Why is the safety of ‘Guduchi’ being questioned ?

“Guduchi” is a popularly used Ayurvedic herb, known to boost the immune system against viral and bacterial infections. Guduchi is commonly known as ‘Giloy’.

Concoctions and extracts of its roots and stems have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are deemed as safe to use.

The medicinal properties of Guduchi extracts are abundant, contributing to its popularity.

Guduchi extracts contain antioxidants that help fight free radicals and improve the white blood cells (WBCs) action against pathogens in our body.

Its chemical constituents include Glucosides, flavonoids, tannins, steroids etc. which contribute to its anti-diabetic and lipid lowering properties. It is in fact beneficial for individuals suffering from liver diseases.

It has anti-pyretic properties due to which it is administered during disease conditions as well. Guduchi helps in detoxifying and purifying the blood. All of these benefits and characteristics promote its overall immunity boosting properties. Guduchi as well as several other herbs and drugs had regained their popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, everyone was giving their immunity the most priority, plummeting the consumption of these products.

A recent study conducted on Guduchi claimed that it is harmful to the liver and is capable of causing serious damage to the liver cells. This study was conducted on a set of patients out of which a few were already suffering from auto-immune diseases such as Thalassemia and diabetes. Their liver cells showed damage that may be linked to Guduchi consumption. Since, these patients were already immuno-compromised and had co-morbidities, the results of the study cannot be confirmed and generalised for all individuals.

Consuming Guduchi along with prescribed medications during infections or disease conditions has proven to be safe and efficacious in improving patients health.

Safe amounts of Guduchi can also be consumed on a daily basis by individuals to promote overall health and immunity. Two tablets daily is safe for consumption by adults and one tablet daily is safe for consumption by children above the age of 10 years.

If an individual is already suffering from certain ailments they should consult their physician before administering any type of medication. The safety of patients is of paramount importance.

Any food item or medicinal product we consume can be safe or harmful to our health depending on the quantities in which they are consumed. Excessive or too little of either can show unwanted effects and be hazardous to our health.

It is upon us to read thoroughly the notions about safety and efficacy of drugs. Informed decisions about the advantages and disadvantages of herbs and drugs should be taken in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid any unwanted conditions. Headlines can be misleading or a squabble about different ideologies.