AYUSH Ministry clarifies on safety of Giloy, warns against similar localized products
New Delhi: Responding to the concerns raised over safety of Giloy, AYUSH Ministry has recently issued an advisory stating GILOY also known as Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) is safe.
There has been a lot of controversy around Giloy in the past few days. Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported about a study that claimed the use of herb Tinospora Cordifolia (TC), commonly known as Giloy or Guduchi, resulted in liver failure in six patients in Mumbai. These claims were dismissed by the Ministry of AYUSH immediately.
Read also: AYUSH Ministry clarifies on safety of Giloy, warns against similar localized products
Now, the ministry has also released an Advisory in this regard
Ministry of Ayush in the advisory has notified that Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) popularly known as GILOY is safe to use but some similar-looking plants like Tinospora crispa may be harmful.
Guduchi is a popularly known herb, familiarly known as Giloy and is being used in therapeutics since long in AYUSH systems.
As per the advisory, "There are good number of studies published in peer reviewed indexed Journals to substantiate safety and efficacy of Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia). Its hepato-protective properties are also well established. Guduchi is known for its immense therapeutic applications and the practices are regulated in accordance with various applicable provisions"
"It is observed that different species of Tinospora are available and only Tinospora cordifolia should be used in therapeutics, whereas similar looking species like Tinospora crispa may manifest adverse effects," the Ministry further added.
The ministry also highlighted the difference between the two products. Below is the information about these plant species
| Plant part | Tinospora cordifolia | Tinospora crispa |
| Stem |
· No milky secretion |
|
| Leaves |
groovy notch at the base |
groovy notch at the base |
| Petals |
| |
| Drupes (Bunch of fruit) |
| |
| Photograph of the plant |
"Guduchi is a safe and effective Ayurveda medicine, however it is advisable to use it in consultation with a qualified, registered Ayush physician," The ministry said
Below is the advisory issued by the Ministry of AYUSH:
