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Botanical illustration of Giloy (Guduchi)
MedicinalSourced entry

Giloy (Guduchi)

Tinospora cordifolia

An Ayurvedic climbing vine promoted in India as an immunity booster, including during COVID-19. Cases of liver injury have been reported, though some may involve a look-alike plant.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • Toxicity4 notes →

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Giloy (Guduchi)?

Plant family
Menispermaceae, the moonseed family
Parts used
The stem and leaves
Genus
Tinospora
Species
cordifolia

Traditional names

Giloy, Guduchi

Traditionally used for

  • Immune support
  • Fever
  • Liver (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • Immune support (traditional)

Health topics

Where Giloy (Guduchi) appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

Traditions that use it

  • Ayurveda

    Described in Ayurvedic texts as one of the most important medicinal plants; used for jaundice, fever and immunity.

How it's prepared

Common ways Giloy (Guduchi) is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.

  • Capsule

    It's also sold as capsules, juice and leaf extract.[1]Study

  • Decoction

    In one study of patients with liver injury, people had taken it as tablets or decoctions.[2]Study

  • Powder

    Products include giloy leaf powder and traditional churan (powder).[1]Study

Safety

Toxicity testing

  • Liver injury has been reported with giloy, mostly from India. A 2021 case series described 6 patients who developed autoimmune-like hepatitis (the immune system attacking the liver) after taking giloy or giloy-containing products during the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]Study

  • A 50-year-old woman developed severe liver inflammation two weeks after starting a supplement containing giloy. She recovered after stopping it and a short course of steroids.[4]Study

  • A 2022 study from 13 Indian hospitals described 43 people who developed liver injury after taking giloy, many during the COVID-19 pandemic when it was promoted as an immune booster. Symptoms began a median of 46 days after starting it. Some had sudden hepatitis, some had existing liver disease that worsened, and some had liver failure. Giloy was judged the probable cause in about two-thirds, often with immune-type (autoimmune) features, and it can bring out hidden autoimmune hepatitis.[2]Study

  • Some experts suggested liver injury blamed on giloy might really come from a look-alike plant (Tinospora crispa). But when doctors tested the plant samples their patients had taken, using DNA and chemical analysis, they were confirmed to be true giloy (Tinospora cordifolia).[5]Study

Contamination

  • Several other plants are sold as, or mixed up with, giloy, which may explain some liver-injury reports.[3]Study

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Ayurvedic texts describe giloy as one of the most potent and important medicinal plants, and its leaves have been used for centuries for many ailments.[1]Study

  • Giloy has traditionally been used for jaundice.[6]Study

  • In India, the government's Ministry of AYUSH recommended giloy for COVID-19 care because of its reputation for easing inflammation and supporting the immune system.[3]Study

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In lab and animal studies, giloy showed antioxidant activity and protected the liver from chemical damage. Among its compounds is berberine.[6]Study

  • Lab research suggests compounds in giloy leaves affect immune signaling, but more research is needed to know whether it works in people.[1]Study

Research in people

  • In a small 2-week Indian pilot trial, 24 people with very high triglycerides took about 3 g a day of giloy water extract or the diabetes drug metformin. Giloy lowered triglycerides and LDL ("bad") cholesterol and raised HDL ("good") cholesterol.[7]Study

In short

Liver injury, including autoimmune-like hepatitis, has been reported; stop and see a doctor if you notice yellow skin or dark urine.

Sources

  1. [1] Immunomodulatory properties of Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) leaves and its applications in value-added products — Heliyon · DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40948Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Tinospora Cordifolia (Giloy)-Induced Liver Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic-Multicenter Nationwide Study From India · DOI: 10.1002/hep4.1904Peer-reviewed study
  3. [3] Can Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), a well-known ayurvedic hepato-protectant cause liver damage? — Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine · DOI: 10.1016/j.jaim.2022.100658Peer-reviewed study
  4. [4] Tinospora cordifolia (Guduchi/Giloy)-Induced Liver Injury: A Case Review — Cureus · DOI: 10.7759/cureus.39793Peer-reviewed study
  5. [5] Herb-induced Liver Injury-A Guide to Approach. Lessons from the Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy) Case Series Story · DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2022.11.001Peer-reviewed study
  6. [6] Traditional uses, hepatoprotective potential, and phytopharmacology of Tinospora cordifolia: a narrative review — Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology · DOI: 10.1093/jpp/rgae013Peer-reviewed study
  7. [7] Intervention of Ayurvedic drug Tinospora cordifolia attenuates the metabolic alterations in hypertriglyceridemia: a pilot clinical trial · DOI: 10.1007/s40200-020-00657-3Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.