Herbs & Supplements:
Guggul
Commiphora mukul
Principal Proposed Uses
•
High Cholesterol
Other Proposed Uses
•
Acne, Diabetes, Weight Loss
Guggul, the sticky gum resin from the mukul myrrh tree, plays a major role in the traditional herbal medicine of India. It was traditionally combined with other herbs for the treatment of arthritis, skin diseases, pains in the nervous system, obesity, digestive problems, infections in the mouth, and menstrual problems.
What Is Guggul Used for Today?
In the early 1960s, Indian researchers discovered an ancient Sanskrit medical text that appears to clearly describe the symptoms and treatment of high cholesterol.1 One of the main recommendations was guggul. Subsequent tests in animals found that guggul gum both lowered cholesterol levels and also separately protected against the development of hardening of the arteries.
Several research trials followed this discovery, culminating in studies examining guggul's effectiveness in humans.2–5 At present, a moderate level of evidence suggests that guggul can improve cholesterol levels.
A small controlled trial (blinding not stated) compared oral gugulipid (50 mg of guggulsterones twice daily) against tetracycline for the treatment of acne, and reported equivalent results.6 Also, a study in mice found potential antidiabetic effects.7
Guggul is also widely promoted as a weight-loss agent that supposedly enhances thyroid function. However there is little evidence that it actually affects the thyroid, and a small double-blind trial found it no more effective than placebo for weight loss.8
What Is the Scientific Evidence for Guggul?
A double-blind placebo-controlled study of guggul for reducing cholesterol enrolled 61 individuals and followed them for 24 weeks.9 After 12 weeks of following a healthy diet, half the participants received placebo and the other half received guggul at a dose providing 100 mg of guggulsterones daily. The results after 24 weeks of treatment showed that the treated group experienced an 11.7% decrease in total cholesterol, along with a 12.7% decrease in LDL ("bad" cholesterol), a 12% decrease in triglycerides, and an 11.1% decrease in the total cholesterol/HDL ("good" cholesterol) ratio. These improvements were significantly greater than what was seen in the placebo group.
Similar results were seen in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 40 individuals.10
A double-blind study of 228 individuals given either guggul or the standard drug clofibrate found approximately equal efficacy between the two treatments.11
Dosage
Guggul is manufactured in a standardized form that provides a fixed amount of guggulsterones, the presumed active ingredients in guggul. The typical daily dose should provide 100 mg of guggulsterones.
Safety Issues
In clinical trials of standardized guggul extract, no significant side effects other than occasional mild gastrointestinal distress have been seen.12,13,14 Laboratory tests conducted in the course of these trials did not reveal any alterations in liver or kidney function, blood cell numbers and appearance, heart function, or blood chemistry.
However, safety in young children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease has not been established.
View References
Last reviewed March 2002 by Medical Review Board
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