Guggul , its nutritional composition, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-carcinogenic activity, hypolipidemic activity, role on cardiac health, role on skin, hypoglycemic effect, therapeutic uses and risk factors
Description : Guggul is obtained from the oily sap (gum resin) of the guggul tree, belongs to Burseraceae family.
Article Details :
Guggul is obtained from the oily sap (gum resin) of the guggul tree, belongs to Burseraceae family. It is native to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is traditionally used in Ayurveda for treating various medicinal conditions like acne, arthritis, hypercholesterolemia and urinary tract infection.
Biological activity
Antioxidant activity
- It plays significant role in decreasing the concentration of free radicals in body, which ultimately helps to protect the body from oxidative damages
- It is also associated with reducing oxidative stress and thus helps in lowering the risk of developing chronic diseases
Anti-inflammatory activity
- Its consumption is directly linked with delaying the onset of inflammatory events within body thus it helps in lowering the risk of developing chronic inflammatory diseases
- It helps to decrease the concentration of inflammatory mediators in body, which ultimately helps to prevent inflammation
- It also helps to in reducing swelling and pain
Anti-carcinogenic activity
- Its consumption is very beneficial for reducing the prevalence of carcinoma as it exerts strong anti-carcinogenic activity
- It is responsible for inducing apoptosis, which ultimately helps in suppressing the growth of malignant cells within body
- It helps in hindering the growth of tumor cells by decreasing the activity of protein kinase enzyme
- It is very effective for decreasing the prevalence of breast, colon, prostate, liver and esophageal cancer
Health benefits
Role on immunity
- It is closely associated with strengthening the defense mechanism of the body as a result lowers the susceptibility of becoming ill
- It also plays significant role in promoting the activity of immune cells as its antioxidant activity is responsible for protecting them from oxidative damages, which ultimately helps in sustaining their functionality
Role on skeletal system
- It plays vital role in strengthening overall skeletal system
- It has seen that consumption of guggul or its extract or its supplement is extremely helpful for reducing the prevalence of bone disorders
- It is very effective for improving the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- It helps in reducing joint pain as well
Role on oral health
- Consumption of guggul extract or its supplement is extremely useful for improving oral health
- It helps in promoting the growth of teeth as well as the gum
- It helps in improving oral hygiene too
- It plays significant role in decreasing the prevalence of gingivitis
Hypolipidemic activity
- Plant sterol components of guggul is considered as one of the most important components, which are responsible for exerting hypolipidemic activity
- It plays significant role in decreasing the concentration of bad cholesterol or LDL. It is also associated with reducing the level of triglyceride and VLDL in body
- Its cholesterol lowering capacity is accountable for protecting the body from the harmful consequences of hypercholesterolemia and it is also related with decreasing the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, hepatic disorders, obesity and renal diseases
Role on weight management
- It is widely used as an important preventive measure for obesity. Its hypolipidemic activity and appetite reducing activity are considered as the main feature responsible for weight reduction
- It plays significant role in inducing fat breakdown, which ultimately helps in decreasing the volume of fat tissues within body as a result it reduces the prevalence of visceral obesity
- Whereas it is also associated with providing a feeling of satiety. It helps in hindering appetite by controlling the action of appetite regulating hormones laptin and ghrelin as a result it helps in decreasing over consumption, which ultimately facilitates weight reduction
- Consumption of guggul extract or supplement is also very effective for decreasing body circumference as well as skin fold thickness
Role on hepatic health
- Its consumption is extremely useful for improving overall hepatic health
- It plays significant role in protecting every hepatic cells from free radical induced oxidative damages, as a result it helps in promoting their activity, which subsequently improves hepatic functions
- It helps to decrease the prevalence of fat deposition within hepatic cells and lowers the susceptibility of hepatic cell necrosis, which ultimately Read more
