Re: Guggulu tablets

[Guest guest]

Jules

Being prompted by Graham, a brief thing on guggulu below. Great herb,

experience with patients reveals that it is WITHOUT DOUBT BETTER THAN

ORTHODOX CHOLESTEROL LOWERING DRUGS. This has been confirmed to me by many

patients who have compared levels whilst on one and then the other. Most

have taken the cholesterol lowering drugs first, got side effects, looked

for an alternative, then taken the guggulu and then surprised to find

cholesterol levels lower than whilst on the drug.

Commiphora mukul

Guggulu

By

Stuart Fitz

Anti-arthritic, body fat lowering and thyroid stimulating herb.

Name: Also known as Commiphora wightii, Balsamodendron mukul. It belongs to

the family known as the Burseraceae and is closely related to myrrh

(Commiphora mol-mol) and incense (Boswellia sacra/also an excellent

anti-arthritic). Guggulu is a Sanskrit word.

History: This plant was described and used by the fathers of Ayurvedic

medicine, Charaka and Sushruta which means it was in use by the Indians

around two to three thousand years ago. We also know the Egyptians used it

for both medical and religious practices. This means that guggulu is a herb

that has been used continually since before recorded history. It is

important to realise that even in the distant past this herb was used

medicinally for only two things:

- To reduce body fat

- To treat arthritis

Sushruta, it is interesting to note, stated that Guggulu removes fats that

are " coating and obstructing the channels " . This is an obvious reference to

blood lipids and atheroma formation. Remember the circulation of the blood

was first correctly described not by Harvey but by Ayurvedic physicians

millennia earlier.

Part used: The resin which oozes from the bark at sites of damage. Resin is

collected by making a knife cut in the bark. The resin dries on the bark and

is then collected. On average, a tree can yield up to 900grams of resin

during the winter months when the resin is collected.

Chemical constituents and their preparation: The crude resin consists of two

major parts:

- An insoluble portion, which is toxic.

- A soluble portion, which contains the pharmacologically active components.

These two portions are separated by adding ethyl acetate to the crude resin,

the insoluble portion being decanted off. The soluble portion is then called

gugulipid.

Gugulipid has the following composition:

- A neutral fraction (approx 95%) containing the main active ingredients,

i.e. steroidal components known as guggulsterones, the most important of

which are Z- and E- guggulsterones.

- An acidic fraction (approx 4%) containing things like ferulic acid and

aromatic acids.

- A basic fraction which is less than 2% of the whole.

There is also an essential oil in the crude oleoresin made up mainly of

myrcene (Which is a powerful local anaesthetic. This chemical is also in

clove oil), dimyrcene and polymyrcene.

The major active components are the guggulsterones.

Medicinal uses of gugulipid:

1. Hypolipidaemic effect: Research shows that gugulipid has a consistent and

powerful effect in lowering total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL and triglycerides

whilst not interfering with HDL levels. The effect of gugulipid is as good

as synthetic lipid lowering agents, and in India gugulipid is itself a

licensed pharmaceutical, entering the market in 1986.

During a course of gugulipid, lipid peroxide (free radicals) levels decrease

dramatically, up to 34%. This effect is thought important from the point of

view of protecting the heart muscle from free radical damage.

It is thought that the primary mechanism at work in the hypolipidaemic

effect is stimulation of liver uptake and metabolism of lipids. Figures for

reduction in cholesterol while taking gugulipid are 14%-27%, while

reductions in triglyceride are between 22%-30%. This is over a 4 to 12 week

period.

It is thought that type IIb hyperlipidaemia (i.e. raised LDL, VLDL and

raised triglycerides) and type IV hyperlipidaemia (i.e. raised VLDL and

triglycerides) are the types of hyperlipidaemia that are most profoundly

affected by Guggulu.

It is also important to point out that whilst Guggulu is comparable with or

better than orthodox cholesterol lowering drugs it has none of the side

effects of those drugs. Gugulipid also reduces platelet aggregation and

promotes fibrinolysis, two effects that further aid the treatment of

arteriosclerosis.

Guggulu is therefore useful in the treatment of arteriosclerosis and its

associated complications such as high blood pressure, heart disease,

cerebro-vascular disease and blocked arteries in the arms and legs

(intermittent claudication).

2. Stimulation of the thyroid gland: The Ayurvedic physicians used guggulu

to reduce stored body fat and thus reduce body weight as well as to lower

blood lipids. Z-guggulsterone was shown by Tripathi et al in 1984 to

stimulate thyroid hormone production. This effect would obviously account

for body fat levels going down, and aid the blood lipid lowering effect. It

also makes gugulipid an excellent treatment for myxoedema (low thyroid

function). I would also add that this herb is probably the safest option for

those purely interested in losing weight.

3. Anti-inflammatory effect: (Compare with Boswellia). Many researchers have

shown gugulipid to be an excellent anti-inflammatory, particularly when

applied to the arthropathies. Gugulipid has one-fifth the effect of steroids

but is equal in effectiveness to the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. It

is thought to work by blocking the formation of inflammatory prostaglandins

that are formed from cell membrane breakdown products at the site of

inflammation.

Guggulu is therefore an excellent treatment for rheumatoid and

osteo-arthritis but also the other inflammatory joint disorders such as

ankylosing spondylitis, Reiters syndrome and juvenile arthritis. Other

conditions that may benefit from taking Guggulu include osteo-arthritis,

polymyositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, psoriatic arthritis, overuse and

sporting injuries (see the kidney yang tonics for useful herbs to combine

with), synovitis and bursitis.

Dosage: Because of the toxicity of crude guggulu resin it is essential that

a purified extract, standardised on the guggulsterones is used. It has been

shown that 25mg of guggulsterones three times daily is effective in lowering

blood lipids. As most extracts are standardised to 5% guggulsterones then

this is the equivalent of 500mg of extract three times daily. This dosage is

also good for treating inflammatory joint diseases.

The purified extract is well tolerated and is safe in pregnancy.

Summary: Guggulu is a herb with a long history of treating obesity, blood

lipid problems and arthropathy. Modern science has shown that these

anecdotal uses can be described in terms of gugulipids effects on fat

metabolism, stimulation of the thyroid and blocking the inflammatory

process. This herb demonstrates a remarkable singularity between tradition

and modern science.

References;

Arora et al. Isolation of a crystalline steroidal component from Commiphora

mukul and its anti-inflammatory effect. Indian J Exp Biol 9, 403-404, 1971.

Arora et al. Anti-inflammatory studies on a crystalline steroid isolated

from Commiphora mukul. Indian J Med Res 60, 929-931, 1972.

Sheela CG, et al. Effects of S-allyl cysteine sulfoxide isolated from Allium

sativum Linn and gugulipid on some enzymes and fecal excretions of bile

acids and sterols in cholesterol fed rats. Indian J Exp Biol. 1995.

Oct;33(10):749-51.

Sheela CG, et al. Antiperoxide effects of S-allyl cysteine sulphoxide

isolated from Allium sativum Linn and gugulipid in cholesterol diet fed

rats. Indian J Exp Biol. 1995 May;33(5):337-41.

Thappa DM, et al. Nodulocystic acne: oral gugulipid versus tetracycline. J

Dermatol. 1994 Oct;21(10):729-31.

Singh RB, et al. Hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of Commiphora mukul

as an adjunct to dietary therapy in patients with hypercholesterolemia.

Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1994 Aug;8(4):659-64.

Dalvi SS, et al. Effect of gugulipid on bioavailability of diltiazem and

propranolol. J Assoc Physicians India. 1994 Jun;42(6):454-5.

Das Gupta R. A new hypolipidaemic agent. J Assoc Physicians India. 1990

Feb;38(2):186.

Singh V, et al. Stimulation of low density lipoprotein receptor activity in

liver membrane of guggulsterone treated rats. Pharmacol Res. 1990

Jan-Feb;22(1):37-44.

Clinical trials with gugulipid. A new hypolipidaemic agent. J Assoc

Physicians India. 1989 May;37(5):323-8.

Verma SK, et al. Effect of Commiphora mukul (gum guggulu) in patients of

hyperlipidemia with special reference to HDL-cholesterol. Indian J Med Res.

1988 Apr;87:356-60

Satyavati GV. Gum guggul (Commiphora mukul)--the success story of an ancient

insight leading to a modern discovery. Indian J Med Res. 1988 Apr;87:327-35.

Agarwal RC, et al. Clinical trial of gugulipid--a new hypolipidemic agent of

plant origin in primary hyperlipidemia. Indian J Med Res. 1986

Dec;84:626-34.

Gopal K, et al. Clinical trial of ethyl acetate extract of gum gugulu

(gugulipid) in primary hyperlipidemia. J Assoc Physicians India. 1986

Apr;34(4):249-51

Antarkar DS, et al. Phase I tolerability study of Yogaraj-guggulu--a popular

ayurvedic drug. J Postgrad Med. 1984 Apr;30(2):111-5.

Tripathi YB, et al. Thyroid stimulating action of Z-guggulsterone obtained

from Commiphora mukul. Planta Med. 1984 Feb;(1):78-80.

Baldwa VS, et al. Effects of Commiphora Mukul (Guggul) in experimentally

induced hyperlipemia and atherosclerosis. J Assoc Physicians India. 1981

Jan;29(1):13-7.

Dixit VP, et al. Hypolipidemic activity of guggal resin (Commiphora mukul)

and garlic (Alium sativum linn.) in dogs (Canis familiaris) and monkeys

(Presbytis entellus entellus Dufresne). Biochem Exp Biol. 1980;16(4):421-4.

Mester L, et al. Inhibition of platelet aggregation by " guggulu " steroids.

Planta Med. 1979 Dec;37(4):367-9.

Bordia A, et al. Effect of gum guggulu on fibrinolysis and platelet

adhesiveness in coronary heart disease. Indian J Med Res. 1979 Dec;70:992-6.

Kuppurajan K, et al. Effect of guggulu (Commiphora mukul--Engl.) on serum

lipids in obese, hypercholesterolemic and hyperlipemic cases. J Assoc

Physicians India. 1978 May;26(5):367-73.

Malhotra SC, et al. Long term clinical studies on the hypolipidaemic effect

of Commiphora mukul (Guggulu) and clofibrate. Indian J Med Res. 1977

Mar;65(3):390-5.

Ahuja MM, et al. Effect of fraction 'A' of Commiphora mukul (Guggulu) on

Mongolian gerbils Meriones unguiculatus. Indian J Exp Biol. 1977

Feb;15(2):143-5.

Malhotra SC, et al. Comparative hypolipidaemic effectiveness of gum guggulu

(Commiphora mukul) fraction 'A', ethyl-P-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate and

Ciba-13437-Su. Indian J Med Res. 1971 Oct;59(10):1621-32.