. Suma has been quite popular among athletes and used in the bodybuilding world as an alternative to steroids.
In fact, it became so popular that it was named as the “Russian secret” due to the allegations that Russian athletes used it to boost their performance.
Suma also boosts sexual performance in men. The ecdysterone has shown positive results in maintaining high-performance levels and building lean mass.
Pfaffia Panicolata influences several physiological levels and thus increases sexual performance in men over 40. The steroidal elements present in Suma also have a positive effect on the hair and skin.
Related Studies on Suma Root and Testosterone
Here are some studies which support the basis of Suma Root having the ability to increase testosterone levels:
Study 1
A patent application was made back in 1995 which highlighted the beneficial effects of Suma.
It was a double-blind study in which the patients received various forms of Suma and at the end of the study, the researchers reported an increase in their overall red blood cell count.
It’s important to know that red blood cells increase in correlation with testosterone.
The study lasted for about 3 to 6 months, but most of the subjects continued using this herb even 3 years after the study due to its beneficial effects.
Study 2
Another study was done in 2008 in which the researchers found out the effect of beta-ecdysterone (the active ingredient in Suma) in mice. In the study, the mice supplemented with beta-ecdysterone.
It was seen that supplementing with beta-ecdysterone induced the alkaline phosphatase activity in the stem cells. Moreover, it was seen that beta-ecdysterone has inhibitory effects on estrogen.
In other words, it reversed the effects of estrogen. The beta-ecdysterone also alleviated the osteoporosis symptoms in the mice.
Study 3
A study was also done by Oshima and his colleagues in which the effects of the plant on mice were investigated.
In the study, the mice were given access to water enriched with powdered P. Paniculata (Suma Root) for 30 days. The changes of estradiol 17 betas in females and in males were observed.
It was quite clear that the testosterone levels in the mice that drank the water containing P. Paniculata were higher than those who drank plain water. No adverse reactions were found even after 30 days of intake.
So, the consumption of P. Paniculata for longer durations of time is generally considered safe.
Study 4
Another study was done to examine the effects of aqueous extracts of Pfaffia Glomerata on the gastrointestinal tract.
In the study, Winstar rats were treated orally with ethanol and hypodermic restraint stress. The controlled animals received water or ranitidine.
The results proved that the gastric secretions from the animals increased the nitrite and nitrate concentrations. Thus, this study clearly shows that the plant also increases nitric oxide in the body.
Study 5
Last but not least, a study was done in which sexually impotent rats and sexually potent rats were treated with the different amounts of Suma root fluid.
No visible difference was seen in the sexually potent rats; however, the performance of the sexually impotent rats was increased. This study confirms the reputation of Suma root as a sexual stimulant.
Other Benefits of Suma Root
Now let’s take a look at some other health benefits of Suma root, which have been mentioned below:
An Adaptogen – Suma is used in different herbal products because it’s considered a powerful adaptogen. Adaptogens increase the body’s resistance to stress and diseases. Other than this, it also increases stamina and energy levels.
For The Skin – Suma is commonly used to treat different skin-related ailments. The herb can directly be applied on the skin to treat problems like boils and ulcers, and even wounds.
Against Diabetes – The root extract from Suma is also quite beneficial in treating diabetes in humans. The reason for this is because Suma contains saponins that can help in regulating blood sugar levels.
Cancer – Based on its status as an energy and vitality booster, Suma has been investigated as a herb for the treatment of cancer. The effect of Suma in cancer treatment is still unproven, but research indicates that it has great cancer treatment potential. For example, according to the “Practical Guide to Natural Medicine”, a study done in Japan used Suma to control the progress of tumors in a test tube. But the problem is that Suma hasn’t yet proved to be an effective cancer inhibitor in humans. So, there is a lot more research that needs to be done on its role in treating cancer.
Other Benefits – Suma is also linked to other medical conditions, like memory impairment, sickle cell anemia, high blood pressure, arthritis, bronchitis, fatigue, and arteriosclerosis.
Bottom Line
As you can see there is a lot of science to show the link between Suma Root and testosterone levels.
Packed full of nutrients, anabolic agents, and amino acids make it a supplement worth looking at.
The best form of Suma to supplement with is the tincture form as this goes straight into the bloodstream.
