A gland that controls your energy and metabolism, the thyroid plays an important role in your body. Shaped like a butterfly and seated right below your Adam’s apple, this gland affects everything, from your sleep, digestion and mental alertness to even your fertility.
What will amaze most of you is the fact that close to 20 million people worldwide suffer from one or the other type of thyroid disorder and have no clue about it. The symptoms of hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid include fatigue, constipation, weight gain, hair and skin changes, which can be triggered by several reasons such as iodine or tyrosine deficiency, dysfunctional pituitary gland, hashimoto’s disease and/or toxicity. (Related Link: Health Quiz: Do You Have A Thyroid Problem?)
While conventional medicine does offer some help in improving the function of your thyroid gland, it often focuses on suppression of symptoms instead of rooting out the exact cause and treating it from within. However, a malfunctioning thyroid can be treated naturally with the help of herbs.
One such herb which exhibits promise in managing hypothyroidism is guggul, which has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for many years.
Guggul For Hypothyroidism (Underactive Thyroid)
Guggul is a resinous herbal extract obtained from the bark of the tree, Commiphora mukul, from India. The chief active ingredient of this extract, guggulsterone is a ketosteroid that has been studied for its thyroid-stimulatory effects. Scientists started exploring the thyroid-benefiting properties of guggul resin in 1984 when a study detailed the response of this plant product in stimulating thyroid function in albino rats. [1]
In a more recent study carried out in 2005, scientists from India were able to demonstrate the efficacy of guggul in treating hypothyroidism. [2]
How To Take It
- Guggul can be taken as a fluid extract or supplement. Talk to a naturopath to determine the correct dosage for you. You can buy it online here.
For more interesting stories, visit our Health page and read about other Natural Remedies here.
Read More:
Hypothyroidism & Pregnancy: What You Need To Know
4 Natural Ways To Treat Hypothyroidism
9 Thyroid Irritants That Are All Around You (& How You Can Avoid Them)
References:
1. Tripathi YB, Malhotra OP, Tripathi SN. Thyroid Stimulating Action of Z-Guggulsterone Obtained from Commiphora mukul. Planta Med. 1984 Feb;50(1):78-80.PubMed PMID: 17340256.
2. Panda S, Kar A. Guggulu (Commiphora mukul) potentially ameliorates hypothyroidism in female mice. Phytother Res. 2005 Jan;19(1):78-80. PubMed PMID:15798994.
