Commiphora Wightii

Possibly Effective for

Treating some types of acne. Taking guggul by mouth seems to work about as well as the antibiotic tetracycline in the treatment of a type of severe acne that affects the face, chest, and back (nodulocystic acne). Both treatments decrease pain, swelling (inflammation), and the number of acne outbreaks.

Possibly Ineffective for

• Weight loss. Some research suggests that taking a combination of guggul, phosphate, hydroxycitric acid, and L-tyrosine, along with exercise and a reduced-calorie diet, might slightly reduce weight. However, most other research suggests that taking guggul by itself does not affect body weight in overweight or obese people.

Insufficient Evidence for

• High cholesterol. There is conflicting evidence about the effects of guggul on cholesterol. Taking 3000 or 6000 mg of guggul daily does not seem to lower total cholesterol or blood fats called triglycerides, or raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good’) cholesterol in people with high cholesterol who eat a Western diet. However, guggul does seem to reduce cholesterol levels when taken by people from India who have high cholesterol levels.
• Osteoarthritis. Early research suggests that taking 500 mg of guggul (containing 3.5% guggulsterones) three times daily might improve pain in people with osteoarthritis.
• Rheumatoid arthritis. Early research suggests that taking guggul 3000 mg daily for 4 months can improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis