Know More About Guggulu

Guggulu, also known as Gum Gugal, Bdellium Gum is a resinous sap of the stem of Commiphora Mukul tree, normally found in Northeast Africa, Afghanistan and India. This is a thorny plant having a relatively small structure. It has been a part of the Ayurveda, the traditional Indian form of medicine for a long time. Guggulu is helpful in curing a wide variety of ailments, for instance obesity and rheumatism. It has therapeutic use in lowering cholesterol levels too. Let us find out the many fold benefits of Guggulu for our health.

Some health cures which Guggulu helps in are as follows:

1. Controls and lowers Cholesterol:
The Guggulsterones present in Guggulu cause a cholesterol and triglyceride lowering action in patients. It is also helpful in lowering LDL and VLDL cholesterol levels, commonly called the “bad” cholesterols, raising the HDL or “good” cholesterol on the other hand. Dietary restrictions with regards to fat intake are advisable for good results.

2. Guggulu lowers LDL cholesterol oxidation:

Guggulsterones also act as antioxidants, and inhibit the LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and guard us against Atherosclerosis. Antioxidants present in Guggulsterones inhibit the development of plaques in blood vessels. According to a Feb. 2004 study from Atherosclerosis, it was concluded that Guggulu was helpful in restraining the LDL oxidation.

On the other hand, the inefficiency of Guggulu was also stated in the famous study published in August 2003 in JAMA. It states that Guggulsterones could possibly increase the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) in some patients. But further research proved that Guggulu helped in lowering blood pressure, fasting blood sugar and insulin levels, thus favoring the use of Guggulu.

3. Guggulu can treat Acne:

Many Ayurveda practitioners in India use Guggulu in combination with other herbs for the treatment of Acne. The Journal of Dermatology mentions its use in one of their clinical trials.

4. Guggulu is useful in Arthritis:

Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis are degenerative joint disorders, which can be treated well with the use of Guggulu. It helps in reducing joint aches, swelling and is a good anti-inflammatory agent. It is used as a formulation, which incorporates other herb compounds to give the best results.

In preclinical and clinical studies conducted in the South Carolina University of Health Sciences, USA in 2003, Guggulu was helpful in treatment of Osteoarthritis. It resulted in reduction in pain and stiffness and also enhanced the mobility of the patient.

5. Guggulu is beneficial for Thyroid function:
Guggulu was found to be helpful in female mice as per a report by Phyto.Res.2005. It is useful in treatment of Hypothyroidism due to its safe and anti oxidative characteristics. Many Ayurveda practitioners use it as a combination with other herbs for Hypothyroidism.

Now that we have known about its benefits, we need to learn about the precautions while using Guggulu. Those patients who are already on a medication for cardiovascular disease must be careful and not use this without consulting their physician. Besides this, we can end up by saying that Guggulu is a wonderful herb and should be made proper use of for effective results.