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Cistanche

Herbs · Cistanche tubulosa/deserticola, desert ginseng

Cistanche, also called desert ginseng, is a tonic of Traditional Chinese Medicine for strength, vitality and libido. There are now first randomized studies that measure strength and walking ability and report positive results. They are small, mostly supported by manufacturers, and for libido there is so far not a single human study.

In short

Cistanche is a desert plant whose fleshy stem is used in China as a tonic; its main active compounds are phenylethanoid glycosides such as echinacoside. In a randomized study with 48 men, a Cistanche extract combined with strength training over 8 weeks increased strength more than placebo; in a second study with 26 older people, walking speed improved. Several larger studies tested Cistanche only in combination with ginkgo, all with the involvement of a manufacturer. For libido, potency and longevity, human data are lacking. In the EU, both traded species are unauthorized novel foods.

What it is

Cistanche is a perennial desert plant from the broomrape family. The part used is the fleshy, scaly stem, which is harvested in spring, dried and cut into slices. Two species are mainly traded, Cistanche deserticola and Cistanche tubulosa, which come mainly from Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Xinjiang and Qinghai.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cistanche is considered a tonifying remedy said to strengthen the so-called kidney yang, associated with vitality and sexual strength. In China, desert Cistanche has also officially entered the food sector since 2016, following a safety assessment by the food authority there. In the biohacking scene it is mainly marketed as a natural testosterone and libido booster.

How it is supposed to work

The most important constituents are phenylethanoid glycosides, above all echinacoside and acteoside, plus polysaccharides. Echinacoside serves as the marker substance: in the largest memory study, the tablets were standardized to a fixed echinacoside content. In cell and animal studies they act as antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and neuroprotectants and intervene in signaling pathways of muscle metabolism. The authors of the strength study cite, among other things, activation of the energy sensor AMPK and of the IGF-1 growth signaling pathway, both from animal experiments.

In humans, these mechanisms have not been measured directly. What was measured are blood values: in the strength study, testosterone and cortisol changed favorably, and markers of inflammation and muscle damage fell. Whether the strength gain followed from this or both occurred independently of each other cannot be said from a single study.

Who conducted the studies

With Cistanche, it is worth looking at who is behind the studies. The strength study was sponsored by a Chinese manufacturer, which also supplied the test product. The three larger studies on memory and fatigue tested a combination of Cistanche and ginkgo, and research institutes of food supplement manufacturers were involved in all three. Only the study on walking ability comes from a university alone. That does not make the results wrong, but it is a reason to wait for independent replications.

What is well supported

Best supported is an effect on strength during strength training. In a double-blind study with 48 men, half trained and half untrained, untrained men gained more in bench press and squat with Cistanche than with placebo, trained men mainly in the squat. No adverse events occurred.

In addition, there is a finding in older people. In a Japanese study with 26 people with incipient weakness of the musculoskeletal system, an extract of Cistanche tubulosa over 12 weeks improved stride length and walking speed in those over 60, just barely significantly. Muscle mass did not change. The Japanese research group had previously tested the extract in mice whose leg muscles had wasted after immobilization; there it improved walking ability. The human study was the step from the animal model to humans. In all studies, Cistanche was well tolerated in the short term.

What the studies show

Strength training, eight weeks

Forty-eight men trained three times a week for 8 weeks according to a fixed plan and took Cistanche deserticola extract or placebo. In the untrained men, maximal strength, isometric strength and strength endurance increased more than under placebo; in the trained men, squat and isometric strength. The manufacturer funded the study and supplied the product.

Walking ability in old age

Twenty-six people with incipient or mild weakness of the musculoskeletal system took Cistanche tubulosa extract or placebo for 12 weeks. In those over 60, stride length and walking speed in the 5 m walk test improved; muscle mass remained the same. The blood tests showed no abnormalities.

Memory with ginkgo

One hundred middle-aged and older people took a combination of Cistanche and ginkgo or placebo for 90 days. The scores in two dementia screening tests rose, the MMSE from 26.5 to 27.1 and the MoCA from 23.4 to 25.3 points, each more than under placebo. Memory tests also turned out better. The share attributable to Cistanche cannot be separated.

Memory and brain scan

Another study with 117 healthy adults between 30 and 65 years tested the same combination over 30 days. Scores in several memory tests rose more than under placebo, and MRI showed changes in motor brain areas and in the cerebellum that were associated with the improvement. What these brain changes mean is open.

Chronic fatigue syndrome

In a study with 190 adults with chronic fatigue syndrome, the same combination improved fatigue and quality-of-life scores over 60 days. The authors themselves write that the effect is small and may not be clinically relevant.

Where the data stop

For what Cistanche is most often bought for, there is no human study: libido, potency and erection have not been investigated in any controlled study. Claims about longevity and the immune system also come from animal experiments and tradition, not from studies in humans. The rise in testosterone is so far a secondary finding of a single, manufacturer-funded strength study.

With Cistanche alone there are only two small randomized studies, with 48 and 26 participants. The larger studies combined Cistanche with ginkgo, which is itself studied for memory, and come from a manufacturer’s environment. Independent replications by other research groups are lacking, as are data beyond 90 days. It is also notable that muscle mass did not change in the study on walking ability. The advertised muscle building has therefore not been shown; the improvement in walking must have another cause or, with 26 participants, is simply still uncertain.

Status, approval and legal

In the EU, both traded species are listed in the Novel Food Catalogue as unauthorized novel foods: Cistanche deserticola for the whole plant, Cistanche tubulosa for all plant parts and extracts. The member states did not report any previous use as food for any plant part. Without authorization, novel foods may not be sold in the EU; this also applies to food supplements. There is no approved medicine in Germany, which is why we do not give a dosage. In China, by contrast, desert Cistanche has entered the food sector since 2016. Cistanche is not on the WADA prohibited list for 2026.

Safety

In the studies lasting up to 90 days, no treatment-related side effects were reported, in the strength study not even in the month after intake ended; however, systematic safety studies and long-term data are lacking. In the test tube, echinacoside inhibited several liver enzymes through which many medications are broken down, including CYP3A4 and CYP2C19. Whether this leads to interactions in humans has not been studied, so anyone taking long-term medication should clarify intake with a physician. Because testosterone and cortisol changed in the strength study, caution is advised in hormone-dependent diseases. There are no data for pregnancy, breastfeeding and children. And because there is no EU authorization, no safety assessment by EFSA has taken place either.

BK-Score Thin human evidence

Human evidence4
Mechanism3
Safety data3
Hype gap2
Track record of use5

Evidence 4 instead of 2, because not just one but two small randomized, double-blind studies with Cistanche alone and functional endpoints are available: 48 men over 8 weeks with a greater strength gain and more favorable testosterone and cortisol levels (Tao 2025, Nutrients; sponsor and supplier of the test product is a manufacturer) and 26 people over 12 weeks with better walking speed in those over 60 without a change in muscle mass (Inada 2021, p = 0.046). In addition, there are three RCTs with a Cistanche-ginkgo combination (Chen 2024: 100 people, 90 days; Kan 2021: 190 people, 60 days, possibly clinically insignificant according to the authors; Gao 2026: 117 people, 30 days), all with manufacturer authors. Cistanche is marketed mainly for libido and longevity; there is no human study on these. Mechanism remains 3: AMPK and IGF-1 signaling pathways only from animal and cell studies. Safety 3 instead of 2: controlled short-term data up to 90 days without treatment-related side effects, but no systematic toxicity data in humans and CYP inhibition by echinacoside in liver microsomes (Wu 2022). In the EU, C. deserticola and C. tubulosa are unauthorized novel foods.

The score rates the state of knowledge, not the substance. “Safety data 9” means well studied – not harmless.
Subjective assessment by Biohacking Kompakt based on published scoring rules – not a scientific rating and not a medical recommendation. Rules and all ratings (German)

Frequently asked questions about Cistanche

Does Cistanche raise testosterone?

In a manufacturer-funded study with 48 men, testosterone levels improved under Cistanche and strength training. So far this is a single finding. Whether Cistanche reliably raises testosterone is not established.

Does Cistanche help with libido and potency?

That is the traditional use, but there is no controlled study in humans on it. The indications come from tradition and animal experiments. For erection problems, a medical evaluation makes sense.

Does Cistanche make you stronger?

A randomized study with 48 men found a greater strength gain than with placebo during strength training over 8 weeks, especially in untrained men. The study was small, sponsored by the manufacturer and has not yet been replicated.

Is Cistanche permitted in the EU?

Both traded species are classified in the EU as unauthorized novel foods. Without authorization they may not be sold as food or food supplements.

What is the difference between Cistanche deserticola and tubulosa?

Both are desert plants of the same genus with similar constituents. The strength study used Cistanche deserticola, the studies on walking ability and memory Cistanche tubulosa. There are no direct comparisons in humans.

Is Cistanche safe?

In studies of up to 90 days, no treatment-related side effects occurred. In the laboratory, however, the main active compound inhibited liver enzymes responsible for breaking down medications. Long-term data and data for pregnant women are lacking.

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Information only, not medical advice and not a usage or dosage recommendation. Prescription-only and unapproved substances belong in the hands of a physician. Last updated: 2026-09-30.