Guggul Side Effects

Guggul, also called gum, gugal, gugglesterone and Commiphora mukul, is a flowering tree that is native to India. Guggul is used as a herbal remedy in the traditional medicine of India called Ayurveda. Ayurvedic medicine primarily uses guggul to control weight and clean blood. However, today it is being used in many western countries as a treatment for high cholesterol, triglycerides, arthritis, digestive problems , mouth infections, obesity and acne. While many find guggul to be effective, some people also believe that there are guggul side effects.

Though, guggul is available in various states, it is most commonly available in capsule form, in its natural state. In many weight loss supplements, guggul is combined with other weight loss ingredients such as green tea or guarana extract. Guggul's supplements gugglesterone and guggulipid, are also available in capsule form, mostly in acne, weight loss, and cholesterol medications.

Guggul Uses and Benefits

• Guggul is known to promote easy digestion, and control cholesterol.
• It is also an aphrodisiac agent and promotes effective sperm production.
• Guggul increases HDL cholesterol, which is needed by the body and lowers LDL cholesterol. So, basically normal HDL and LDL levels can be maintained with Guggul.
• It lowers triglyceride levels.
• It relaxes the muscles which helps relieve menstrual pain.
• It acts as a blood detoxifier which breaks up stagnation in the body.
• It is a heart tonic that strengthens the heart.
• Guggulsterones are reported to stimulate the thyroid, which might tend to have a beneficial effect on cholesterol for people with under active thyroid glands.
• Guggul is an antioxidant element and protects heart muscles by preventing oxitave damage.
• Guggul is also considered very useful for curing acne

Side Effects of Guggul

Research has shown that only a small percentage of people experience side effects of guggul . Side effects are usually associated with long-term guggul use, or when the supplement is taken in amounts, greater than 6,000 mg per day. Besides that, guggul side effects are usually seen when used together with certain kinds of drugs like estrogen supplements or oral contraceptives. Also, when taken with blood-thinning medications like warfarin, it can lead to side effects such as severe bleeding. Another guggul side effect is that it may increase the potency of anti-inflammatory pain killer drugs used to lower blood pressure, muscle relaxants, lithium and diuretics. Guggul also may interact with acetaminophen, and medications to treat cancer, heart diseases and AIDS. One of the crude side effects is abdominal pain, diarrhea, hiccuping and burping, loss of appetite, nausea and nervousness. However, some believe that purified forms of guggul available in health food stores generally do not have side effects except for mild abdominal discomfort.

Another relatively common guggul side effect, with all types of guggul is skin rash. In a study done by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) it as shown that only six of 67 healthy adults developed a rash while taking guggul. Besides all these, some patients develop a hypersensitivity when gugglesterone is used continuously for weeks or months. Though the side effects of guggul are usually mild allergic reactions which only cause skin hives, they have the potential to cause shortness of breath, racing heartbeat and even anaphylactic shock in some cases. Thus, it is important to consult your doctor, before you start taking guggul, if you are pregnant, breast feeding, allergic to any kind of medicine, taking blood thinning medicines like aspirin and warfarin , taking high blood pressure medicines or have migraines.

It is important to remember that anything taken in excess is bound to have side effects. While guggul has its benefits, if taken without an expert's direction, then it is likely to result in side effects of guggul