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Guggul

Supplement botanical heart & metabolic
Aka: Commiphora mukul, guggulsterone
Brands seen in Singapore: Himalaya, Super Nutrition, NaturesPlus, Nutricost, NOW Foods
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Marketed for cholesterol; one RCT saw LDL-c rise instead
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Long use in asia as a cholesterol-lowering agent
  • Mechanism is plausible: guggulsterones act on fxr
  • Generally well tolerated over 8 weeks in the RCT
Cons
  • 8-week RCT: LDL-c rose 4–5% versus placebo
  • Hypersensitivity rash in 6 of 67 given guggulipid
  • Review: not enough evidence for any medical condition
Sources
  1. Guggulipid for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia: a randomized controlled trial (Szapary et al., JAMA 2003) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “both standard-dose guggulipid (n = 33) and high-dose guggulipid (n = 34) raised levels of LDL-C by 4% (P = .01 vs placebo) and 5% (P = .006 vs placebo), respectively, at 8 weeks”
  2. Szapary et al. 2003 — background and proposed mechanism · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Herbal extracts from Commiphora mukul (guggul) have been widely used in Asia as cholesterol-lowering agents … guggulsterones … have been shown to be potent antagonists of 2 nuclear hormone receptors involved in cholesterol metabolism”
  3. Szapary et al. 2003 — tolerability and adverse events · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “While guggulipid was generally well tolerated, 6 participants treated with guggulipid developed a hypersensitivity rash compared with none in the placebo group.”
  4. Szapary et al. 2003 — doses studied · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Oral, 3 times daily doses of standard-dose guggulipid (1000 mg), high-dose guggulipid (2000 mg), or matching placebo … a standardized guggul extract (guggulipid, containing 2.5% guggulsterones)”
  5. Guggul for hyperlipidemia: a review by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (Ulbricht et al., Complement Ther Med 2005) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The effects of guggulipid in patients with high cholesterol are not clear … At this time, there is not enough scientific evidence to support the use of guggul for any medical condition.”
  6. Ulbricht et al. 2005 — safety and who should avoid guggul · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Guggul may cause stomach discomfort or allergic rash as well as other serious side effects and interactions. It should be avoided in pregnant or breast-feeding women and in children. Safety of use beyond 4 months has not been well studied.”
  7. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev. No. 001 (Oct 2025) — guggul / Commiphora mukul / guggulsterone not listed in Annex A or B (PDF full text searched) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  8. iHerb Singapore — Guggul category page, default (best-selling) order; no Singapore shipping-restriction notice shown · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Himalaya, Guggul, 60 Vegetarian Capsules … Super Nutrition, Plant Sterols & Policosanol Complex with … Guggul Extract … NaturesPlus, Herbal Actives, Gugulipid, Extended Release, 1,000 mg … Nutricost, Guggul Extract … NOW Foods, Guggul Extract”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.