Guggul
Commiphora mukul · Guggulu
A classic cholesterol remedy that newer trials couldn't confirm.
Evidence tier
Mixed
Research weight
Citations
14 verified / 14
Classification
Ayurvedic
❝
What the evidence says. Conflicting results across studies; benefit uncertain.
What is Guggul?
Guggul (Commiphora mukul · Guggulu) is an Ayurvedic herb used for lowers cholesterol & triglycerides. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Mixed. Guggul is the resin of the mukul myrrh tree, traditionally used for high cholesterol and arthritis. Older Indian trials reported meaningful lipid improvements, but a well-controlled US trial (JAMA, 2003) found it did not lower LDL — and may even have raised it slightly. The picture is genuinely mixed, and authorities conclude the evidence is insufficient to recommend it.
Purported Benefits
✓(Claimed) lowers cholesterol & triglycerides
✓(Claimed) anti-inflammatory / joint support
Dosing & Compounds
Typical Dose
~1,000–1,500 mg/day of standardized extract.
Active Compounds
Safety & Cautions
GI upset, headache and skin rash reported. May affect thyroid hormone and interact with drugs (incl. statins, beta-blockers, contraceptives) via CYP enzymes. Avoid in pregnancy. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Guggul with any medicine.
Key Studies ★ 14 studies
meta-analysis
Gupta 2023 (Front Pharmacol)
✓ PubMed
Meta-analysis of 23 in vitro studies found guggulsterone induced apoptosis across cancer cell lines in a time-dependent manner (pooled OR ~4.0 at 24h, ~11.2 beyond 24h); preclinical only, no human data.
meta-analysis
Salehi 2025 (J Med Nat Prod)
✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 5 trials in adults with obesity: oral Triphala/Triphala Guggul produced a modest ~2.4 kg body-weight reduction (95% CI -4.2 to -0.6) but no significant BMI change and high heterogeneity (I2=91%).
meta-analysis
Gyawali 2021 (Medicina)
✓ PubMed
Systematic review/meta-analysis: across 7 RCTs (~380 participants), Commiphora mukul (guggulu) reduced total cholesterol by ~16.8 mg/dL and LDL by ~18.8 mg/dL (both p=0.02) — contrasting with negative Western trials.
Meta-analysis
Singh et al. 2021
✓ Full text
Meta-analysis of 7 RCTs (8 arms, 380 participants) found guggulu lowered total cholesterol by 16.78 mg/dL (95% CI 13.96 to 2.61; p=0.02) and LDL by 18.78 mg/dL (95% CI 34.07 to 3.48; p=0.02), but the triglyceride reduction (7.35 mg/dL) was not significant and heterogeneity was high (I2=75%).
RCT
Guggulu+Triphala RCT 2021
✓ PubMed
Double-blind placebo-controlled RCT in 90 hypercholesterolemic adults found a 3-month Guggulu plus Triphala combination produced total and LDL cholesterol reductions (3.3% and 4.8%) no greater than placebo, with no significant between-group difference.
toxicology report
NTP Toxicity Report 99 (2020)
✓ Full text
NIH National Toxicology Program gavage toxicity studies of a gum guggul extract in Sprague Dawley rats and B6C3F1/N mice; prior data cited an oral LD50 of ~1.6 g/kg and increased serum T3 at 0.2 g/kg, informing safety/dosing concerns.
Safety / toxicology
Ayurvedic DILI case series 2021
✓ Full text
Case series and review of Ayurvedic medication-induced liver injury documents guggul/guggulu-containing preparations among Ayurvedic remedies causing biopsy-confirmed hepatocellular and cholestatic drug-induced liver injury.
Clinical trial
Szapary 2003 (JAMA)
✓ PubMed
Guggulipid did not lower LDL and slightly raised it in a US RCT.
randomized controlled trial
Thappa & Dogra 1994 (J Dermatol)
✓ PubMed
Randomized comparative trial in 20 patients with nodulocystic acne: oral gugulipid (25 mg guggulsterone twice daily, 3 months) reduced inflammatory lesions by 68% versus 65.2% with tetracycline 500 mg twice daily (difference not significant, p>0.05), with fewer relapses on gugulipid.
clinical trial
Singh 2003 (J Altern Complement Med)
✓ PubMed
Open-label outcomes study of Commiphora mukul (500 mg extract three times daily) in 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis showed significant improvement in WOMAC total score (p<0.0001) at 1 month with no reported side effects.
RCT
Nohr (mukul myrrh resin RCT) 2008
✓ PubMed
Double-blind placebo-controlled trial in Norwegian general practice (43 randomized, 34 completers; 2160 mg guggul/day for 12 weeks). Total cholesterol and HDL-C were significantly reduced vs placebo, but LDL-C, triglycerides, and TC/HDL ratio did not change significantly; clinical magnitude judged unclear. More guggul users reported side effects (10 vs 4), including GI discomfort, possible thyroid effects, and a skin rash causing withdrawal.
Review
MSKCC / reviews
✓ Source
Evidence judged insufficient to support use for any condition.
Study
Earlier Indian trials
✓ Source
Reported reductions in cholesterol/triglycerides — not replicated in Western trials.
animal study
Panda & Kar 2005 (Phytother Res)
✓ PubMed
In female mice with PTU-induced hypothyroidism, guggulu (200 mg/kg/day for 30 days) reversed the hypothyroid state by restoring hepatic 5'-deiodinase activity and reducing lipid peroxidation, suggesting thyroid-stimulating (T3-raising) activity; preclinical only.