Nature: bitter, neutral

Enters: Heart, Liver, Spleen

Actions: Promotes blood circulation, dispels blood stasis, relieves pain; relieves swelling; promotes tissue regeneration; relaxes the tendons.

Indications:
• Blood stasis: dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, epigastric pain, Bi syndrome, traumatic injury, carbuncle pain, appendicitis, immobile abdominal masses, abdominal pain, chest pain, sores, swellings.
• Topical: non-healing carbuncles, ulcers, sores.
• Stomatitis, gingivitis, laryngitis.
• Stronger for severe pain (e.g. angina pectoris) than Ru xiang.
• Better than Ru xiang at removing blood stasis.
• May lower cholesterol and prevent plaque.
• Stimulates gastrointestinal motility.
• Antifungal.
• Fry with vinegar to enhance its blood circulating properties.
• Related to the Ayurvedic herb Guggul.
JC: Tonic, stimulant, powerful antiseptic and disinfectant (mucus membranes), vulnerary (healing), expectorant, emmenagogue, astringent, carminative, purgative (large dose), cardiac stimulant.
• Increases WBC count.
• Enhances the eliminative function of the mucus membranes of the bronchi and genitourinary tract.
DY: The uncooked herb is irritating to the stomach and mucus membranes.
Yoga: Bola: K, V-; P+ (in excess)
• Bitter, astringent, sweet/heating/pungent.
• Alterative, emmenagogue, astringent, expectorant, antispasmodic, rejuvenative, analgesic, antiseptic; prevents decay, reverses aging, rejuvenates the mind and body.
• Closely related to Guggul (Commiphora mukul).
• Dispels old, stagnant blood from the uterus.
K&R: Anti-inflammatory, astringent, immune stimulant, epitheliogenic.
• Metal: clears phlegm from the mucus membranes.
• For bronchitis, urinary tract infections, pharyngitis, gingivitis, skin ulcers.
• Increases WBC count.
PCBDP: Lowers lipids, cholesterol; inhibits platelet aggregation; appears to activate the thyroid gland (animal studies).
IBIS: Anticatarrhal, antimicrobial, antiseptic, astringent, carminative, expectorant, stimulant.
• [Western] Dosage: tincture: 2 – 5 mL.
• Mucous membranes pale and lax; tonsils enlarged and spongy; throat pale and tumid; chronic bronchitis with profuse secretion of mucus or muco-pus, difficult to expectorate; soreness and sponginess of gums; ptyalism; weight and dragging in pelvis in females; leukorrhea; muscular debility (Felter and Scudder, p. 483)
• External: spongy and bleeding gums; sore throat with aphthous or sloughing ulcers; chronic pharyngitis with tumid, pallid membranes and elongated uvula; spongy, enlarged tonsils (Felter and Scudder, p. 483)
• Internal: enfeebled conditions with excessive mucous secretion, especially in the bronchial and renal mucosa; chronic bronchitis; chronic gastritis; atonic dyspepsia (Felter and Scudder, p. 483); pharyngitis; respiratory catarrh; common cold; furunculosis; mouth ulcers; gingivitis (British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, p. 73)
• Contraindicated during pregnancy (Felter and Lloyd, p. 1300) due to its emmenagogue and abortifacient effects (Brinker, Farnsworth)

Dose: 3-12g

 
BII (Guggulipid, from Guggul, Commiphora mukul): Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides – cholesterol typically will drop 14-27% in 4-12 weeks while triglycerides will drop 22-30%.
• Increases the liver’s metabolism of LDL and uptake of LDL from blood.
• Standard dosage is 25 mg of guggulsterone [a component] TID.
• Non-toxic, safe in pregnancy.
• Beneficial in acne vulgaris.
• May inhibit platelet aggregation.
• Useful in atherosclerosis, however the high dosage required of the crude herb or extracts can lead to side effects and therefore pure guggulipid (guggulsterone) should be used.