The guggul tree (sometimes spelt as ‘guggulu’) is an indigenous Indian tree which found abundantly in the temperate climates of north India. It is a small shrub, not more than 4 meters in height. It has a thin bark with thorny branches and trifoliate leaves. It has red or pink flowers with four petals each.
Guggul is a traditional ayurvedic herb that has been extensively used by ayurvedic practitioners. It is used both as a single herb medicine and in combinations. It is very commonly used in making ayurvedic pills as it has a sticky texture that helps in binding the other ingredients. Some of the most famous Guggul preparations are arogyavardhni vati, Chandraprabha vati, triphala Guggul and many more.
The combined effect of diet and guggulipid at 36 weeks was as great as the reported lipid lowering effect of modern drugs. After a washout period of another 12 weeks, changes in blood lipoproteins were reversed in the guggulipid group without such changes in the placebo group. Side effects of guggulipid were headache, mild nausea, eructation, and hiccup in a few patients.
Guggul has used pnmanly for Its ability to decrease serum cholesterol levels. It’s also used to treat atherosclerosis and high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. In Ayurvedic medicine, it’s used to treat arthritis and to aid in weight loss.
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The most important compound of guggul is the steroid guggulsterone. Some research with laboratory animals suggest that guggul may help enhance thyroid function. Since the thyroid gland produces hormones that are needed to regulate metabolism, it can help you lose weight. Besides guggul may change thyroid hormone metabolism, increase traffic levels or triiodothyroxine T3, a thyroxine metabolite known to raise overall metabolism, which increases fat burning.
In its extracted form, guggul is a type of resin or oil that comes largely from the Commiphora mukul tree. This tree is a thorny, shrub-like plant indigenous to India, where the very versatile tree gum is harvested for a variety of medicinal uses. The tree that yields guggul extract is a close relative to the myrrh, also known in the East for its healing properties.
Guggulu finds its application in problems related to heart. Great results have been seen in people who suffer from high cholesterol levels. Significant lowering in blood cholesterol levels has been reported by regular use of guggulu. It helps in maintaining LDL and HDL levels in blood in normal limits.
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