Guggulsterone, or guggul lipid, is the active ingredient of a resin, called guggul, which is extracted from a small Indian tree called Commiphora Mukul, from the fennel family.

Function

Some research in rats shows that guggul lipid can stimulate the thyroid to produce more T3 (Tripathi, 1988). As for research on humans, the results are unfortunately more controversial: some researchers have found that guggulsterone lacks efficacy (e.g. Bhatt, 1995), while other research has also shown real efficacy for slimming in human subjects (e.g. Antonio, 1999), although the effect on the thyroid remains controversial. It appears that the best results are achieved by people who are very overweight, so individuals who are not already accomplished, but would-be athletes, may benefit more from guggulsterone products than relatively fit athletes looking to further improve their condition.

Negative notes

It appears that guggulsterone contributes to a reduction in blood viscosity related to platelet activity (platelets are those biological structures responsible for blood clotting where necessary). This implies an increase in blood density, resulting in poor circulation and an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Mitigating this adverse effect, however, is another beneficial effect of guggul lipid: regular intake of guggulsterone helps reduce blood levels of triglycerides and ‘bad cholesterol’ (more technically LDL and VLDL, i.e. Low Density Lipoprotein and Very Low Density Lipoprotein, respectively. The reader is referred to the dedicated appendix for more details) and to increase ‘good cholesterol’ (HDL, i.e. High Density Lipoprotein. Details are in the appendix). This effect is certainly likely to improve blood circulation, thus reducing the risk of heart attack. Theoretically, the two effects, one contrary to good circulation, the other promoting it, could cancel each other out. Of course, however, the facts could be different and it is necessary to understand which of these two effects takes place and in what proportion to the other.

Form and dosage

Most guggul lipid supplementation products on the market are in tablet form. With regard to dosages, research indicates that 30 to 180mg/day divided into three daily doses at mealtimes (while 25mg/day, also taken three times a day, is sufficient to decrease bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol) for weight loss.