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What are Medicinal Properties of Ayurvedic Guduchi?

Guduchi, a herb that climbs, is the Guduchi. It is a member of the Minispermaceae Family and has a botanical title Tinospora Cardifolia. This herb is found in tropical areas and is abundant in Srilanaka, Myanmar, and India. The climber has heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers. When ripe, the fruits turn bright red. It is also known in Hindi as Giloy. Tinospora Cardifolia is praised by herbalists around the world for its adoptogenic properties. This herb contains important constituents such as tinosporone and cardifoliside. Guduchi has been used in the ayurveda system for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Guduchi is both bitter and astringent according to ayurveda texts. It is hard to digest, increases the moistness of the body tissues, and has high potency. This herb can normalize all three doshas, kapha and vata, when combined with honey, sugar, and ghee.

External uses

Guduchi has many benefits for skin disorders. It is effective in preventing skin from microbes and has been shown to be effective in treating leprosy and gout ulcers. This herb is effective in healing herpes lesions as well as accelerating the healing of venereal disease wounds. Guduchi is recommended for digestive problems such as excess thirst, acidity and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is an effective anti-spasmodic and relieves stomach pain that can be caused by intestinal spasms. Giloy is a powerful hepatotonic. It is effective in treating jaundice, hepaticfibrosis, and other liver diseases. This herb removes toxins from the liver.

  • Circulatory system: Ayurveda texts praise this herb as a heart tonic, strengthening the heart. Guduchi is a blood purifier and helps to eliminate toxins that are circulating in the blood. Guduchi is useful in gout to reduce blood uric acid levels. Reproductive system: Very few herbal aphrodisiac remedies contain guduchi. It has aphrodisiac qualities that increase sperm count, and sperm motility. Its adaptogen properties rejuvenate the male reproductive system, and can help with conditions such as premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.
  • Excretory System : Guduchi strengthens your urinary system and increases resistance to inner layers of bladder, urethra and urinary tract infections. Giloy is very effective at reducing fever and diabetes. It increases immunity and improves energy levels. It has an anti-microbial property that inhibits the growth of microorganisms in the body. This increases the body’s resistance to disease. This wonder herb’s herbal preparations are extremely helpful in treating diseases of the joints such as arthritis and gout. This article is copied righted. Dr. Savitha Sui is an Ayurvedic Physician. She is also the web master of Ayurveda help via ayurveda consultations.

For Cholesterol

The American Heart Association estimates that more than 50 million Americans need some type of intervention to prevent or treat heart disease. Another 15 million require medication to lower cholesterol levels. The statin drug class plays a major role in the management and prevention of high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia). These drugs are widely used when diet and exercise fail to provide adequate treatment. Although the full scope and extent of statin drug benefits is still under debate, there is plenty of high-level clinical evidence to show that statins significantly reduce the risk for clinically significant coronary disease, heart attack (myocardial Infarction), and death in patients with elevated blood cholesterol (LDL) and patients with normal LDL levels but elevated C-reactive proteins (CRP).

As with all medications, statins can cause serious side effects. Statin drugs have been linked to liver injury and muscle injury (rhabdomyolysis). Recent research shows that approximately 5 percent of statin drug users will experience severe muscle pain and weakness. Patients should discontinue statin medication. Rhabdomyolysis can cause permanent muscle injury or kidney failure in severe cases. A significant liver toxicity can cause statin toxicity in 2 percent of patients. Statin use has been linked to memory loss, joint pain, and peripheral nerve injury.

Side Effects

However, the link between statins with these less common side effects is less clear than that for rhabdomyolysis or liver injury. Statins are often the first line of treatment for elevated LDL levels. They are especially useful when diet and exercise fail to reduce it, particularly if there is a family history of cardiovascular disease. Patients who cannot tolerate statins have few options for effective alternative lipid-lowering therapy. One alternative therapy for hyperlipidemia is Niacin. Although it is not as effective as statins this vitamin supplement can reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (the main form of fat in your blood) when taken in high enough amounts. Niacin therapy can also increase the “good cholesterol” level (HDL).

The main drawback of niacin therapy is its tendency for severe flushing in approximately half of patients who use the standard form. This is in addition to the 8 to 10% of patients who experience abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Newer extended-release niacin preparations are better tolerated with a lower incidence of side effects (around 6 to 8%) There is a 1-2% chance of liver toxicity when niacin therapy is used for hyperlipidemia. Patients who are taking statin drugs or niacin should be monitored for liver enzymes. Long-term niacin treatment may increase blood sugar (glucose), and may also cause an increase in blood uric acid levels, which could lead to gout in those who are more susceptible.

Triglyceride Levels

There are other non-statin therapies that can be used to treat elevated LDL and high triglyceride levels. However, they are less effective than statins or niacin and have side effects so severe that few patients will continue to use them. For those of you who are botanists, red yeast rice (Monascus Purpureus) has been used in China since at least 1,200 years. This product is named after the yeast spores that are grown on rice. Red yeast rice has been used for centuries as a herbal remedy (mostly in East Asia) to treat stomach problems and poor circulation.

Chinese food lovers will also recognize its brick-red color when they eat Peking ducks or char siu. Red yeast rice may be as effective in reducing LDL levels and triglyceride levels as statins, according to a few small research studies. This is not surprising as most red yeast rice preparations contain naturally-occurring statin drug lovastatin. It was also first isolated from Aspergillus, another type of fungus. Other compounds found in red yeast rice may also contribute to the LDL-lowering benefits of this dietary supplement. This is in addition to the small amount of lovestatin present in many of these preparations.

 

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