The excessive consumption of Giloy in the assumption that it will prevent the corona virus, has led to a few death due to liver damage, report doctors.
Proving that certain herbs and traditional medicines taken to ward off Covid-19 could cause severe harm, Mumbai doctors found at least six patients with severe liver damage between September and December 2020.
These patients came with complaints of jaundice and lethargy, after which the doctors found each had a history of taking a concoction of herb Tinosporacordifolia, locally known as Giloy or ‘guduchi’ in Sanskrit.
“We, for the first time, found severe liver injury, proven using biopsy.related to the herb tinosporacordifolia,” said hepatologist, Dr AabhaNagral, lead author of a study published in Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, an international peer- review journal published by the Indian National Association for the Study of the liver.
This was part of a report carried in the Times of India (July 4, 2021). Many publications have also published the same report together with voiced concerns of doctors in Mumbai, regarding people self – medicating.
As with any alternative medicine, in Ayurveda, though immensely beneficial a science, insufficient clinical trials and studies underscore the need to consult with your doctor before embarking on a self –medicating marathon to prevent Covid-19.
Here are a few things you can do before starting on a self- supplement programme:
- Do thorough research on the supplement. Don’t go on random reviews or hearsay or something you’ve read off the net.
- Consult your doctor. Together you can evaluate the need for it, plus its interference, if any, with your current conditions or medication.
- Don’t overdo any vitamin or supplement. Moderation is key.
You can read more here: Case series and review of Ayurvedic medication induced liver injury https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12906-021-03251-z
Ministry of AYUSH has commented on the above article. Wrong species of Giloy may result in such cases. Hence it is always advisable to buy good quality product ( Ayurvedic Medicine ) rather than loose powder as Companies take all necessary precautions and are licensed units. Giloy’s benefits are huge as mentioned in our Ayurvedic Texts and one can also google to find out the same. For hundreds of years Giloy is being used. Hence no need to panic and shy away from any Herb, especially when the Ministry itself has written a clarification on same. Excess of everything is dangerous be it any pathy’s product. Hence one is always advised to contact Ayurvedic doctor regarding same.