Guggul lipid is a resin from a tree in India. It has been known for possibly centuries that this compound is health promoting. It has been shown in well-controlled scientific studies to lower cholesterol by blocking synthesis of cholesterol in the body. It may lower cholesterol by 10-15%. Although many products contain some amount of guggul these days, the required dosage is 75mg daily, usually divided into two doses. Although guggul has not been shown to cause serous side effects, it has not been studied widely by western science, so caution is warranted. If guggul is used as a second-line agent combined with a statin, we may see very significant lowering of cholesterol, but we would want to be cautious because other compounds are made in the same chemical pathway - Coenzyme Q10 being the most significant. If takng both compounds, especially if fatigue or muscle aches develop, some extra CoQ-10 might be helpful, and we would advise discontinuation if those problems did not resolve.

Many products are offered for sale that promote the fact that they "contain guggul". However, the recommended dosage is 75-100mg per day divided into 2 or 3 doses. I will make available at a discount one product that I have found that has sufficient guggul lipid content to generate results.