Guduchi

What is Guduchi?

Guduchi is considered one of the most valuable medicinal plants in Ayurvedic medicine and is also known as Tinospora cordifolia or Giloy. Guduchi is often referred to as 'Amrit', which means nectar of life. The stem of the plant is considered highly effective due to its high nutrient content and the alkaloids it contains, although roots and leaves can also be used.

Despite limited studies, guduchi is enjoying increasing popularity. This is partly due to the large number of anecdotal reports that support guduchi's role as an effective medicinal plant. Guduchi is believed to increase the body's resistance to anxiety, stress and disease.

The history of Guduchi powder

Guduchi is an Indian medicinal plant that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries to treat numerous diseases. Hindu doctors used guduchi to treat diarrhea. Europeans were interested in the diuretic (draining) properties of gudichi. The finished tincture was included in the official pharmacopoeia of India and is used to treat fever, indigestion, dysentery, gonorrhea, secondary syphilis, diseases of the urinary tract, gingivitis, viral hepatitis, impotence, skin diseases and anemia. In chemical preparations, guduchi can be used to treat jaundice, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. The root is considered an effective emetic and can be used for constipation. The leaves can be identified by their characteristic heart shape. They have been used for thousands of years by Ayurvedic practitioners to treat water-related ailments such as jaundice, fever, urinary tract infections and indigestion.

How is Guduchi consumed

In the field of Ayurveda, guduchi is used either in the form of powdered decoction or juice. In addition to this, guduchi is also available in the form of capsules and can also be applied to the skin as a paste.

Potential health benefits of guduchi

Guduchi can strengthen and activate the immune system

Guduchi powder is also known as the "nectar of immunity". Studies have shown that guduchi supplements can help increase the activity of macrophages in the blood (1). Macrophages are the immune cells that help bind and destroy foreign substances, cellular waste, microbes, bacteria, viruses and anything else that may pose a threat to the body. The study found that Guduchi powder, or Guduchi supplements in any form, has powerful immune system boosting properties. The components of Guduchi help to stimulate the natural killer cells of the immune system - B cells and T cells. At the same time, Guduchi increased the production of immune-stimulating cytokines. The study concluded that guduchi extracts not only have properties that stimulate the immune system, but also have hepatoprotective, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Guduchi can help with allergies

Guduchi powder is known to be helpful when it comes to fighting allergy symptoms. It helps people with allergic rhinitis and hay fever and reduces symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, eye redness and itching (2). Guduchi is known in Ayurvedic medicine as a histamine stabilizer. Many studies conducted on animals have found that Guduchi helps to reduce histamine induced bronchospasm and airway constriction leading to respiratory problems. It also helped stabilize mast cells that interact directly with bacteria. This interaction plays a crucial role in fighting pathogens during allergic inflammatory reactions. Guduchi is effective in calming immune responses in the body by catalyzing more histamine whenever necessary.

Guduchi promotes liver health

Many studies have shown that guduchi powder has the ability to heal the liver and even reduce liver damage, especially alcohol-induced liver damage. One of these studies found that treatment with guduchi extract for 14 days helped to improve numerous biomarkers of liver damage (3). A study published in the journal 'Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine' found that guduchi powder can help treat alcohol-induced liver damage (4). Scientists concluded that Guduchi powder helped treat alcohol-induced liver toxicity by regulating antioxidant enzymes in the body, improving overall liver function, regulating cholesterol metabolism in the body and regulating the overall activity of liver enzymes (5). In addition, Guduchi improves antioxidant defense in the body, regulates cholesterol levels by regulating cholesterol metabolism and improves overall liver function (6).

Guduchi promotes detoxification of the body

Guduchi is believed to help with the overall detoxification of the body through its powerful antioxidant properties. Guduchi is known to increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the body and regulate the production of these enzymes (7). Guduchi powder is rich in alkaloids such as palmatine and choline, which contribute to the potent antioxidant properties of this plant. As mentioned above, guduchi plays an important role in cleansing the liver - and the liver is the body's primary detoxification organ. Guduchi supports the detoxification of the body through its cleansing actions, which primarily focus on the liver tissue (8).

Guduchi can be helpful for diabetes

Guduchi has a pronounced anti-diabetic potential regardless of the form used. In Ayurvedic medicine, guduchi is used to treat type 2 diabetes and numerous scientific studies confirm that it has great therapeutic potential for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (9). In a randomized clinical trial involving 100 subjects of both sexes with type 2 diabetes, 500 mg of guduchi powder mixed with lukewarm water was administered twice daily for four weeks, at least half an hour before a meal. The effectiveness of this therapy was measured by the degree of improvement in diabetes symptoms such as blood lipid levels, blood glucose levels, urine tests and some other blood parameters (10). After analyzing the data, the researchers found that the subjects who received the Guduchi powder experienced a significantly greater reduction in blood glucose levels than members of the placebo group. In addition, these subjects experienced relief from many common symptoms and signs of type 2 diabetes. The anti-diabetic benefits of guduchi are believed to be due to the plant compound berberine contained in guduchi. The ability of berberine to lower blood sugar levels has been well studied and documented (11). A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology investigated the efficacy of guduchi in the treatment of diabetes in rats (12). This study focused on the efficacy of guduchi powder in reducing blood glucose levels and lipid levels in the brain of diabetic rats. This study showed that guduchi extract has strong blood glucose-lowering and lipid-metabolizing properties.

Another study also found that blood glucose levels decreased significantly in patients with moderate to severe diabetes after administration of guduchi extract for a period of 4 to 15 weeks (13).

Guduchi can be helpful for dengue fever

Guduchi is traditionally used to treat dengue fever. It has anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties. Regular intake of guduchi for dengue fever helps to improve the function of the immune system and increase the amount of platelets in the blood, both of which help to control dengue fever (14, 15).

Guduchi could have anti-cancer effects

Guduchi could prove useful in the treatment of breast cancer due to its anti-proliferative properties. The rutin and quercetin contained in guduchi inhibit cell proliferation and growth of cancer cells due to their anti-cancer effects. Guduchi also alters the expression of apoptotic genes and induces apoptosis (programmed cell death) in breast cancer cells (16).

Guduchi could be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis

Guduchi may be helpful in the management of pain and inflammation in arthritis. Guduchi suppresses arthritic inflammation by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the case of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune system attacks its own cells and guduchi is known to stimulate immune function. If guduchi is taken in the case of autoimmune diseases, it could overstimulate the immune system.

Possible side effects of Guduchi

Scientific research shows only a few possible side effects of guduchi, which include nausea and vomiting. No toxicity has been observed when using Ayurvedic dosages. Hepatoxicity has been observed with the medically similar and related species Tinospora crispa.

Guduchi is considered safe and harmless for short-term use at therapeutic doses.

Precautions

Guduchi stimulates the function of the immune system, which could aggravate symptoms of autoimmune diseases. For this reason, it is advisable to avoid guduchi if you suffer from autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus).

Guduchi may interfere with the control of blood sugar levels during or after surgery. For this reason, it is advisable to avoid Guduchi during the last two weeks before surgery.

Due to a lack of scientific data, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid guduchi. As guduchi stimulates the function of the immune system, it is advisable to avoid guduchi if you are using immunosuppressants.

As guduchi can lower blood sugar levels, it is advisable to monitor blood sugar levels if guduchi is combined with anti-diabetic medication.

Recommended dosages

• Guduchi juice: 2 to 3 teaspoons once or twice daily
• Guduchi Churna: ¼ to ½ teaspoon twice daily
• Guduchi tablets: 1 to 2 tablets daily
• Guduchi capsules: 1 to 2 capsules daily
• Guduchi extract: 1 pinch twice a day

References

1. Alsuhaibani, S. and Khan, M.A., 2017. Immune-stimulatory and therapeutic activity of Tinospora cordifolia: Double-edged sword against salmonellosis. Journal of immunology research, 2017
2. Singh, G. and Saxena, R.K., 2017. Medicinal Properties of Tinospora Cordifolia (Guduchi).
3. Nagarkar, B., Kulkarni, R., Bhondave, P., Kasote, D., Kulkarni, O., Harsulkar, A. and Jagtap, S., 2013. Comparative hepatoprotective potential of Tinospora cordifolia, Tinospora Sinensis, and Neem-Guduchi. Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International, pp.906-916.
4. Salubrainous. (2020). Tinospora (Guduchi) For Alcoholism: Research & Safety. [online] Available at: https://www.salubrainous.com/tinospora-cordifolia-for-alcoholism/ [Accessed 7 Mar. 2020].
5. Bishayi, B., Roychowdhury, S., Ghosh, S. and Sengupta, M., 2002. Hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory properties of Tinospora cordifolia in CCl4 intoxicated mature albino rats. The Journal of toxicological sciences, 27(3), pp.139-146.
6. Kalikar MV, Thawani VR, Varadpande UK, et al. Immunomodulatory effect of Tinospora cordifolia extract in human immuno-deficiency virus positive
7. Singh, R.P., Banerjee, S., Kumar, P.V.S., Raveesha, K.A. and Rao, A.R., 2006.
8. Tinospora cordifolia induces enzymes of carcinogen/drug metabolism and antioxidant system and inhibits lipid peroxidation in mice. Phytomedicine, 13(1-2), pp.74-84.
9. Saha, S. and Ghosh, S., 2012. Tinospora cordifolia: One plant, many roles. The ancient science of life, 31(4), p.151.
10. Prince, P.S.M. and Menon, V.P., 1999. antioxidant activity of Tinospora cordifolia roots in experimental diabetes. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 65(3), pp.277-281.
11. Rajalakshmi, M., Eliza, J., Priya, C.E., Nirmala, A. and Daisy, P., 2009. Anti-diabetic properties of Tinospora cordifolia stem extracts on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Afr J Pharm Pharmacol, 3(5), pp.171-180.
12. Tang, L.Q., Wei, W., Chen, L.M. and Liu, S., 2006. Effects of berberine on diabetes induced by alloxan and a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet in rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 108(1), pp.109-115.
13. Prince, P.S.M., Menon, V.P. and Gunasekaran, G., 1998. Hypolipidaemic action of Tinospora cordifolia roots in alloxan diabetic rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 64(1), pp.53-57.
14. Prabhakar, P.K. and Doble, M., 2011. Mechanism of action of natural products used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine, 17(8), p.563.
15. Tiwari M, Dwivedi UN, Kakkar P.Tinospora cordifolia extract modulates COX-2, iNOS, ICAM-1, pro-inflammatory cytokines and redox status in murine model of asthma.J Ethnopharmacol.2014;153(2):326-37.
16. Ansari JA, Rastogi N, Ahmad MK, et al.ROS mediated pro-apoptotic effects of Tinospora cordifolia on breast cancer cells.Front Biosci (Elite Ed).2017;9:89-100.
17. Mishra A, Kumar S, Pandey AK.Scientific validation of the medicinal efficacy of Tinospora cordifolia.Scientific World Journal.2013.