Overview

Guggul (Commiphora mukul) is considered a rejuvenating herb and stimulant in Ayurvedic medicine. The resin of the Commiphora mukul tree, termed "guggul" or "guggulipid", has been associated with thyroid stimulating activity. Guggul causes the thyroid to increase iodine uptake and increase production of thyroid hormones. Studies in both animals and humans have shown that guggul can also modulate cholesterol levels. Fucus, also known as bladderwrack or kelp, has been a traditional remedy for thyroid problems for thousands of years, and it appears to provide it with the nutrition and substrates the thyroid gland requires. People living near oceans or seas have a historically low rate of hypothyroidism, due, in part, to ingestion of iodine-rich food, such as seafood and seaweeds like bladderwrack. Iris versicolor (Blue Flag) has traditionally been used to improve thyroid function with both hypofunctioning and hyperfunctioning thyroid patients. It appears to act as a potent detoxifier of the thyroid gland, which is particularly susceptible to disruption from environmental toxins.

References

Guggul

(Comiphora mukul)

Background

The resin of the Commiphora mukul tree, known as myrrh, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for more than 2000 years to treat a variety of ailments, including mouth ulcers, gingivitis, pharyngitis, as well as respiratory catarrh. For stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth), it is combined with honey and rectified spirit, then dissolved in rose petal infusion, and taken as a mouthwash. (1)

Thyroid

The resin of the Commiphora mukul tree, termed "guggul" or "guggulipid", was known to can cause weight loss. This has been associated with the thyroid stimulating activity of guggulsterone Z, causing the thyroid to increase iodine uptake and increase production of thyroid hormones. (2) Enhanced thyroid hormone synthesis from guggul use was also associated with increased tissue oxygen uptakes in the liver and muscle. (3)

Hyperlipidemia

Studies in both animal models and humans have shown that guggul can decrease elevated lipid levels.

Guggul was approved by the government of India in 1987 for the treatment of hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. Several well-designed clinical trials using various extracts of guggul have reported significant lowering of triglycerides, total cholesterol, total serum lipids, low density lipoprotein-C, as well as significant increases in high density lipoprotein-C. (4) No serious adverse reactions have been reported.Gugulipid has demonstrated equivalent efficacy to clofibrate in clinical trials for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.(5). The lipid lowering effects continue after discontinuation of therapy and has been reported in a range of 6 to20 weeks to return time to baseline lipid profile (6).

Pharmacology

The stereoisomers E- and Z-guggulsterone have been identified as the active agents in this resin. Recent studies have shown that these compounds are antagonist ligands for the bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor (FXR), which regulates bile acid production in the liver. Since the principal means of cholesterol elimination is through bile excretion, it is likely that this effect accounts for the hypolipidemic activity of these phytosteroids. (6)

References- Guggul

Bladderwrack

(Fucus vesiculosis)

Background

Bladderwrack is a seaweed found attached to rocks along the coasts of the North Atlantic ocean; it occurs as a flat, mucilaginous, olive brown thallus with spherical air vesicles. It grows on the northern Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States and on the northern Atlantic coast and Baltic coast of Europe. The main stem of bladderwrack, known as the thallus, is used medicinally. The thallus has tough, air-filled pods or bladders to help the algae float--thus the name bladderwrack. Although bladderwrack is sometimes called kelp, that name is not specific to this species.

Thyroid

The last national nutritional survey (NHANES III 1988-1994) revealed that 15% of the U.S. adult female population are iodine-deficient, as defined by the World Health Organization: levels of iodine/iodide (I) excretion below 50 ug/L (x). Goiter rates in the US have been reduced by the addition of iodide to table salt. Nevertheless, in certain high risk areas goiter is still relatively common (5-6%). This may be due in part to the consumption of certain foods, known as goitrogens, that block iodine utilization, combined with salt avoidance, low soil iodine levels, and lack of seafood and seaweed consumption. Goitrogens include turnips,cabbage, mustard,cassava root, soybeans, peanuts, pine nuts and millet.(2) Mainland Japanese women have a very low incidence and prevalence of fibrocystic breast disease and breast cancer, and some investigators have proposed that high iodine consumption the protective factor. According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, the average daily I intake in mainland Japanese is 13.8 mg. It has also been known for some time that people living near oceans or seas have a historically low rate of hypothyroidism, due to ingestion of iodine-rich foods. Badderwrack contains as much as 600mcg of iodine per gram (3) and has been traditionally used for treating thyroid goiter and obesity (4). In addition, a number of seaweeds have been found to contain diiodotyrosine (DIT) in small amounts (5). In the thyroid gland, thyroxine (T4) is created by the coupling of two DIT molecules. Also within the thyroid one molecule of DIT can condense with monoiodotyrosine (MIT) to form either T3 or rT3.

Fibrocystic Breast Disease

Absence of iodine in the breast tissue appears to make the epithelium more sensitive to estrogen stimulation. Thus increased sensitivity can produce excess secretions which cause the breast to distend and produce small cysts and eventually fibrosis. A number of studies have shown that both iodide and iodine is effective in about 70% of patients (7). However, significant side effects were found to be much less common with elemental iodine versus iodide. Iodide was associated with altered thyroid function (4%) and acne (15%). Therefore, organic sources of iodine, such as Bladderwrack and kelp, are preferred to inorganic iodides (potassium iodide, sodium iodide etc).

Cautions

Bladderwrack can concentrate industrial heavy metals so should be collected only in areas of relatively unpolluted waters.

References - Bladderwrack