Le tribulus est-il efficace sur la libido ?

Oui, et c'est mesure dans quatre essais randomises en double aveugle contre placebo, totalisant 332 participants. Chez 180 hommes avec des troubles de l'erection legers a moderes, douze semaines de tribulus ont ameliore significativement le score international de fonction erectile, le desir, l'orgasme et la satisfaction. Chez 152 femmes en trois essais, avant et apres la menopause, le tribulus a ameliore le desir, l'excitation, la lubrification, l'orgasme et la satisfaction, la ou le placebo ne le faisait pas ou moins.

Qu'est-ce que le tribulus ?

Tribulus terrestris, la croix-de-Malte, est une plante rampante des regions chaudes, utilisee depuis des siecles dans les medecines indienne, chinoise et grecque pour la vigueur et la fertilite. Ses composes actifs sont des saponines furostanoliques, dont la protodioscine est la plus etudiee. Les extraits utilises dans les essais cliniques sont standardises sur leur teneur en saponines, ce qui est le critere a regarder sur une etiquette.

Que montre l'essai chez l'homme ?

Un essai randomise en double aveugle a inclus 180 hommes de 18 a 65 ans avec des troubles de l'erection legers a moderes, avec ou sans baisse du desir, dont certains hypertendus ou diabetiques. Pendant douze semaines, ils ont recu six comprimes par jour d'un extrait standardise a 45 % de saponines furostanoliques, ou un placebo. Le score international de fonction erectile s'est ameliore significativement par rapport au placebo, de 2,7 points, avec des ameliorations significatives du desir sexuel, de la satisfaction des rapports, de la fonction orgasmique et de la satisfaction globale. La tolerance etait identique a celle du placebo.

Que montrent les essais chez la femme ?

Trois essais randomises en double aveugle, tous chez des femmes se plaignant d'une baisse du desir. Chez 67 femmes en age de procreer, quatre semaines de tribulus ont ameliore significativement le score total de fonction sexuelle feminine, le desir, l'excitation, la lubrification, la satisfaction et la douleur. Chez 45 femmes menopausees, 120 jours a 750 mg ont ameliore le desir, l'excitation, la douleur et l'anorgasmie, sans amelioration sous placebo. Chez 40 femmes avant la menopause, le tribulus a ameliore tous les domaines de la fonction sexuelle, la ou le placebo n'ameliorait rien.

Le tribulus augmente-t-il la testosterone ?

C'est la question ou il faut etre precis, parce que la reponse differe selon le sexe. Chez l'homme, la revue de la litterature qui a examine toutes les etudes de 1968 a 2015 conclut que l'hypothese d'un effet du tribulus par augmentation des androgenes est contredite par les donnees : les essais chez des hommes en bonne sante ne montrent pas de hausse de la testosterone. Chez la femme, en revanche, les deux essais bresiliens ont mesure une augmentation significative de la testosterone libre et biodisponible sous tribulus, que les auteurs proposent comme mecanisme de l'effet sur le desir.

Comment le tribulus agit-il alors chez l'homme ?

Par une autre voie que les hormones. La revue de la litterature souligne des donnees experimentales convergentes pour un mecanisme dependant de l'endothelium et du monoxyde d'azote, c'est-a-dire une action sur la dilatation des vaisseaux, la meme voie que celle des traitements de l'erection. Les auteurs ecrivent que la vision traditionnelle centree sur les androgenes est depassee, et que le tribulus a un role important dans le traitement des troubles de l'erection et du desir, par des mecanismes plus plausibles.

Pourquoi dit-on que le tribulus ne marche pas ?

Parce que la question a longtemps ete mal posee. Le tribulus a ete vendu comme booster de testosterone pour les sportifs, et les essais sur ce point, chez des hommes jeunes et en bonne sante, ont ete negatifs : ni testosterone ni force en plus. Ce resultat, exact, a ete generalise a tort. Sur la libido et la fonction sexuelle, chez des personnes qui se plaignaient d'une baisse, les essais sont positifs, randomises et en double aveugle. Le tribulus n'est pas un anabolisant ; c'est un aphrodisiaque documente.

Quelle dose a ete etudiee ?

Chez l'homme, 1 500 mg par jour d'extrait sec standardise a 45 % de saponines furostanoliques, en trois prises de deux comprimes apres les repas, pendant douze semaines. Chez la femme, 750 mg par jour d'extrait pendant 120 jours dans les essais bresiliens, et un extrait tres concentre a 7,5 mg par jour pendant quatre semaines dans l'essai iranien. La standardisation en saponines est le repere : elle dit ce que l'extrait contient reellement.

Combien de temps avant un effet ?

L'essai iranien chez la femme a mesure un effet des quatre semaines. L'essai chez l'homme evaluait la fonction sexuelle chaque mois sur douze semaines, avec un resultat significatif au terme. Les essais bresiliens ont dure 120 jours. Un a trois mois de prise reguliere est la fourchette des essais ; le tribulus n'est pas un produit a effet immediat mais un traitement de fond du desir.

Le tribulus est-il sur ?

Dans l'essai de 180 hommes, il n'y avait aucune difference d'effets indesirables entre tribulus et placebo, et aucun effet indesirable grave lie au produit. Dans l'essai iranien chez la femme, la frequence des effets indesirables etait identique dans les deux groupes. Dans les essais bresiliens, trois participantes par groupe, tribulus comme placebo, ont arrete pour effets secondaires. Le profil de tolerance dans les essais est celui du placebo.

Le tribulus convient-il aux femmes ?

C'est chez la femme que la documentation est la plus abondante : trois des quatre essais randomises portent sur des femmes, en age de procreer, avant la menopause et apres. Dans les trois, le tribulus a ameliore le desir et la fonction sexuelle la ou le placebo ne le faisait pas. Il est deconseille en grossesse et en allaitement, faute de donnees.

Le tribulus aide-t-il apres la menopause ?

Un essai randomise l'a teste specifiquement chez 45 femmes menopausees se plaignant d'une baisse du desir, pendant 120 jours. Le tribulus a ameliore le desir, l'excitation et la lubrification, la douleur et l'anorgasmie, alors que le placebo n'ameliorait rien sur ces criteres, et la testosterone libre et biodisponible a augmente. Les auteurs concluent qu'il pourrait etre une alternative sure pour le trouble du desir apres la menopause.

Le tribulus aide-t-il les troubles de l'erection ?

Dans l'essai de 180 hommes avec des troubles legers a moderes, oui : le score international de fonction erectile s'est ameliore significativement par rapport au placebo, ainsi que la satisfaction des rapports et la fonction orgasmique. La revue de la litterature conclut a un role important du tribulus dans le traitement des troubles de l'erection. Un trouble de l'erection installe reste un motif de consultation, parce qu'il peut reveler un probleme vasculaire ou metabolique, mais le tribulus a sa place dans les formes legeres.

Le tribulus est-il utile pour la musculation ?

Ce n'est pas ce que montrent les etudes. Les essais chez des hommes jeunes et sportifs n'ont pas retrouve de hausse de la testosterone ni de la force. La revue de la litterature qualifie l'hypothese androgenique de contredite par les donnees. Si l'objectif est la performance musculaire, d'autres complements ont des essais, la creatine en premier ; si l'objectif est la libido, le tribulus a les siens.

Peut-on associer le tribulus a d'autres plantes ?

Il est souvent associe au maca, au ginseng ou au ginkgo dans les formules pour la libido, et ces plantes agissent par des voies differentes, sans interaction connue entre elles. Notre article sur la libido chez l'homme passe en revue celles qui ont des essais. En cas de traitement pour l'erection ou pour la tension, la question de l'association se pose au medecin, puisque le tribulus agit sur la dilatation des vaisseaux.

Y a-t-il des precautions ?

Grossesse et allaitement, par absence de donnees. Traitement pour la tension, le diabete ou l'erection : en parler au medecin, le tribulus agissant sur les vaisseaux et pouvant influencer la glycemie. Cancer hormonodependant : avis medical, par prudence, meme si les essais chez l'homme ne montrent pas d'effet sur la testosterone. Et un trouble de l'erection installe se consulte, parce qu'il peut reveler autre chose.

Que retenir sur le tribulus ?

Que quatre essais randomises en double aveugle, 332 participants, montrent une amelioration du desir et de la fonction sexuelle, chez l'homme avec des troubles legers a moderes et chez la femme avant comme apres la menopause. Que l'effet ne passe pas par la testosterone chez l'homme, mais par la dilatation des vaisseaux, et qu'il s'accompagne d'une hausse de la testosterone libre chez la femme. Que les extraits etudies sont standardises en saponines et pris un a trois mois. Et que la tolerance est celle du placebo.

Tribulus: What Research Shows About Libido in Men and Women

The Nutrition•pro team

•

Published in September 2026

•

5 verified PubMed references

•

Our methodology

Tribulus has a paradoxical reputation. Sold for twenty years as a "testosterone booster" for athletes, it was tested on this point in young, healthy men, and the trials were negative. From this, many concluded it was useless. This is a logical error, and studies show it.

Because on the question for which the plant has been used for centuries, the desire and sexual function, there are four randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials, 332 participants, in both men and women, and they are positive. This article presents them one by one, with the figures, doses and durations, then explains the actual mechanism, which is not what we thought, and what testosterone does and does not do depending on sex.

★ OUR TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS

Tribulus terrestris Nutrition•pro 120 gélules

Tribulus terrestris, 120 capsules

Tribulus terrestris in capsules, the plant whose desire and sexual function were measured in four randomized trials, in men and women. Rich in furostanolic saponins, including protodioscin, the active compounds in the studied extracts. In a one to three-month course, the duration of the trials.

View Tribulus terrestris

In brief

In men. 180 men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, twelve weeks double-blind: the international erectile function score improves by 2.7 points compared to placebo, with significant gains in desire,orgasm, satisfaction with intercourse and overall satisfaction. Tolerability identical to placebo. In women. Three trials, 152 women before and after menopause: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction improved, where placebo did nothing or less.

The mechanism. In men, the effect does not work through testosterone, which does not change in the trials, but through blood vessel dilation, the nitric oxide pathway. In women, free testosterone increases in both Brazilian trials. The confusion. Tribulus is not an anabolic steroid for athletes, trials on this point are negative; it is a documented aphrodisiac, trials on this point are positive.

Health information. This article presents trials identified via PubMed. An established erectile dysfunction remains a reason for medical consultation, because it may reveal a vascular or metabolic problem. Tribulus is not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If you are being treated for blood pressure, diabetes, or erectile dysfunction, discuss it with your doctor.

Table of contents

What tribulus is, and where the misunderstanding comes from
In men: 180 patients, twelve weeks
In women: three trials, 152 participants
The mechanism: what testosterone does and does not do
Doses, durations, forms
Precautions and when to consult
Frequently asked questions

Quick answer

Tribulus improves sexual desire and function in four randomized double-blind trials, in 180 men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction and in 152 women before and after menopause. The effect does not work through testosterone in men, which remains unchanged, but through blood vessel dilation ; in women, free testosterone increases. The studied extracts are standardized in saponins, taken for one to three months, with placebo tolerance. It is not an anabolic steroid, it is a documented aphrodisiac.

What tribulus is, and where the misunderstanding comes from

A traditional aphrodisiac plant, diverted into an athletic performance booster.

Tribulus terrestris, the Maltese cross, is a creeping plant of warm regions, used for centuries in Indian, Chinese, and Greek medicine for vigor and fertility. Its active compounds are furostanolic saponins, of which protodioscin is the most studied. The extracts from clinical trials are standardized on their saponin content.

The misunderstanding dates back to the 1990s: Bulgarian preparations were popularized among athletes as "testosterone boosters." This promise was tested in young, healthy, trained men, and the trials were negative : neither increased testosterone nor increased strength. Accurate result, but wrongly generalized to the entire plant.

Two different questions, two different answers

"Does tribulus increase testosterone in a healthy man?" No, the trials show this, and the 2016 literature review describes the androgenic hypothesis as contradicted by the data.

"Does tribulus improve sexual desire and function in a person experiencing a decline?" Yes, and four randomized, double-blind trials demonstrate this, in both men and women. This is the question addressed in this article, and the one for which the plant has been used throughout history.

In men: 180 patients, twelve weeks

The largest randomized trial on tribulus, published in Maturitas.

A phase IV, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial included 180 men aged 18 to 65 years with erectile dysfunction mild to moderate, with or without decreased libido. Men with hypertension, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome were included, bringing the trial closer to real-world conditions. For twelve weeks, 90 men received six tablets daily of an extract standardized to 45% furostanolic saponins, 90 received placebo.

Criterion	Result, tribulus versus placebo
International Index of Erectile Function, primary endpoint	+2.70 points compared to placebo, p < 0.0001
Sexual desire	Significantly improved, p = 0.0038
Satisfaction with intercourse	Significantly improved, p = 0.0005
Orgasmic function	Significantly improved, p = 0.0325
Overall satisfaction	Significantly improved, p = 0.0028
Overall perceived efficacy	In favor of tribulus, p < 0.0001
Adverse events	No difference with placebo; no serious adverse effects related to the product

The authors conclude to a significant improvement in sexual function in men with mild to moderate disorders, with good tolerability. The fact that desire, orgasm and satisfaction improve along with erectile function indicates that the effect is not limited to mechanics: it is overall sexuality that improves.

On the source

One of the authors is affiliated with the manufacturer of the tested extract, which we note. The trial is randomized, double-blind, multicentric, with 86 patients per group who completed it, and a preregistered primary endpoint: it is a quality trial, and the affiliation does not invalidate it.

In women: three trials, 152 participants

Before menopause, after, and of reproductive age.

It is in women that the documentation is most comprehensive, with three randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials, all in women complaining of decreased desire, all measured by the female sexual function score, which evaluates six domains.

Trial	Protocol	Result
67 women of reproductive age, Iran	Concentrated extract, 7.5 mg per day, 4 weeks	Total score, desire, arousal, lubrication, satisfaction and pain significantly improved ; adverse effects identical to placebo
45 postmenopausal women, Brazil	750 mg per day, 120 days	Desire, arousal and lubrication, pain and anorgasmia improved ; no improvement under placebo on these criteria; free and bioavailable testosterone increased
40 women before menopause, Brazil	Tribulus versus placebo, same team	All domains improved : desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, pain, satisfaction ; placebo improved nothing ; free and bioavailable testosterone increased

Three trials, three different populations, three positive and converging results. The most striking point is the comparison with placebo: in the two Brazilian trials, women under placebo did not progress on the criteria where those under tribulus progressed, which rules out the explanation of simply participating in a study.

What the authors conclude from this

The Iranian team writes that tribulus can safely and effectively improve desire in women with desire disorder. The Brazilian team concludes, for both postmenopausal women and those before menopause, that it could be a safe alternative for desire disorder, effective in reducing symptoms with few side effects, and proposes as a mechanism the increase in free testosterone that it measured.

The mechanism: what testosterone does and does not do

The review that examined all studies from 1968 to 2015.

Two researchers from Sofia University of Medicine reviewed all phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical studies on tribulus published over nearly fifty years, in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Their conclusion comes in two parts, and both matter.

Question	Review conclusion
Does tribulus have an aphrodisiac and pro-erectile effect?	Yes: studies in humans and animals reveal an important role in treating erectile dysfunction and desire disorders
Does this effect work through an increase in androgens in men?	No: analysis of the data contradicts this hypothesis, considered outdated
Then how?	Converging experimental data for a mechanism dependent on the endothelium and nitric oxide, the pathway of blood vessel dilation

<<<39>>> Nitric oxide monoxyde d'azote is the molecule that dilates blood vessels, and it is precisely the pathway used by pharmaceutical erectile dysfunction treatments. That tribulus acts through this pathway explains why erectile function, but also desire and orgasm, improve in men without testosterone changing.

Man and woman: two mechanisms, one same result

In theman, testosterone does not change, and the effect works through blood vessels. In the woman, the two Brazilian trials measure an increase in free and bioavailable testosterone, and the authors see this as the mechanism behind the renewed desire. This is not contradictory: the baseline levels, enzymes and receptors are not the same, and a plant can act differently depending on the hormonal terrain.

What is constant is the result: desire and sexual function improve in all four trials.

Doses, durations, forms

What the trials used, to read a label.

Population	Dose	Duration	Form
Men, mild to moderate disorders	1,500 mg of dry extract per day, in three doses after meals	12 weeks	Extract 35-45:1 standardized to 45% furostanol saponins
Women, menopausal and pre-menopausal	750 mg of extract per day	120 days	Plant extract
Women, of childbearing age	7.5 mg per day of highly concentrated extract	4 weeks	Highly concentrated extract

The benchmark that matters

Standardization in saponins. Doses in milligrams cannot be compared from one extract to another if the concentration differs: 7.5 mg of a highly concentrated extract and 1,500 mg of an extract at 45% saponins are not so far apart in active ingredient. A product that indicates its saponin content tells you what it contains. The duration of the trials, one to three months, is that of a treatment course; tribulus is a long-term treatment for desire, not a product with immediate effects.

Precautions and when to consult

Few contraindications, but a medical consultation not to skip.

In all four trials, tribulus tolerance was equivalent to placebo: no difference in adverse effects among the 180 men, identical frequency in the 67 Iranian women, three dropouts per group in the Brazilian trials, tribulus like placebo. Precautions relate to the mechanism and to situations that were not studied.

Precautions

Pregnancy and breastfeeding : not recommended, due to lack of data. Treatment for blood pressure, diabetes, or erectile function : discuss with your doctor, as tribulus acts on blood vessel dilation and may influence blood sugar levels. Hormone-dependent cancer : medical consultation recommended as a precaution, even though testosterone levels do not shift in men. And an established erectile dysfunction should be evaluated by a doctor, because it may be the first sign of a vascular or metabolic problem: tribulus has its place in mild cases, not as a substitute for diagnosis.

What to do in practice

Four key points

Key point 1

Ask the right questionTribulus is documented for sexual desire and sexual function in both men and women. It is not documented for testosterone or strength in healthy men. If the goal is libido, the trials are there; if it's athletic performance, other supplements have theirs.

Key point 2

Choose an extract standardized in saponinsThis is the criterion used in trials and what makes doses comparable. A product that indicates its content of furostanol saponins states what it contains.

Key point 3

Take it for one to three monthsFour weeks for the first measurable effect in women, twelve weeks in men, 120 days in the Brazilian trials. Tribulus is taken as a course of treatment, after meals as in the men's trial.

Key point 4

Do not skip the medical consultation if erectile function is involvedEstablished erectile dysfunction may reveal something else. Tribulus complements the evaluation, it does not replace it.

Tribulus according to your situation

Man, decreased desire, less reliable erections than before

This is the profile from the 180-man trial: twelve-week course, standardized extract, and medical evaluation if the problem persists

Woman, decreased desire, before menopause

Two positive trials on this profile: one to four month course

Woman, decreased desire after menopause

120-day trial positive on this profile, including desire and orgasm

Athlete seeking to gain testosterone or strength

Trials are negative on this point; creatine has its own

Treatment for blood pressure, diabetes, or erectile function

Discuss with your doctor first, as tribulus acts on blood vessels

Pregnancy, breastfeeding

Not recommended, no data available

Established erectile dysfunction, appearing without reason

Medical consultation first: it may reveal a vascular problem

Nothing after three months

Check the extract standardization, and consult if the problem persists

Frequently asked questions

Efficacy

Is tribulus effective on libido?

Yes, and this is measured in four randomized double-blind trials against placebo, totaling 332 participants. In 180 men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, twelve weeks of tribulus significantly improved the International Index of Erectile Function score, desire, orgasm, and satisfaction. In 152 women in three trials, before and after menopause, tribulus improved desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and satisfaction, where placebo did not or did less.

What does the trial show in men?

A randomized double-blind trial included 180 men aged 18 to 65 with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, with or without decreased desire, some of whom were hypertensive or diabetic. For twelve weeks, they received six tablets daily of an extract standardized to 45% furostanol saponins, or placebo. The International Index of Erectile Function score improved significantly compared to placebo, by 2.7 points, with significant improvements in sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, orgasmic function, and overall satisfaction. Tolerability was identical to placebo.

What do the trials show in women?

Three randomized double-blind trials, all in women complaining of decreased desire. In 67 women of reproductive age, four weeks of tribulus significantly improved the total Female Sexual Function Index score, desire, arousal, lubrication, satisfaction, and pain. In 45 postmenopausal women, 120 days at 750 mg improved desire, arousal, pain, and anorgasmia, with no improvement under placebo. In 40 women before menopause, tribulus improved all domains of sexual function, where placebo improved nothing.

Does tribulus help erectile dysfunction?

In the trial of 180 men with mild to moderate dysfunction, yes: the International Index of Erectile Function score improved significantly compared to placebo, as did sexual satisfaction and orgasmic function. The literature review concludes an important role for tribulus in treating erectile dysfunction. Established erectile dysfunction remains a reason for medical consultation, because it may reveal a vascular or metabolic problem, but tribulus has its place in mild forms.

Does tribulus help after menopause?

A randomized trial specifically tested it in 45 postmenopausal women complaining of decreased desire, for 120 days. Tribulus improved desire, arousal and lubrication, pain and anorgasmia, while placebo improved nothing on these criteria, and free and bioavailable testosterone increased. The authors conclude it could be a safe alternative for desire disorder after menopause.

The mechanism

Does tribulus increase testosterone?

This is the question where precision is needed, because the answer differs by sex. In men, the literature review that examined all studies from 1968 to 2015 concludes that the hypothesis of a tribulus effect through increased androgens is contradicted by the data: trials in healthy men show no testosterone increase. In women, conversely, the two Brazilian trials measured a significant increase in free and bioavailable testosterone under tribulus, which the authors propose as the mechanism of the effect on desire.

How does tribulus act then in men?

Through a pathway other than hormones. The literature review emphasizes convergent experimental data for an endothelium-dependent mechanism and nitric oxide, that is, an action on blood vessel dilation, the same pathway as erectile dysfunction treatments. The authors write that the traditional vision centered on androgens is outdated, and that tribulus has an important role in treating erectile dysfunction and desire disorders, through more plausible mechanisms.

Why do people say tribulus doesn't work?

Because the question has long been poorly framed. Tribulus was sold as a testosterone booster for athletes, and trials on this point, in young healthy men, were negative: neither testosterone nor increased strength. This accurate result was wrongly generalized. On libido and sexual function, in people complaining of decreased desire, the trials are positive, randomized, and double-blind. Tribulus is not an anabolic; it is a documented aphrodisiac.

Is tribulus useful for muscle building?

That is not what the studies show. Trials in young athletic men found no increase in testosterone or strength. The literature review qualifies the androgenic hypothesis as contradicted by the data. If the goal is muscle performance, other supplements have trials, creatine foremost; if the goal is libido, tribulus has its own.

In practice

What is tribulus?

Tribulus terrestris, the Malta cross, is a creeping plant of warm regions, used for centuries in Indian, Chinese, and Greek medicine for vigor and fertility. Its active compounds are furostanol saponins, of which protodioscin is the most studied. The extracts used in clinical trials are standardized for their saponin content, which is the criterion to look for on a label.

What dose has been studied?

In men, 1,500 mg daily of dry extract standardized to 45% furostanol saponins, in three doses of two tablets after meals, for twelve weeks. In women, 750 mg daily of extract for 120 days in the Brazilian trials, and a highly concentrated extract at 7.5 mg daily for four weeks in the Iranian trial. Saponin standardization is the benchmark: it says what the extract actually contains.

How long before an effect?

The Iranian trial in women measured an effect as early as four weeks. The trial in men evaluated sexual function monthly over twelve weeks, with a significant result at the end. The Brazilian trials lasted 120 days. One to three months of regular intake is the range seen in trials; tribulus is not a product with immediate effect but a foundational treatment for desire.

Is tribulus suitable for women?

It is in women that documentation is most abundant: three of the four randomized trials involve women, of reproductive age, before and after menopause. In all three, tribulus improved desire and sexual function where placebo did not. It is not recommended in pregnancy and breastfeeding, due to lack of data.

Can tribulus be combined with other plants?

It is often combined with maca, ginseng, or ginkgo in formulas for libido, and these plants act through different pathways, with no known interactions between them. Our article on male libido reviews those with trials. In case of treatment for erectile dysfunction or blood pressure, the question of combination arises with the physician, since tribulus acts on blood vessel dilation.

Safety

Is tribulus safe?

In the trial of 180 men, there was no difference in adverse effects between tribulus and placebo, and no serious adverse effects related to the product. In the Iranian trial in women, the frequency of adverse effects was identical in both groups. In the Brazilian trials, three participants per group, tribulus and placebo, discontinued due to side effects. The tolerability profile in the trials is that of placebo.

Are there precautions?

Pregnancy and breastfeeding, due to lack of data. Treatment for blood pressure, diabetes, or erectile dysfunction: discuss with a doctor, as tribulus acts on blood vessels and may influence blood sugar levels. Hormone-dependent cancer: medical advice recommended, out of caution, even though human trials show no effect on testosterone. And established erectile dysfunction should be evaluated, because it can reveal other underlying conditions.

What to remember about tribulus?

That four randomized double-blind trials, with 332 participants, show improvement in sexual desire and function, in men with mild to moderate disorders and in women before and after menopause. That the effect does not work through testosterone in men, but through blood vessel dilation, and that it is accompanied by an increase in free testosterone in women. That the studied extracts are standardized in saponins and taken for one to three months. And that tolerability is equivalent to placebo.

Glossary

Terms in this guide

Tribulus terrestris: Maltese Cross, a creeping plant from warm regions, traditional aphrodisiac used in Indian, Chinese, and Greek medicine.
Furostanol saponins: Family of steroidal compounds from the plant, including protodioscin, on which clinical extracts are standardized.
Protodioscin: Most studied saponin from tribulus, considered its main active compound.
International Index of Erectile Function: Validated questionnaire with fifteen questions measuring erectile function, orgasm, desire, sexual satisfaction, and overall satisfaction.
Female Sexual Function Index: Validated questionnaire measuring desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Persistent decrease in sexual desire causing distress, criterion for inclusion in trials with women.
Nitric oxide: Molecule released by blood vessel walls that dilates them; mechanism of action for erectile dysfunction treatments and, according to the review, tribulus.
Free and bioavailable testosterone: Fraction of testosterone not bound to transport proteins, the only form active on tissues.
Double-blind: Trial in which neither participants nor evaluators know who receives the product or placebo.

Sources

References for this guide

The studies cited below were identified via PubMed.

Kamenov Z, et al. Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Tribulus terrestris in male sexual dysfunction: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Maturitas, 2017;99:20-26. One author affiliated with the extract manufacturer. DOI
Akhtari E, et al. Tribulus terrestris in the treatment of sexual dysfunction in women: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2014;22:40. DOI
de Souza KZ, Vale FB, Geber S. Efficacy of Tribulus terrestris in the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in postmenopausal women: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Menopause, 2016;23(11):1252-1256. DOI
Vale FBC, et al. Efficacy of Tribulus terrestris in the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Gynecological Endocrinology, 2018;34(5):442-445. DOI
Neychev V, Mitev V. Pro-sexual and androgenic effects of Tribulus terrestris: reality or fiction. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2016;179:345-355. DOI

Learn more

The libido and vitality cluster

Male libido: plants with clinical trialsAnd those without Boost your testosterone naturallyThe complete guide Aphrodisiac gingerWhat studies say

Our products

Tribulus terrestris120 capsules, one to three month course Male libidoComplete formula

About this article. Written by the NUTRITION•PRO team based on four randomized double-blind trials and a literature review identified via PubMed, whose references and DOI links are listed above. We reported what each trial measured, with its figures, doses, and durations, and distinguished the question of desire, where trials are positive, from that of testosterone in men, where they are not, because the confusion between the two long obscured the understanding of this plant. We sell tribulus in capsule form. Discover our editorial methodology.

This article is informational and does not replace medical advice. Established erectile dysfunction is a reason to consult a doctor. Tribulus is not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and should be discussed with a physician if taking medication for blood pressure, diabetes, or erectile dysfunction. Dietary supplements do not replace a varied and balanced diet or a healthy lifestyle. Last updated: September 2026.