Gokhru / Tribulus

Gokhru / Tribulus · Tribulus terrestris, also called puncturevine or gokshura, sold for sex drive and testosterone

SUPPLEMENTFACTSTACK.COM™
Consumer Brief · October 2026
21 October 2026 · v4

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Claim Verdict

Promising

Erectile Function, Women’s Libido and Menopause

Research Confidence

Low

Erectile Function

Supporting Evidence

Promising

Erectile Function

Safety Risk

Real Concern

Erectile Function

Product Quality

Inconsistent

Erectile Function

Bottom line: Tribulus may give men with poor erectile function a small gain, but it does not appear to raise testosterone, and one published case describes death from liver failure.

What’s New This Month

Health Canada: Its tribulus monograph, revised in May 2026, says do not use it if you have low blood pressure or liver problems, and to ask a practitioner first if pregnant. ¹
Europe: Sweden and Denmark acted against tribulus supplements six times from July 2025 to May 2026, with sales bans, withdrawals and removal of online offers. ²
Reports to FDA: Three reports in 2025 named tribulus products, one with a hospital stay and loss of consciousness, one with liver injury alongside maca. Causality is not established. ³
Two small trials: Tribulus fruit powder lowered blood pressure in one trial and eased menopause symptoms in another. Each is a single small study, so both stay unproven. ⁴ ⁵

Overview

Tribulus terrestris is a plant also called puncturevine, caltrop, gokhru or gokshura. Products use its fruit, leaves and stems, or root. ⁶

It has long been used to boost sex drive. In 2024, Europe’s herbal committee refused to write a monograph for it, finding that neither established nor traditional use was shown. ⁷

Labels claim it raises testosterone, builds muscle and boosts performance and sex drive. Some also claim it helps blood sugar, blood pressure and kidney stones.

How We Researched It

We rate each marketing claim with a modified version of GRADE, the system medical researchers use to say how sure we can be (i.e., high, moderate, low or very low), and check each trial with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, which asks whether a study’s design could skew its results. For tribulus we appraised 39 records, published mostly from October 2022 to October 2026, plus older trials. We also checked 10 regulators and safety databases, and found no Cochrane review of tribulus.

Research NotesTop three benefits

Erectile Function GRADE: Low

Pooling three single-ingredient trials (272 men) gave a 3.88-point gain on the IIEF-5 erectile function score, just under our 4-point bar. ¹³ The largest trial, 180 men on 1,500 mg a day for 12 weeks, found 2.70 points. ²⁰

Bias check: Half the pooled trials had a high risk of bias, and the largest trial had a co-author from the maker. Another pooled analysis found no clear effect. ¹⁰

Women’s Libido and Menopause GRADE: Very Low

In a trial of 60 women after menopause, 750 mg a day for 90 days raised desire scores (10.2 vs 7.6). A 45-woman trial found gains only within the tribulus group. A review of 5 trials could not pool them. ²¹ ²² ²³

Bias check: All three trials are small and older, and the review rated its own evidence very low.

Male Libido GRADE: Very Low

No trial measured stamina. A 2025 review of 10 studies (483 men) found erectile function improved in 3 of 5 trials, but desire results were not pulled out. ⁸

Bias check: Most studies were small, and half were rated low quality.

Benefit Evaluation

Claim	Claim Verdict	Research Confidence	Supporting Evidence	Safety Risk	Product Quality	FactStack™ Rating
Erectile Function	Promising	Low	Promising	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Women’s Libido and Menopause	Promising	Very Low	Promising	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Male Libido	TBD	Very Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Fertility	TBD	Very Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Athletic Performance	TBD	Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Energy	TBD	Very Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Antioxidant	TBD	Very Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Blood Sugar and Cholesterol	TBD	Very Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Blood Pressure and Heart	TBD	Very Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Kidney Stones and Urinary Health	TBD	Very Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Disease Treatment	TBD	Very Low	TBD	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Testosterone	Doubtful	Low	Doubtful	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning
Muscle and Strength	Doubtful	Low	Doubtful	Real Concern	Inconsistent	Warning

What Sellers Say vs. What Studies Show

“Boosts testosterone.”	In a 2025 review, 8 of 10 studies found no change. Two pooled analyses found no difference from placebo. ⁸ ⁹ ¹⁰
“Builds muscle and strength.”	A US military safety review found no strong evidence. A 6-week trial in trained men found no gain in performance. ¹¹ ¹²
“Clinically proven for erectile function.”	The best pooled gain falls just short of our bar, and another pooled analysis found no clear effect. ¹³ ¹⁰
“Natural, so side effects are mild.”	A 31-year-old woman who drank tribulus tea for 2 to 3 months died of liver failure; a case report cannot prove cause. NIH’s LiverTox urges caution with liver disease. ¹⁴ ⁶
“Standardized and pure.”	A lab test of 27 products found undeclared green tea in 3 and citrus compounds in 3. ¹⁵
“Works in 1 to 2 weeks.”	Trials ran 4 weeks to 4 months. No trial shows results that fast. ⁸

Trial ParametersIf you try it

Who	No marketed health benefit is established for any group.
Dose	No authority dose. EMA refused a monograph in 2024 because safety data were lacking. ⁷
Ceiling	None established.
Duration	No more than 3 months. Stop for jaundice, dark urine, severe muscle pain, reduced urine, palpitations or fainting, rash after sun, or prolonged painful arousal.
Form	A single-ingredient extract; 3 of 27 products tested held undeclared green tea. ¹⁵
Ask First	Liver or kidney disease; pregnancy or breastfeeding; clopidogrel, diuretics, blood-pressure or diabetes drugs, statins; prostate cancer; drug-tested athletes.

Source: ⁷ and studies cited.

How to Take It

Pick a plan	Trials used 400 to 750 mg a day for 1 to 3 months. The lowest dose that helped erectile function was 750 mg a day. ⁸ ¹³
Time of day	Not reported.
With food	Not reported.
What to expect	Where erectile function improved, it took 4 to 12 weeks. Do not expect higher testosterone. Above 1,000 mg a day, people reported poor sleep, fatigue and a faster heart rate. ¹³ ¹¹
How to take	Choose a single-ingredient extract, not a “test booster” blend, and stop at 3 months.

Works With / Don’t Mix With

✓ Works with

Not reported. No supplement has been shown to add to tribulus’s effect.

A doctor visit first. Have erectile function problems checked by a clinician before you try it.

⚠ Ask first / don’t mix

Low blood pressure or liver problems. Health Canada says do not use tribulus if you have low blood pressure or liver deficiency. ¹

Pregnancy. Health Canada says to ask a practitioner first if you are pregnant. Effects in pregnancy and breastfeeding are unknown. ¹

Statins, clopidogrel, water pills, blood-pressure or diabetes drugs. Ask your doctor first.

Drug-tested athletes: ask first. Not reported: combinations with other supplements tested in people.

Manufacturer Recalls & WarningsLast 36 months, newest first

Date	Maker / Brand	Product	Action	Src
May 2026	Sellers in Sweden and Denmark (products from Poland, Hungary and elsewhere)	Tribulus food supplements, incl. “Tribusteron 90”	Six EU RASFF actions by Sweden and Denmark, Jul 2025 to May 2026: sales bans, withdrawals and removal of online offers.	²
Nov 2024	European Medicines Agency (herbal committee)	Tribulus terrestris herb	EU herbal monograph refused: neither well-established nor traditional use shown; safety data lacking.	⁷
Oct 2024	Samasta Foods Pvt. Ltd. (India)	Organic Gokhru (Gokshura) Powder	FDA Import Alert 99-19 (Salmonella) lists the firm’s gokhru powder. Detention at the border, not a recall.	¹⁶

No FDA recall or warning letter for a tribulus product in the past 24 months. ¹⁷ FDA’s GRAS inventory has no tribulus notice. ¹⁸ According to MHLW records (translated), Japan classes the fruit as a medicine that cannot be sold as food. ¹⁹

Where to Buy

We compare products side-by-side not just on price, but on whether NSF lists the product as NSF/ANSI 173 Contents Certified (an independent lab confirms the label matches the contents), whether it is NSF Certified for Sport, whether USP lists it as USP Verified, and whether the seller says it is manufactured in the USA. We leave out a brand’s products for this supplement when, in the last 36 months, the FDA took action against that brand over this supplement (a Class I or II recall, a warning letter, an import alert or an advisory letter). We also leave out any brand with an FDA Class II recall or warning letter on any product. We also leave out any product named in a California Prop 65 notice or a non-US recall, along with that brand’s products of the same ingredient and form. Brands with other actions stay listed and are marked in the Recall Screen column. Our goal remains to provide you, the Consumer, with the information and data necessary to make an informed purchasing decision. Prices reflected below are static and subject to change.

Ratings above describe the ingredient’s research, not any product listed below.

#	Retailer	Product	Price	Mfg. in USA (per seller)	Recall Screen	Affiliate link
1	iHerb	Force Factor, Fundamentals, Tribulus Terrestris, 60 Capsules	$9.26	✓	✓*	View on iHerb ↗
2	iHerb	EVLution Nutrition, 100% Tribulus, 650 mg, 60 Veggie Capsules	$9.99	✓	✓	View on iHerb ↗
3	iHerb	California Gold Nutrition, Sport, Tribulus, 1,000 mg, 60 Tablets	$10.54	✓	✓*	View on iHerb ↗
4	HerbsPro	Source Naturals, Tribulus, 60 Tabs	$10.85	✓	✓	View on HerbsPro ↗
5	iHerb	NOW Foods, Sports, Tribulus, Men's Health, 500 mg, 100 Veg Capsules	$11.44	✓	✓*	View on iHerb ↗
6	HerbsPro	Amazing Nutrition, Amazing India Tribulus, 630 mg, 120 Veg Caps	$14.37	✓	✓	View on HerbsPro ↗
7	Green's Nutrition	Nutricost Tribulus Capsules 240 Count	$18.95	✓	✓*	View on Green's Nutrition ↗
8	Green's Nutrition	Solaray Vital Extracts Tribulus 60 Veg Caps	$25.29	✓	✓*	View on Green's Nutrition ↗

Per NSF and USP public listings, as of our 15 October 2026 product review; blank = not found.

Every retailer in this table is an affiliate partner, and we earn a commission on every product listed. Our affiliate partners across the site are Amazon, Botanic Choice, Everlywell, Green’s Nutrition, HerbsPro and iHerb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Our evidence ratings are set before any products are added. No brand or retailer pays to be rated or reviews our content before it is published. Always confirm certifications on the provider’s website before you buy.

Recall Screen: ✓* means the brand’s only actions in the last 36 months are a California Prop 65 notice, a non-US recall or sales action, an FDA Class III supplement recall, or a food recall, each on a different product from the one listed. Prop 65 notices are allegations by private enforcers, not findings. A blank means the brand had another FDA action in that period, such as an import alert or a recall of a different product, or a minor (Class III) recall of this product.

Sources

1. Natural Health Products monograph: Tribulus - Tribulus terrestris. Health Canada, 29 May 2026. webprod.hc-sc.gc.ca/nhpid-bdipsn/atReq?atid=tribulus.terrestris&lang=eng

2. RASFF notifications on tribulus food supplements: 2025.5145, 2026.1396, 2026.2570, 2026.2571, 2026.3040, 2026.4581 (Sweden and Denmark). European Commission, RASFF Window, Jul 2025 to May 2026. webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search

3. CAERS adverse event reports, brand name “tribulus”, 4 Oct 2024 to 4 Oct 2026 (3 reports). US Food and Drug Administration (openFDA food adverse events), data to 7 Jul 2026. api.fda.gov/food/event.json?search=products.name_brand:tribulus+AND+date_created:[20241004+TO+20261004]&limit=5

4. Siddiqui et al. Tribulus terrestris fruit powder in prehypertension: placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine 18(4):783, 2021. doi.org/10.1515/jcim-2020-0322

5. Fatima and Sultana. Tribulus terrestris for menopausal symptoms: single-blind randomized trial (60 women). Advances in Integrative Medicine 4(2):56, 2017. doi.org/10.1016/j.aimed.2017.04.005

6. Tribulus. LiverTox: clinical and research information on drug-induced liver injury (NBK583201). US National Institutes of Health, 8 Aug 2022. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK583201/

7. Tribuli terrestris herba: final public statement (EMA/HMPC/308436/2023) and assessment report (EMA/HMPC/886105/2022). European Medicines Agency, adopted 20 Nov 2024; published 25 Feb 2025. www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/tribuli-terrestris-herba

8. Vilar Neto et al. Tribulus supplementation, erectile dysfunction and testosterone in men: systematic review. Nutrients, 2025. doi.org/10.3390/nu17071275

9. Suharyani et al. Tribulus terrestris and erectile dysfunction: meta-analysis. International Journal of Impotence Research, 2026. doi.org/10.1038/s41443-025-01086-7

10. Ho et al. Herbal medicines for erectile dysfunction: meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials. Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, 2026. doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2025.11.001

11. Tribulus terrestris as an ingredient in dietary supplements. US Department of Defense, Operation Supplement Safety, 12 Jun 2024. www.opss.org/article/tribulus-terrestris-ingredient-dietary-supplements

12. Fernandez-Lazaro et al. Tribulus terrestris in trained men: 6-week randomized trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022. doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316158

13. Petre et al. Supplements for erectile dysfunction: systematic review and meta-analysis, with an audit of 27 products. Nutrients 15(17):3677, 2023. doi.org/10.3390/nu15173677

14. Ataee and Dadpour. Acute liver failure following Tribulus terrestris consumption in an Iranian woman: case report. Asia Pacific Journal of Medical Toxicology, 2020. apjmt.mums.ac.ir/article_15318.html

15. Godevac et al. Chemical analysis of 27 commercial Tribulus terrestris products (LC-HRMS). Food Chemistry: X, 2025. doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2025.102476

16. Import Alert 99-19: detention without physical examination of food products due to Salmonella (Samasta Foods Pvt. Ltd., Organic Gokhru (Gokshura) Powder). US Food and Drug Administration, firm listed 25 Oct 2024. www.accessdata.fda.gov/cms_ia/importalert_263.html

17. openFDA food and drug enforcement reports, “tribulus” (newest 2019); warning-letter database, “tribulus”, “gokshura” and “gokhru” (none since 2021). US Food and Drug Administration, 4 Oct 2026. api.fda.gov/food/enforcement.json?search=product_description:tribulus&limit=10

18. GRAS Notice Inventory, search “tribulus” (no records found). US Food and Drug Administration, 4 Oct 2026. www.fda.gov/food/generally-recognized-safe-gras/gras-notice-inventory

19. List of ingredients used exclusively as pharmaceuticals: hamabishi (Tribulus terrestris), fruit (translated). Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), list in force. www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11130500-Shokuhinanzenbu/0000086062_1.pdf

20. Kamenov et al. Tribulus terrestris (Tribestan) for mild to moderate erectile dysfunction: phase IV randomized trial (180 men). Maturitas 99:20, 2017. doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.01.011

21. Postigo et al. Tribulus terrestris and sexual function in postmenopausal women: randomized trial. Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, 2016. doi.org/10.1055/s-0036-1571472

22. de Souza et al. Tribulus terrestris for low sexual desire in postmenopausal women: randomized trial. Menopause, 2016. doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000000766

23. Martimbianco et al. Tribulus terrestris for female sexual dysfunction: systematic review. Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, 2020. doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1712123

Disclaimer. This brief is for general education only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting any supplement, especially if you take medication, have a health condition, or are planning surgery. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Research summaries reflect sources available on the date shown and may change. FactStack™ Research, LLC does not make, sell or warrant any product named here and is not responsible for how any product is made, sold or used.

Gokhru / Tribulus · SupplementFactStack.com™ Consumer Brief · October 2026