[pullquote]Guduchi is a rasayana or rejuvenator – a tonic which has the ability to pacify all three doshas and balance them in the body. It balances vata when taken with ghee, pitta when taken with jaggery, and kapha when taken with honey.1[/pullquote]
Guduchi’s delicate heart-shaped leaves, reminiscent of decorative plants, don’t reveal the full extent of its medicinal potential. But those in the know understand how powerful a remedy it can be. Giloy, guduchi, or Tinospora cordifolia may hold the key to a host of diseases and health problems we face today. No wonder this potent remedy has won the name “amrit” or nectar of life in ayurvedic medicine. Here are the powerful benefits of guduchi you should make the most of.
1. Purges Toxins Or “Ama” From The Body
According to ayurveda, guduchi has the ability to flush the excess “ama” or, simply put, toxins from the body. It helps boost digestion and remove waste products from the body. It also amps up your metabolism so your body is able to carry out these processes more effectively.2
2. Boosts Overall Immune Health
Guduchi’s wide use as an immunity booster taps into its immunostimulant properties. Its leaves, root, and stem find their way into many an ayurvedic rasayanas or tonics to ward off infections and boost your immunity overall. Whether you’re fighting off a fever, a chronic cough, or a gastrointestinal problem, guduchi could help. It has even been used to battle STDs like syphilis and skin diseases.3
[pullquote]Guduchi tea is a popular tonic made by adding crushed guduchi stem, peppercorn, cumin seeds, and a sweetener like honey or palm sugar to boiled hot water.[/pullquote]
Besides its ability to modulate the immune system, guduchi also has antioxidant properties that protect the cells of your body from free radical damage. This effect can be traced to the zinc and copper it contains.4
3. Brings Down Fever
[pullquote]A decoction of the stem or leaves or juice extracted from the root of the plant can help tackle a range of fevers. A decoction of the stem can also be taken as a tonic on an empty stomach in the morning.5[/pullquote]
Is a high fever leaving you weak and worse for wear? Guduchi can come to your rescue, helping lower body temperature and bring a fever under control. A starchy extract known as guduchi sattva made from the dried plant is recommended for intermittent fevers like that seen in malaria or dengue.6
4. Fights Respiratory Infections
If a chronic cough or a bad bout of bronchitis is getting you down, you could consider guduchi which has traditionally been used to treat these ailments.7 The herb is said to pacify aggravation of any imbalances and can be effective against asthma as well as coughs. Thanks to its immune-boosting effects, it helps fight off the infection especially via the mucous membrane of your respiratory system.8
[pullquote]Guduchi is just what you need if seasonal allergies like hay fever leave you miserable. It has an antiallergic effect and can work against symptoms like running or itchy nose, congestion, and sneezing.9[/pullquote]
A clinical study found it to be good for treating upper respiratory tract infections as well. A remedy containing 7.82% of guduchi (alongside guggulu and licorice) in 5 ml of syrup helped ease symptoms in children who had upper respiratory tract infection and chronic otitis media, an ear problem which can occur after a cold.10
5. Counters Inflammatory Diseases Like Arthritis
Guduchi has anti-inflammatory properties which are useful for people with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and gout. In fact, researchers have found that when it comes to managing acute inflammation, it pips acetylsalicylic acid to the post. In one clinical evaluation, a formulation made using guduchi helped significantly bring down the pain experienced by patients with rheumatoid arthritis.11
6. Works As A Stress Buster
Guduchi is considered a “medhya rasayana” with the power to improve cognitive functions and memory thanks to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.12 13
Guduchi is a potent adaptogen. In one study, guduchi extract was tested by researchers for its effectiveness in easing stress. They found that the extract at a dosage of 100 mg/kg resulted in significant antistress activity. What’s more, this effect was comparable to what you’d normally get by taking diazepam at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg. This drug is used for its calming effects for those with anxiety problems.14
7. Boosts Sexual Health
Ayurveda classifies guduchi as “vrushya” with aphrodisiac benefits. If you are struggling with sexual health problems like impotence, you may want to consider the rejuvenating effects of this herb to help fight the problem. In addition, it can even help those who have the problem of plenty. If you find yourself facing excessive, involuntary ejaculation or spermatorrhea, guduchi could help with that too.15
8. Gets Your Blood Circulation Going
[pullquote]You could even try having a guduchi whey beverage as your workout recovery drink to get an antioxidant boost alongside the protein and probiotics from the whey drink.16[/pullquote]
Guduchi rasayana taken regularly may help improve blood circulation. More importantly, it also purifies your blood, acting as a detox for your system. This has positive effects on your metabolism and digestion overall.17
9. Prevents Premature Aging
Courtesy its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, guduchi could help slow down that biological clock or prevent it from racing ahead before its time. Like ashwagandha, another rejuvenating anti-aging remedy from ayurveda, guduchi can protect you from aging linked to oxidative stress from environmental toxins, byproducts of biological processes, and even the food you eat.18
10. Fights Skin Problems Like Eczema And Psoriasis
If you have a chronic skin problem like eczema or psoriasis, you’ll know just how frustrating it can be to manage the symptoms whether it’s the itchiness, general discomfort, or aesthetic issues.19 Those with psoriasis may also be more at risk of developing arthritis (psoriatic arthritis) as well as cardiovascular disease and depression. Because guduchi has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it is able to help you battle the problem on multiple fronts.20 The remedy is given both orally as well as topically.
11. Protects Your Liver And Fights Jaundice And Hepatitis
[pullquote]Mix your guduchi powder with aloe vera juice or wheatgrass juice to detox and power up.21[/pullquote]
The plant extract has a hepatoprotective effect and modulates liver function favorably. If you have a fatty liver, this could be a natural remedy for your problem. Guduchi has been known to help prevent scarring of the liver (fibrosis) and can even stimulate the regeneration of damaged liver tissue.22 It may also have a role to play in fighting jaundice or even hepatitis since it can detoxify your liver.23
12. Lowers Blood Glucose And Improves Glucose Tolerance And Metabolism
Guduchi is also antidiabetic and used in ayurveda to treat diabetes. It may even help ease problems associated with diabetes like nerve damage linked to diabetes (diabetic neuropathy) and digestive or stomach problems (gastropathy). It also holds promise as an antihyperglycemic remedy, bringing down blood glucose levels significantly in diabetic test animals. It has also been seen to improve glucose metabolism as well as glucose tolerance.24 But while it is used in herbal and ayurvedic drugs, further human studies will help confirm its effectiveness. If you are diabetic and on medication, do consult your doctor if you intend to supplement your treatment with guduchi. Do not use it to replace your existing medicines.
13. Has Anti-Cancer Benefits
The herbal remedy may also have tumor-fighting properties, boosting your immune system so it can fight off these cancer cells. One study observed guduchi’s ability to activate white blood cells, your body’s immunity fighters.25
How Guduchi Is Taken
Since guduchi isn’t a mainstream allopathic remedy, you are more likely to find it prescribed to you by an ayurvedic medicine specialist. Typically, the herbal remedy is administered as a powder or churna, with a dosage of around a teaspoon at a time, taken twice a day, for general immune health benefits. As a medication for a specific problem, its dosage and duration of intake may vary. You might also find it combined in a tonic along with herbs like ashwagandha. Or your doctor may suggest having it with wheatgrass juice or aloe vera juice as a detox remedy. You may even have it as a juice on its own. For skin problems, you will be given a paste of guduchi to use topically.26
As per data so far, it hasn’t resulted in any major adverse side effects, though some people with a weak digestive system complain of becoming constipated after prolonged intake of the herbal remedy. For everyone else, however, this is a remedy that may be well worth trying. Just be sure to approach a trained practitioner to get the right dosage so it is effective against the problem you’re trying to beat.
Guduchi has plenty going for it and is easily consumed as a powder, juice, and tea, or even in tablet form. With no severe side effects when taken in the right amounts, it is a herbal remedy you could certainly consider as a preventive protective tonic or to supplement existing treatments. Just be sure to consult a trained practitioner so you use it correctly.
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