Safed Musli
Summary
Safed musli has only two small human trials, both from India. Root powder at 3 g a day for 2 months improved walking and exercise-test distance in 60 healthy volunteers, and a 1 g daily water extract improved semen measures and testosterone in 30 men. Evidence is grade D, and safety data are thin.
Key facts
- The dried root tubers of an Indian plant used in Ayurveda; rich in saponins[3]
- Two small trials from India (30 and 60 participants); most other research is in animals or cell studies[1][2][3]
- The physical performance trial declares no conflicts of interest; no funding statement is given for the semen trial[1][2]
- 2 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 10, 2026
How it works
ProposedSaponins are thought to drive the traditional tonic effects, but no human study cited here tested a mechanism.[3]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Grade D | Improved | Pilot RCT · n = 60 · 2019 | 1 row |
| Male reproductive health | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 30 · 2013 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walking distance, exercise tests and grip strength | Improved | Grade D | Pilot RCT · n = 60 · 2019 Healthy volunteers (Mumbai, India) Form: Chlorophytum borivilianum · Dose: 3 g per day · Duration: 2 months Six-minute walk distance was greater than placebo at day 30 (456 vs 423 m) and day 60 (468 vs 420 m); 6-minute exercise test distance was greater at day 60, and diastolic blood pressure during a fixed-workload test was lower. | 31391682 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
| Semen quality and serum testosterone | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 30 · 2013 Healthy men aged 20 to 40 (outpatient volunteers, India) Form: Water extract of the root tubers · Dose: 500 mg twice daily (1 g/day) · Duration: 12 weeks The authors report highly significant improvements versus placebo in semen volume, liquefaction time, sperm count, sperm motility and serum testosterone; the abstract gives no effect sizes. | 24501522 (opens PubMed)Source [2] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Root tuber powder | Varies[1] | No absorption data in our sources.[1] | Adverse events are not reported in the abstract.[1] | Physical performance pilot trial at 3 g/day |
| Water extract of root tubers | Varies[2] | No absorption data in our sources.[2] | Adverse events are not reported in the abstract.[2] | Semen and testosterone trial at 1 g/day |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 1 g of water extract per day for 12 weeks to 3 g of root per day for 2 months.[2][1]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Who should be careful
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children
- Neither human trial included these groups and no safety data exist for them in our sources.[1][2]
- People seeking a sexual-health treatment
- The single semen trial was small and reported no effect sizes; it is not evidence for a medical condition.[2]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
Safety
Safed musli has very little human safety data.
- Evidence gap
- Most published research on this plant is traditional, animal or laboratory work.[3]
How to read the label
- Label dose vs clinical doseTrials used 1 g of water extract or 3 g of root per day.[2][1]
- Extract vs powderThe two trials used different preparations (water extract vs root), so results may not transfer between products.[1][2]
- Traditional claimsMarketing often calls safed musli a herbal alternative to Viagra; the human evidence cited here does not test that.[3]
Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch
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Cost per studied dose
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Frequently asked questions
What is safed musli used for?
In Ayurveda it is used as a rejuvenating and aphrodisiac tonic; human trials have looked at exercise performance and semen quality.[3][1][2]
Does safed musli improve exercise performance?
In a 2-month pilot trial of 60 healthy volunteers, 3 g/day increased 6-minute walk and exercise-test distances versus placebo.[1]
Does safed musli raise testosterone?
One 12-week trial of 30 healthy men reported higher testosterone and better semen measures with 1 g/day of water extract, without effect sizes in the abstract.[2]
Sources
- [1]A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind comparative pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of Chlorophytum borivilianum on physical performance.. Indian J Pharmacol, 2019. pilot-RCT
- [2]Clinical evaluation of root tubers of Shweta Musali (Chlorophytum borivilianum L.) and its effect on semen and testosterone.. Ayu, 2013. RCT
- [3]Safed musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum): a review of its botany, ethnopharmacology and phytochemistry.. J Ethnopharmacol, 2013. review
What changed
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.
- Adversarial review pass: every evidence row re-read against its whole PubMed abstract. Official sources: no NIH ODS or NCCIH page covers safed musli. Excluded: retracted PMID 23814440 (plant tissue culture, not a human study). Industry ties: 31391682 declares no conflicts (PMC6644180); 24501522 has no funding statement (PMC3902593). Retraction, expression-of-concern, erratum and withdrawn checks on all cited PMIDs: none flagged. Page set indexable.