Commiphora mukul or guggul, an extract of the Mukul myrrh tree is widely used in traditional Indian medicine. Together with other plants, it is used to treat arthritis, skin diseases, nervous system-related pain, obesity, digestive or menstrual problems.
Commiphora mukul reduces levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol in the blood with no side-effects.
A study in the Journal of Associated Physicians-India, in which 125 patients were given Guggulipids over 4 weeks, total cholesterol levels fell by 11% and triglycerides by 16.8%.
Combined with triphala, Commiphora mukul was shown to produce weight loss as well as a reduction in blood cholesterol in overweight subjects (Ethnopharmacol. 1990;29(1):1-11).
An animal study suggests that Commiphora mukul stimulates thyroid activity.