Guggul & Guggulsterones For Weight Loss
Guggul is an extract of the resin of a small, bushy shrub known as Commiphora mukul. Common to India and Pakistan and used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, it has been used as an anti-inflammatory and a treatment for obesity.
In weight loss supplements, it is usually standardized for “guggulsterone” (often the Z & E isomers, which are thought to be the most important, and offer the greatest benefits) a plant sterol and active constituent of guggul.
Although some evidence is contradictory (earlier studies suggested guggul could lower cholesterol levels—see here and here—while a more recent one showed it did not), preliminary data suggests guggul does have thyroid stimulating characteristics (see Life Sci. 1999;65(12):PL137-41).
Guggul’s weight loss benefits too, have been demonstrated in a clinical study. Regardless, its effects were quite modest, and participants were on a calorie-reduced diet, as well as walking briskly for 30 minutes daily.
If there’s an upside to guggul as a weight loss supplement it’s that it is relatively cheap to experiment with; a month’s supply of a decent quality product can be purchased online from a reputable dealer for around $12.
