Guggulbolic – Metabolic Regulator

I first became interested in Guggulsterones when I noticed a few studies on their thyroid stimulating properties. I discovered that Guggulsterones have a direct stimulating action on the thyroid gland through some or the other enzymatic mechanisms. One of the studies concluded that Guggulsterones are a viable option for the treatment of hypothyroidal conditions. With this information in hand, I immediately went out and obtained some standardized Guggul from my herbal supplier. This Guggul product was made from a yellowish powder and was claimed to be standardized to 2.5% Guggulsterones. I gave it to various people to test it’s effects on body temperature and fat loss. To my surprise, no one experienced any type of dramatic results on this product – even at high dosages.

My next step was to study how the Guggul was processed and to make sure I was getting the best material. After much research, I discovered that there are two ways of processing Guggul. One, using a solvent to extract the Guggulsterones, produces a low potency yellowish powder. The other produces a high-potency coffee looking brown powder and is naturally processed according to ancient Indian practices. The product that initially obtained was the low-potency, solvent extracted Guggul. In hopes that there was a difference in effectiveness between the two types of extracts, I decided to obtain the high-potency brown powder. To my utter surprise, I discovered that nearly every product on the market was made from the yellowish, low-potency powder – the coffee looking extract just couldn’t be found! In desperation, I decided to do a search in India in hopes of finding the required extract. After much ado, I found the elusive brown Guggul extract and I immediately ordered some for sampling. This time when I gave it to people to try, something totally different occurred. Instead of having a minimal response, the Guggul extract caused its users to break into a sweat and feel very hot. Upon taking their body temperatures, some of these people noticed a dramatic increase. Amazingly, a few people reported body temperatures as high as 101 degrees.

What does all of this mean? Well…. first, only purchase a product that is made with a high potency, natural extract. Not only should the label indicate this fact, but it can be personally verified by opening one of the capsules. The material inside should be dark brown in color and have an odor similar to a mixture of coffee and raisins. Next,the warm/hot feeling, the sweating, and the rise in body temperature that was experienced are indeed a confirmation of Guggulsterone’s thyroid stimulating ability. This is good news for those of us trying to lose weight – especially adipose tissue/fat stores.When the thyroid gland is stimulated, it produces more thyroid hormones such as thyroxin. These thyroid hormones have a profound effect on the rate of metabolism including a direct catabolic effect on adipose tissue. Practically, this means that Guggulsterones will stimulate your thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones which in turn will raise your metabolic rate and burn more fat!

Guggulsterones by themselves have been shown to work very well for fat loss but I have found a combination that is nothing short of amazing – Guggulsteornes and an ECA stack such as Adipokinetix. We already know that Adipokinetix is an extremely potent fat burner but it does its work outside the realm of the thyroid. It made sense to me that if one could combine the fat burning effects of the thyroid hormones with that of the adrenergic hormones (e.g. adrenaline) something very dramatic would result. Also interesting is the fact that ECA type stacks tend to decrease the amount of thyroid hormones circulating in the blood over time. Guggulsterones do a great job of inhibiting this reduction, thus keeping all physiological fat burning systems operating at a maximum level.

The final ways that Guggulsterones can benefit in the fight to burn fat is in ketogenic diets and growth hormone use. Over time, ketogenic diets tend to reduce the thyroid’s effectiveness by reducing the conversion of T4 to the more potent T3. Guggulsterones won’t do anything to increase the conversion but it will cause more T4 release which in turn should increase T3 to some extent. Furthermore, although T4 is not as potent of a metabolic regulator, it is functional and should inherently help boost the metabolic rate. Regarding GH use,anyone that has taken this potent hormone knows that it vastly reduces the amount thyroid hormones that are produced by the thyroid gland. Again, although I have never tried it nor know of anyone who has, Guggulsterones should help attenuate this thyroid hormone reducing effect.

Although their fat burning properties are what we are most interested in, Guggulsterones also have an extremely beneficial effect on cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Numerous clinical studies have shown that Guggulsterones cause a 14 to 27 % decrease in total cholesterol in a four to twelve week period; triglyceride levels drop 22 to 30 %. Even more interesting, is the fact that Guggulsterones support a high HDL cholesterol (“good” type) and a low LDL cholesterol (“bad” type). Study after study confirm that Guggulsterones are as potent as many of the current prescription drugs for lowering cholesterol. Unlike their drug counterparts though, Guggulsterones have absolutely no negative side effects. This cholesterol reducing effect is important for anyone who is interested in keeping a healthy cardiovascular system – especially those who are on steroidal compounds. Steroidal compounds like anabolic/androgenic steroids not only increase total cholesterol but also increase the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol. Guggulsterones prevent this harmful effect thus ensuring a healthy, clean cardiovascular system.

It’s hard to imagine a compound this beneficial being any better but our funny named friend called Guggul has also been shown in studies to be as effective against acne as the drug tetracycline. In a study published in 1994 by the Journal of Dermatology, twenty patients with nodulocystic acne were randomly allocated to either tetracycline or Guggulsterones. Both were taken daily for 3 months and both produced a progressive reduction in the lesions in the majority of the patients. With tetracycline, the percentage reduction in the inflammatory lesions was 65.2% as compared to 68% with the Guggulsterones. As you can see, our friend Guggul is extremely potent at fighting acne. Who can benefit from this? Hmmmm……well, as far as I can tell, nearly everyone. There is not a single person I known that would not like a better complexion. This is especially true for those on anabolic/androgenic steroids as these tend to increase the skin’s oiliness and potential for acne.

Let me guess….nobody is laughing at Mr. Huggulee Guggulee! Indeed, he might have a funny name but in my book, he’s a hero. Where else can you find a compound that will help you lose fat, improve your cholesterol profile, and at the same time improve your complexion? I’ve looked long and hard and have yet to find even one competitor. Oh yeah! Before I forget, the dosage one should take is 30 – 60 mg three times per day with meals. Always remember though to find a product which contains the high potency naturally extracted Guggul! My final advice then is to go out and find this guy, shake his hand, and then reap the host of benefits that he brings.

by Derek Cornelius