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Morphology :
A small sized thorny plant with stout spines. The wood is white and soft. The branch
ends with pointed tips. The leaves are tri-foliate (clove leaf appearance)
and strongly sweet scented. The ventral (lower) surface of the leaf is gray
while dorsal (upper) surface is glossy green. The flowers are small, brown
and arranged in branched cluster. The fruit is a fleshy drupe. The drupe is
oval shaped and turns to red when matured. The stem bark is glossy,
greenish–yellow and peels of like paper, exposing the green inner bark. |
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Ayurvedic Pharmacodynamic
properties: |
|
Rasa |
: |
Tikta (bitter), Kashaya (astringent) |
|
Guna |
: |
Laghu (light), Ruksha (dry) |
|
Virya |
: |
Ushna (hot) |
|
Vipaka |
: |
Katu (pungent) |
|
Doshakarma |
: |
Tridosha Shamak (alleviate V, P and K Dosha) |
|
Prabhav |
: |
Rasayana
(anti ageing and rejuvenating) |
|
|
Useful parts |
: |
Gum |
|
Chemical Composition |
: |
It has essential oils
(resin and gum), myrcene, Z and E guggul sterones, alpha camphorene, various
other guggul sterones and makulol. |
|
Purification of Guggul |
: |
Ayurveda
specifies shodhana (purification) as one of the important procedure before
oral administration. To purify guggul it should be wraped in a cotton cloth
and dipped in simmering cow's milk which is stirred continously till all
pure substain of guggul is absorbed in milk. When the precess is completed
the milk containing pure gum resin will be solidifies and the cotton sack
containing the impurities or toxins is discarded. |
|
Dose |
: |
2-4
gm |
|
Important formulations |
: |
Triphala Guggulu, Amrita Guggulu, Sunthi guggul. |
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Medicinal uses |
: |
Different types of
guggul is reisns have different therapeutic uses based on the age of guggul.
Fresh collected guggul has brimhana properties where as purana guggul has
lekhana properties. It acts as an Anti-rheumatic, analgesic, anti-cholesterolaemic,
anti-inflammatory. Hypolipidaemic and anti obesity herb. It also useful in
treating skin problems like skin rashes, psoriasis, dermatitis, boils. It
relaxes the mussels and helps in menstrual cramps. It acts as a blood
detoxifier which breaks up stagnation body. The Z and E guggul sterones
lowers the serum triglycerides and LDL level at the same time increases HDL
level. As antioxident it helps in artereosclerosis. It helps in curing
arthritis. Guggul is also useful in improving sperm quality and sperm count. |
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Contra indications/
Precautions |
: |
1. High
doses of guggul may cause allergies itching and shortness of breath.
2.If you are
a thyroid patient before taking guggul you must consult a physician.
3.
Pregnancy and breast feeding
4.Liver
diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases or diaherra. |
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Home remedies:
-
It
is a potent hypolipidaemic agent, so one should consume 2 gm guggulu daily
in lipid disorders.
-
It is a known
analgesic agent. It should be taken in the dose of 2 gm thrice daily to reduce the pain.
-
Guggul
water (Guggul dissolved in water) is widely used to gargle in order to get
rid of tonsilitis, pharyngitis, stomatitis, upper respiratory tract
infection, mouth ulcers.
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Summary:
By
viewing recent clinical studies it can be concluded that Guggulu is a potent
hypolipidaemic herb, it is a natural powerful analgesic, antiinflammatory and
anti obesity herb. It also can be used effectively in arthritis.
Most
scientific evidence suggested that guggulipid elicits significant reductions in
serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides, as
well as elevations in high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The lipid peroxidation and
COX enzyme inhibitory activities exhibited by compounds isolated from C. mukul
may substantiate its use in traditional medicine.
Other
study demonstrated that gugulipid has significant protective affect against
streptozotocin-induced memory deficits model of dementia that can be attributed
to anti-oxidant and anti-AChE activity of gugulipid. These observations suggest
gugulipid as a potential anti-dementia drug.
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