Herbs

Information on Guggul - Commiphora Mukul

Guggul
Guggul Picture

Guggul, a resin from the guggul tree, has been used for centuries in India to treat a range of disorders. This resin has been used as part of India's traditional medicine called Ayurveda.

Guggal an extract of the exudate (gum guggul) of Mukul myrrh tree, contains phytosterols named guggulsterones, organic acids, aromatic acids, diterpenes, lignans, sterols, steroids, esters and fatty acid alcohols. Guggal is preferred to crude gum guggul because it is safer and more effective.

Health Benefits of Guggul

For years, it has been used for the treatment of arthritis.
Modern research also found that guggul can also prevent heart attacks.
It's active components, Z-guggulsterone and E-guggulsterone, have an ability to lower both cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Specifically, gugulipid lowers VLDL and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while simultaneously raising HDL cholesterol. This indicates Guggul's primary use for providing a protective effective against atherosclerosis. These effects are due to guggul's action on the liver and thyroid. The thyroid is stimulated to increase the body's metabolic rate, and the liver is stimulated to metabolize LDL cholesterol, effectively lowering the amount in the bloodstream.
Guggulsterones were also reported to have pronounced antioxidant activity, by protecting the important free radical scavenger enzyme SOD (superoxide dismutase), and keeping it in higher levels. SOD protects the heart by scavenging the destructive superoxide radicals and preventing oxidative damage to the heart muscle.
Also, various studies indicate guggul gum produced a marked reversal of the metabolic changes occurring in people with reduced blood supply to the heart (ischemia).

Possible side effects of Guggul

Crude guggul extracts can cause side effects such as skin rashes, diarrhea, hiccups, restlessness, apprehension.
Guggul is considered an emenogogue (an agent that promotes the menstrual discharge) and a uterine stimulant, and should not be used during pregnancy.
Also, caution is recommended with patients currently on prescribed medications for cardiovascular disease.

Guggul Dosage

The dosage of guggulsterones is 25 mg two or three times daily. Most extracts contain 2.5–5% guggulsterones and can be taken daily for 3 to six months.

Note: Guggul capsules, which are increasingly available in health food stores, are made from the purified and standardized gum of the plant and were found to be well tolerated. They usually each contain no less than 25 mg of the bio active components, Z and E-Guggulsterones.

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