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Guggul - Commiphora Mukul
Indian Name :Shatawari, Shatamuli
Botanical Name :Asparagus racemosus
Other Names :Hundred Husbands, Shatawari, Shatamuli.
Introduction
Guggul herb: Guggul (Commiphora mukul) is a highly valued botanical medicine used in Ayurveda.
It is used for rheumatoid arthritis, and lipid disorders. The classic Ayurveda medical text, described in detail the usefulness of this herb for treatment of obesity and other disorders of fat, including "coating and obstruction of channels". Encouraged by the Ayurvedic description of this herb for lowering cholesterol, scientists have conducted clinical trials to test the effectiveness of this herb in disorders
of lipid metabolism and for lowering weight. The research resulted in the development of a natural cholesterol lowering substance that is safer and more effective than many cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Origin
The mukul myrrh (Commiphora mukul) tree is a small, thorny plant distributed throughout India. Guggul and gum guggulu are the names given to a yellowish resin produced by the stem of the plant.
Chemical composition / key active constituents
Ketone fraction that is extracted from the resin contains the most potent cholesterol lowering components. This is composed of C21 or C27 steroids, with the major components being Z- and E-guggulsterone.Guggul contains resin, volatile oils, and gum. The extract isolates ketonic steroid compounds known as guggulsterones. These compounds have been shown to provide the lipid-lowering actions noted for guggul.
Pharmacology
Guggul significantly lowers serum triglycerides and cholesterol as well as LDL and VLDL cholesterols (the "bad" cholesterols). At the same time, it raises levels of HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol), inhibits platelet aggregation, and may increase thermogenesis through stimulation of the thyroid, potentially resulting in weight loss. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is used to remove "Ama", or deposits of waste or toxic material in the body, including mucus and mineral deposits in the joints, thus reducing a
possible cause of sluggishness, inflamed joints, and many other conditions. A direct anti-inflammatory effect has been observed for guggulsterones. Guggul has also been shown to reduce the stickiness of platelets-another effect that lowers the risk of coronary artery disease.
Remedies For
High cholesterol levels, Acne, High triglyceride levels, hypo thyroidism, Atherosclerosis, Obesity. Guglipid offers considerable benefit in preventing and treating atherosclerotic vascular disease (Heart disease). It is most effective in lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. It also raises the level of good cholesterol (HDL). It is used as expectorant i.e. in cough problems. This guggul has great effect in preventing heart atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries.
Dosage
Daily recommendations for guggul are typically based on the amount of guggulsterones in the extract. A common intake of guggulsterones is 25 mg three times per day. Most extracts contain 5-10% guggulsterones. For a 5 percent guggulsterone extract, this translates to an effective dose of 500 milligrams three times per day.
Lowering cholesterol
Guggul (Commiphora mukul), a resin from the guggul tree, has been used for more than 2,000 years in India to treat a range of disorders. In the 1980s, an extract of the resin -- dubbed gugulipid -- began to be marketed as a cholesterol-lowering agent. The plant compound's mode of action is quite different from that of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Some of guggul's active components, guggulsterones, work by blocking a substance that stops the body from getting rid of cholesterol. Statins, on the other hand, block the body from making more cholesterol, this with a sheer endless list of side effects. However, Guggul should probably not be used in combination with statins (see study in research update). It might be a much better approach to combine it with Omega-3 fatty acids such as in OmegaMatrix®.
A study published in JAMA in August of 2003, and widely publicized, did not show guggul to have a significant effect on lowering cholesterol levels, which strangely contradicted the results of a dozen or more previous research that had shown guggul to be beneficial in reducing cholesterol. However, when the data were re-analyzed from this latest study, it was discovered that guggul was able to lower fasting blood sugar, blood pressure, insulin levels, and guggul had anti-inflammatory activity, reducing the levels of C-reactive protein.
Best acne treatment, natural and 100% safe
Guggul lipids are also very effective in reducing acne. Much of the effect comes from the effect on the liver. It greatly reduces stress by rasing SOD-levels. SOD (super oxide dismutase) is the most important free radical scavanging enzyme. It works extremely fast and effective. As a result LPO (lipid peroxidation) is greatly reduced, resulting in a more effective liver function and less inflammation.
ORAL GUGGULIPID IN ACNE VULGARIS MANAGEMENT
Dr. Jaideep Dogra, Dr. Neelam Aneja, Dr. V. N. Saxena
Gugulipid is the standardized extract of the oleo-resin of Commiphora mukul, an Indian medicinal plant. The active ingredients are two Z and E gugglesterones. Gugulipid is an effective hypolipidemic agent that has a marked anti lipolytic activity in rats. Considering the pathogenesis of acne vulgaris and the pharmacological properties of gugulipid, this trial was initiated. Thirty patients with moderate to severe acne (greater or equal to Grade 4) were included in this study. Tablets of gugulipid were prescribed in three times per day dosage for six weeks. Responses were excellent in nine patients (30%), good in fourteen patients (47%) and moderate in seven patients (23%). No topical treatment was recommended except for local skin hygiene. The drug showed excellent tolerance. Only three patients reported relapse when examined at three months follow up. J Biosci. 2007 Jun;32(4):755-61.Click here to read Links
Acnevus Hyaluronidase and collagenase inhibitory activities of the herbal formulation Triphala guggulu.
NODULOCYSTIC ACNE: ORAL GUGGULIPID VERSUS TETRACYCLINE
Dr. Devinder M. Thappa, Dr. Jaideep Dogra
Department of Dermatology, C.G.H.S., Bajaj Nagar, Jaipur, India
Twenty patients with nodulocystic acne were randomly allocated to one of two treatment schedules: 1) Tetracycline 500 mg or 2) Tablets of Gugulipid (equivalent to 25 mg guggulsterone). Both were taken twice daily for 3 months, and both produced a progressive reduction in the lesions in the majority of patients. With tetracycline, the percentage reduction in the inflammatory lesions was 65.2% as compared to 68% with gugulipid; on comparison, this difference was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). Follow-up at 3 months showed a relapse in 4 cases on tetracyline and 2 cases on gugulipid. An interesting observation was that the patients with oily faces responded remarkably better to gugulipid/Acnevus®.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 1990 Issue 56, pp. 381-383
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