Guggulipid

Claims, Benefits: Lowers blood cholesterol; also used for other disorders in India.

Bottom Line: Guggulipid has had some promising results in lowering blood cholesterol. If you try it, talk to your doctor about it and your other options.

Full Article, Wellness Letter, September 2000:

Ask the Experts

Q: Will the supplement called guggulipid help reduce blood cholesterol levels?

A: In fact, there's some evidence it does—but read on before you try it. Guggul is a gummy resin that oozes from a tree (Commiphora mukul) that grows in India. Used for centuries as a treatment for obesity, gout, and other disorders, an extract called guggulipid is now approved as a cholesterol-lowering drug in India. One good study conducted in India in 1994 showed that daily doses of 100 milligrams of guggulipid effectively reduced LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides. A clinical trial is underway at the University of Pennsylvania.

One component of guggulipid is guggulsterones, probably the active ingredient for lowering blood cholesterol. Similar plant extracts are known to have an effect on blood cholesterol—for example, the pine extracts in Benecol and the soy extracts in Take Control, two margarines allowed to make cholesterol-lowering claims.

If your cholesterol is high, you need medical advice and monitoring in order to lower it. The first line of defense is a diet low in saturated fat, plus regular exercise, and weight loss if necessary. Talk with your doctor about whether you also need medi-cation. The recommended treatment at present is one of the "statin" drugs. If you want to try guggulipid, be sure your phy-sician knows about it and monitors its effects. As with most supplements in this country, you'll have no guarantee that what you buy is standardized—thus dosage is difficult to determine.

Pregnant women and people with thyroid disorders, as well as those on medications such as calcium channel blockers, should not take guggulipid, nor should women with menstrual problems. Possible side effects include excessive menstrual bleeding. Digestive disorders, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, have also been reported.

Full Article, Wellness Letter, September 2000