Can Guggul Help Prevent or Treat IBD?
Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (i.e., Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) are auto-immune conditions where the immune system continuously reacts and the immune cells (T-cells) resist normal cell-cycle death and accumulate. This causes chronic inflammation of the mucosal surface of the intestinal tract. IBD can also severely interfere with absorption of nutrients from food and cause wasting disease.22
Animal studies representing models of IBD demonstrated that the active constituents of guggul protected against development of symptoms and reduced the severity of wasting disease. Results showed guggulsterones inhibited inflammatory proteins and helped regulate the proliferation of T-cells, suggesting guggul could help prevent or improve symptoms of IBD.22
