14 Amazing Health Benefits of Giloy & It’s Side Effects

Thanks to its many medicinal properties, Giloy is also known as “amrita” which loosely translates to “root of immortality”. Giloy is available in the form of juice, powder or capsules, making it very easy to incorporate into your diets. It is packed with vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants—the benefits of Giloy range from being medically beneficial to also being beneficial to the skin. Giloy is also abundant in carbohydrates, steroids, flavonoids, lignans, and alkaloids. The most significant benefit of giloy is that it helps to boost immunity. In fact, giloy juice is given to patients to help them regain strength and recover.

Proven Health Benefits of Giloy – Perfect Immunity Booster

Giloy, also known as Guduchi, is an FDA approved herb widely used in the Indian Ayurvedic medical practice. The scientific name of Giloy is Tinospora cordifolia . While the stem of giloy, or guduchi, has proven to be the most useful and valuable, the roots of giloy have many benefits attached as well.

1. Boosts Immunity

One of the most significant benefits of Giloy is that it helps boost immunity. Giloy is packed with anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants help the body by fighting free radicals that pose a threat to the cells in the body. Giloy also acts as a detoxing agent in the body, thus helping to improve liver and kidney health. It also helps to keep urinary tract infections at bay. Experts also believe Giloy helps to keep the heart healthy. It fights disease-causing organisms and also helps in treating infertility.

2. Improves Digestion

Guduchi helps to take care of the digestive system. It has been used to treat digestive issues such as indigestion for ages. It is believed that eating a small amount of giloy powder along with amla on a regular basis can help to keep away digestive problems. An alternative is to consume giloy juice along with buttermilk. Yet another age-old remedy is to take a small amount of giloy powder with jaggery to treat constipation.

3. Fights Respiratory Problems

Giloy is known to help the body fight respiratory problems such as colds, coughs, etc, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.

4. Helps to Manage Chronic Fever

Giloy is believed to be an antipyretic, helping the body treat recurring fevers, especially seen in malaria, dengue, and swine flu conditions.

5. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Giloy is known to help brain health and boost memory power. Another amazing benefit of giloy is that it also helps to reduce stress and anxiety by helping the body calm down, especially when combined with other herbs. It helps to get rid of toxins from the body. It also helps to improve the brain’s attention span.

6. Helps Reduce Arthritis Symptoms

According to Ayurveda, a combination of giloy and ghee can help manage arthritis. Giloy has anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory properties that help in the handling of arthritis and its symptoms.

A mix of giloy and ginger also helps in reducing the symptoms of arthritis. Giloy stem boiled with milk can help relieve joint pain. Giloy and ginger can help give relief from rheumatoid arthritis.

7. Manage Diabetes

Giloy is a natural agent that can help reduce blood sugar levels in the body. It is said that adding giloy to the regular diet of diabetic patients can help lower blood sugar and lipids.

8. Improves Vision

Giloy is popularly used to treat eye disorders. It helps by increasing eye clarity, allows individuals to see more clearly. Giloy is boiled in water and applied over the eyelids for better eyesight.

9. Reduces Asthmatic Symptoms

Asthma is a respiratory disease. The symptoms of asthma can be relieved with the help of Giloy.

10. Reduces Signs Of Aging

Giloy can help reduce dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles, all signs of aging. It also helps reduce pimples, giving you smooth, glowing and flawless skin.

11. Works As An Aphrodisiac

Giloy contains properties that help boost libido. It also helps to give you relief from stress.

Side-Effects of Giloy – What are the Risks Involved?

While there are numerous benefits of Giloy, like all good things, it also has some drawbacks.

1. May Lead To Constipation

Giloy consumption can sometimes irritate the digestive system. This irritation may result in constipation or other such digestive issues.

2. Drastic Drop in Blood Sugar Levels 

Giloy helps reduce blood sugar levels. This is why diabetic individuals must consume Giloy only in moderate and regulated quantities. Improper consumption can lead to a drastic drop in blood sugar levels which is not good for the body.

3. Can Trigger Auto-Immune Disease

While Giloy does help boost the immune system, it can also lead to the hyper-activation of the immune system, caused by too much consumption. This can result in the increased intensity of the symptoms seen in people suffering from diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

4. Pregnant Women Should Avoid it

There are only a few studies done on this subject. Experts suggest that it can be harmful to breastfeeding women and pregnant women. They recommend that it’s best for pregnant women if they avoid this herb during their gestation period.

Due to the lack of scientific evidence, skipping the medicinal use of Giloy during pregnancy would be ideal.

5. May cause complication in Surgery

It’s recommended to stop taking giloy in advance if you are undergoing any surgery. Expert suggests to avoid consuming giloy at least 2 weeks prior to it. It can drastically drop blood sugar levels.

During surgery, the blood sugar level should be under control, or it may cause complications in surgery. Consuming this herb may fluctuate your blood sugar level. Thus, avoid Giloy consumption in any form if you are about to undergo any surgery.

Final Words

The consumption of any and every medicinal herb or substance must be done with a physician’s consultation or supervision. Even with Giloy leaves. We have seen numerous advantages of consuming giloy. But, Self-medicating is never a good idea.

Health must always be given a priority over convenience. Considering the side effects giloy have, it’s better to consume it in the moderation.

FAQs

As seen, consumption of an adequate quantity of Giloy has many health benefits. Here we answered few questions about how to consume it, can it be used in recipes, and does it help increase the platelet count.

#1 What is the best way to consume Giloy?

Giloy, with it’s numerous health benefits, is easily available in the market today. You can find it in the following forms and decide which is the most convenient way to consume it.

1. Take 2-3 teaspoons of Giloy juice.

2. Add the same quantity of water.

3. Drink it preferably before meals on an empty stomach, once or twice a day, to boost your immunity.

#1 Giloy Churna

1. Take ½ teaspoon of Giloy churna.

2. Mix it with honey and drink it with lukewarm water.

3. Take it preferably after meals twice a day.

#2 Giloy Tablet

1. Take 1-2 Giloy tablets.

2. Take it with water after meals, twice a day.

#3 Giloy Capsule

1. Take 1-2 Giloy capsules.

2. Take it with water after meals, twice a day.

#4 Giloy Extract

1 pinch twice a day.

For most adults, 1-2g/day is sufficient and the dose should not exceed 3g/day. It is not advisable to be given to infants and is only safe for children above 10 years. The dosage should not exceed 250mg in a day.

All the dosage mentioned above is a general guideline. It is always advisable to check with a medical or an ayurvedic practitioner before adding Giloy to your daily consumption routine.

#2 Can Giloy leaves be adapted into healthy recipes?

It is not advisable to add Giloy leaves to any dishes. It is best to consume giloy leaves by boiling in water or chewing them raw for its maximum benefits without mixing with other foods.

#3 Can I grow Giloy in my garden?

Yes, you can grow giloy at home very easily. Just get a giloy stem from your local nursery, and plant it in a pot like you would do with a money plant. It grows very fast, and you can boil the leaves to make the concoction at home. Nothing better and more pure than fresh homemade giloy drink.

#4 Can we consume every part of the Giloy plant?

Yes, every part of the herb can be used to prepare medicine, including the leaves, stem, and flowers, but preparing the juice from the leaves is the easiest. One can chew fresh leaves of Giloy for improving general health as well as to manage arthritis.

You can also consume Giloy juice for skin diseases as it helps to flush out toxins from the body. Furthermore, the consumption of a decoction made from boiling Giloy leaves helps manage gout, fever, and indigestion.

#5 Can consuming Giloy help with platelet count?

It is believed that Giloy juice helps in increasing the platelet count during dengue without any side effects. The platelets can increase significantly and also help with lowering down the body temperature. It is also believed that Giloy juice has liver-protecting properties and strengthens your immune system.

Disclaimer – This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information before making any dietary changes.