Giloy Safe, Doesn't Have Any Toxic Effects; Misleading To Relate It To Liver Damage: Govt

"An optimum dosage should be maintained in order to get the desired effects," the statement by Ayush Ministry stated.

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New Delhi: The Ayush ministry on Wednesday said that according to available data and considering its overall health, Guduchi or Giloy is safe and does not have any toxic effect.

"Certain sections of the media have falsely linked again Giloy/Guduchi to liver damage. The Ministry of Ayush reiterates that Giloy/Gudduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) is safe and as per available data, Guduchi does not produce any toxic effect," the ministry said in a statement.

In Ayurveda, it is said to be the best rejuvenating herb. Acute toxicity studies of aqueous extract of Guduchi reports that it does not produce any toxic effect, the statement said.

However, the safety of a drug depends on how it is being used. Dosage is one of the important factors that determine the safety of a particular drug. In a study, lower concentration of Guduchi powder is found to increase the life span of fruit flies (Drosophila Melanogaster).  "At the same time, higher concentration progressively reduced the life span of flies. This clearly indicates that an optimum dosage should be maintained in order to get the desired effects. 

"This infers that the medicinal herb has to be used in an appropriate dose as prescribed by a qualified physician to get medicinal effects. With the wide range of actions and abundant components, Guduchi is a real treasure among herbal drug source," the Ayush ministry stated.  Medicinal applications of Guduchi in countering various disorders and it's use as anti-oxidant, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, hepatoprotective, cardiovascular protective, neuroprotective, osteoprotective, radioprotective, anti-anxiety, adaptogenic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-diarrheal, anti-ulcer, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer have been well established, it stated.

A special focus has been made on its health benefits in treating various metabolic disorders and its potential as an immune booster, the statement stated.

It is used as a major component of therapeutics for ameliorating metabolic, endocrinal, and several other ailments, aiding in the betterment of human life expectancy.  It is a popularly known herb for its immense therapeutic applications in traditional systems of medicine and has been used in the management of COVID-19. Considering the overall health benefits, the herb cannot be claimed to be toxic, the statement said.