health-benenfits-with-giloy
Giloy, also known as Amrita or Guduchi, is an herb that helps improve digestion and boost immunity. It has heart-shaped leaves that resemble betel leaves. All parts of the plant are used in Ayurvedic medicine. However, the stem is thought to have the most beneficial compounds. In the books of ancient Ayurveda, this herb has been used for over a thousand years to enhance and boost the body's immunity and help it fight foreign diseases or illnesses. When the first wave of Covid struck, know-it-all doctors and 'medical experts' claimed that 'giloy' was an immunity booster that would help fight the virus. Almost overnight, the sales of Giloy rocketed and people started taking it without any medical consultation.
However, a recent study published in Hepatology Communications, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, has found that consumption of 'giloy' without prescription and monitoring can cause damage to organs such as the liver. The study was conducted by the Liver Research Club of India at 13 medical centres including King George's Medical University (KGMU). The study included 43 patients -- 23 females and 20 males -- who reported symptoms of jaundice. Clinical findings revealed that all patients were suffering from chronic liver disease or liver failure.
According to the researchers, they also found that each of the patients had a history of taking a concoction of giloy. Talking about the study results, the researchers said, "We found that giloy was the main cause of liver issues in 67.4 per cent (29) patients as there was no other factor like excessive alcohol consumption, diabetes, thyroid, hypertension, or any other etiological reason. The remaining patients consumed alcohol regularly and had comorbidities, hence they were not included among those in whom giloy was the main cause." They further added, "Most of these patients had consumed the herbal drug without prescription or taken unprescribed doses for an average 46 days. This generated common antinuclear antibodies which started attacking liver cells and induced acute hepatitis with autoimmune hepatitis-like features."
According to the experts, consuming a limited amount of giloy has several health benefits. These include:
Some of the other side effects f consuming too much giloy include:
