Guduchi (Tinospora Cordifolia) – Giloy Uses, Benefits, Dosage and Properties

Description of Giloy Plant

Guduchi or Giloy Plant is well known herbaceous vine and glabrous climbing shrub. It is deciduous, large and extensively spreading climbing shrub with numerous elongated twining branches and typical greenish yellow flowers. Heart shaped leaves of Giloy shrub are simple and alternate with long petioles up to 15cm long in length and dark green in color. Giloy contains unisexual Giloy flowers, male flowers are clustered and female flowers are solitary. Succulent bark of this herb is grey or creamy white in color and wood is white, soft and porous. When stem is freshly cut it gives a yellow tint. Flowering season of this herb is in month of June while fruits occur in the month of November. Guduchi Fruits are drupe shaped that turn red after ripening. These fruits aggregates in 1-3 small, ovoid and smooth drupelets on thick stalk.

General Information

Giloy botanical name is Tinospora cordifolia. Tinospora cordifolia is an herbaceous vine. In Ayurveda it is regarded for its highest medicinal values. Giloy growing creeper on neem tree has best medicinal values than giloy growing alone. It is an immune-modulator herb. Guduchi satva is extract obtained from giloy stems. That is highly medicinal in nature. Acharya charka categorized this herb under four Medhya Rasayana. Arial roots of this herb are very thin and achrya shushrut used these roots for suturing wounds because of its quick healing properties. Giloy is useful to reduce ama (toxins) and other microbes that are responsible for causing fever and other infections. It is antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and immune stimulating herb. Berberine, tinosporin, palmetin, mangoflorine, choline, ethanol, isocolumbin, tembetarine and aporphine all chemical compounds are found in this herb.

Special note about Tinospora Cordifolia

अमृता साङ्ग्राहिकवातहरदीपनीयश्लेष्मशोणितविबन्धप्रशमनानां

According to this shalok of charak samhita guduchi is one main herb with bitter taste. It helps in stimulating digestion and helps in alleviating vata and kapha dosha. Guduchi is beneficial herb to cure constipation and bleeding disorders.

Habitat

Tinospora cordifolia is distributed throughout tropical regions of India that are located 1200meters above from sea level of kumaon to Assam. It is native to India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Giloy is very common vine found in deciduous and dry forests. In India it is easily available in Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala and Karnataka.

Classification

• Kingdom – Plantae
• Family – Menispermaceae
• Order – Ranunculales

Giloy Names

 
• Giloy English name – Indian Tinospora, Heartleaved moonseed

 

• Giloy Hindi name – Giloy, Gurach

 

• Giloy Kannada name – Agniballi, Amrutaballi

 

• Giloy Malayalam name – Amritavalli, Chitamrith

 

• Giloy Telugu name – Dussiramu, Tippatige

 

• Giloy Marathi name – Ambarvel, Amrita, Gulvel

 

• Giloy Bengali name – Giloy, Gulancha

 

• Giloy Oriya name – Gulochi, Gulancha

 

• Giloy Gujarati name – Gulo, Gado, Galo

 

• Giloy Tamil name – Amrida valli, Silam, Pittigai

 

• Giloy Sikkim name – Gurjo

 

• Giloy Punjabi name – Batindu, Gilogularich

 

• Giloy Assamese name – Hoguni-lot

 

• Giloy Konkani name – Amritvel

 

• Giloy Urdu name – Guluncha

 

• Giloy Nepalese name – Gurjo

Ayurvedic Properties of Giloy

Hindi / Sanskrit		English
Rasa	Kashaya, Tikta	Taste	Astringent, Bitter
Guna	Laghu	Physical Property	Light
Virya	Ushna	Potency	Hot
Vipaka	Madhura	Metabolic Property (After Digestion)	Sweet

Giloy Effects on Doshas

Giloy balances vata, pitta and kapha dosha.

Charak Samhita	Sushrut Samhita	Bhavprakash
Vayasthapan – Rejuvenative group of herbs. Trishna nigrah – Herbs used to reduce thirst. Triptighna – Herbs relieve early satiation. Daha prashmana – Herbs that relieve burning sensation. Satnya shodhna – Herbs that helps in cleansing of breast milk.	Guduchyadi gana, Patolyadi gana Valli panchmoola Aragvadhadi gana Kakolyadi gana.	Guduchyadi gana

Ancient Verse about Tinospora Cordifolia

Guduchi, maduparni, amrita, amritvallari, china, chinrooha, chinnodbhava, vatsadni, jeevanti, tantrika, soma, somvalli, kundali, chakrlakshnika, dheera, vishlya, rasayani, chanderhasa, vaystha, mandali and devnirmita all are synonyms of Tinospora cordifolia. Guduchi is astringent, bitter and pungent in taste and after digestion taste of this herb is sweet. Guduchi is rejuvenating, helps in absorption, improves strength, digestion and relieves toxins (ama). The herb is light in nature with hot potency. This herb is used to cure thirst, burning sensation, diabetes, cough, anemia, jaundice, leprosy, bleeding disorders, fever, worm infestation and helps in relieving vomiting.

REFERENCES

The Bhavprakash nighantu with elaborated Hindi commentary by Padmashri prof. K.C. Chunekar, edited by Dr. G.S. Pandey: verse 1-10, edition of 1998: page no-269-271.

Practical uses of Giloy

• Guduchi helps in boosting up immune system. It helps to remove extra toxins from body and rejuvenates body. According to Ayurveda this herb helps to maintain balance between all necessary ailments of body i.e. dosha, dhatu and mala. This herb helps to prevent body from diseases and maintain overall health.
• Giloy is very beneficial herb to relieve all type of high grade, low grade fever and other viral, bacterial infections. It helps to relieve underlying symptoms of fever such as burning sensation, weakness, fatigue, chills and excessive sweating.
• Giloy satva is very beneficial for all types of fever and other infections. This herb is also very effective for the sufferers of typhoid fever.
• The herb is effective for various skin disorders like itching, burning sensation, leprosy, redness, swelling and tenderness.
• Giloy is also very beneficial herb for uric acid and gout. It reduces the excess uric acid and toxin formation in body.
• This herb is used to treat interstitial cystitis. It helps to reduce high cholesterol level and also very beneficial for the sufferers of diabetes.
• Ethanol extract present in the roots of Tinospora are very beneficial for nervous system. This chemical compound helps to relieve stress and is considered as best brain tonic.
• It is also used to cure digestive ailments like indigestion, hyperacidity, worm infestation, abdominal pain and excessive thirst.
• Roots of this herb are strong emetic in nature and very useful in treating bowel obstructions.
• It helps in pacifying tridosha- vata, pitta and kapha.

Guduchi Part used

 
• Guduchi Leaves

 

• Guduchi Bark

 

• Guduchi Stem

 

• Guduchi Roots

Dosage

• Stem powder – 3-6gms
• Giloy satva – 500mg-1gm

Ayurvedic Products from Guduchi, Giloy (Tinospora Cordifolia) by Planet Ayurveda

Guduchi Powder

Tinospora cordifolia herb is used in the formulation of Giloy Powder. This herbal product is used as a dietary supplement for digestion, maintain healthy body temperature, support immune system, and healthy respiratory system. It balances vata, pitta & kapha doshas in body. Also helpful in cancer patients.

Dosage : 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful twice daily with plain water after the meals.

Giloy Capsules

This herb is used in the formulation of Giloy Capsules. This herbal product helps in maintaining overall health and boost up immune system in body.

Dosage : 1-2 Capsules daily with plain water after meals.