Common Names
- Gum guggal
- gum guggulu
- Guggal
For Patients & Caregivers
How It Works
Guggul has been shown effective in lowering cholesterol levels.
Guggul is a resin extract that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries. Scientists do not know exactly how guggul works. In laboratory experiments, a chemical in guggul called guggulsterone affects the production of cholesterol by the liver. Mice that are fed guggul have reduced levels of cholesterol synthesis by the liver compared to mice fed normal diets. A few clinical trials have suggested that dietary guggul can reduce blood cholesterol levels in humans.
Purported Uses
- To treat acne
No scientific evidence supports this use for guggul alone. See the Ayurveda monograph for more information on the treatment of acne. - To treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
There are no data to back this claim. - To treat hemorrhoids
No scientific evidence supports this use. - To reduce high cholesterol
Guggul was shown in clinical trials to reduce high cholesterol. - To treat urinary tract disorders
There are no data to support this claim. - To lose weight
Clinical data are lacking to support this claim.
Do Not Take If
- You are taking warfarin, aspirin, NSAIDs or other blood thinners (In theory, guggul may increase the risk of bleeding. Take with caution and ask your doctor).
- You are taking thyroid supplements, have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism (Guggul may stimulate the thyroid gland).
- You are taking drugs that are substrates of Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Guggul may make the drugs less effective).
Side Effects
- Headache
- Mild nausea
- Belching
- Hiccoughs
- Loose stools
- Rash
- Case report: A sixty-three year old woman developed severe hypertransaminasemia following use of Equisterol, an over-the-counter lipid-lowering product containing guggulsterol and red yeast rice extract, for six months. Her symptoms normalized after equisterol was discontinued.
Cases of allergic contact dermatitis to guggul in slimming and anticellulite creams have been reported.
Case report: Fulminant hepatic failure requiring liver transplantation has been reported in a healthy woman who took a dietary supplement containing usnic acid, green tea and guggul tree extract.
For Healthcare Professionals
Clinical Summary
Guggul is derived from the resin of a medicinal plant that has been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda. Extracts of the plant are traditionally used alone and in combination with other botanicals to treat various clinical disorders including rheumatism, arthritis, neurological diseases, hemorrhoids, urinary disorders, and skin diseases.
Recent interest to determine the ability of guggul to treat obesity and related disorders of lipid metabolism has led to many studies.
Guggul was shown to protect against isoprenaline-induced cardiotoxicity in a study of rats (16). Results from clinical trials suggest comparable effectiveness of guggul to Clofibrate in reducing cholesterol and total lipid count (1) (2); but one trial showed that guggul may actually raise cholesterol levels (3). However, conclusions from a systematic review suggest effectiveness of guggul for hypercholesterolemia (11). Further research is warranted.
In vitro and in vivo (4) studies suggest that guggulsterone, a sterol from guggul, has anti-angiogenic (7) and anti-tumor properties, inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a variety of tumor cells (5) including those resistant to chemotherapy (6).
Purported Uses
Mechanism of Action
In vitro studies point to the effect of guggulsterone on the biosynthesis of cholesterol in the liver (2). Another study proposes that the cholesterol-lowering activity of guggulsterone in mice comes from its inhibition of FXR, a nuclear hormone receptor that is activated by bile acids. FXR mediates a negative feedback loop that decreases the rate of bile acid production by the liver. This loop is an important component in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism (10). Hypolipidemic outcomes may be better in individuals with a relatively higher capacity of metabolizing Z-guggulsterone with moderate carboxylesterase (CES1) induction (19).
Guggulsterone activates nuclear receptors such as estrogen receptor alpha, pregnane X receptor, and progesterone receptor and may induce CYP3A genes (8). In tumor cells, guggulsterone induces apoptosis by activating JNK (5) and repressing Akt signaling (6).
Adverse Reactions
Reported: Headache, mild nausea, eructation, hiccough, and loose stools (2). Hypersensitivity rash (3).
Case report: A sixty-three year old woman developed severe hypertransaminasemia following use of Equisterol, an over-the-counter lipid-lowering product containing guggulsterol and red yeast rice extract, for six months. Her symptoms normalized after equisterol was discontinued (12).
Cases of allergic contact dermatitis to guggul in slimming and anticellulite creams have been reported (13) (14).
Case report: Fulminant hepatic failure requiring liver transplantation has been reported in a healthy woman who took a dietary supplement containing usnic acid, green tea and guggul tree extract (15).
Herb-Drug Interactions
Anticoagulants/Antiplatelets: Due to potential anticoagulant and antiplatelet effects, guggul theoretically may potentiate the effects of aspirin, NSAIDs and warfarin.
Thyroid supplements: Guggul may have thyroid stimulating activities. (2)
Cytochrome P450 enzymes: Guggul induces CYP3A4 and can affect the intracellular concentration of drugs metabolized by this enzyme. (8)