Herbal remedy fails cholesterol test - US study

An herbal remedy derived from the mukul myrrh tree and used in India to relieve heart symptoms actually raised cholesterol levels instead of lowering them as advertised, researchers said.

After eight weeks of taking the remedy, guggul, adults who took the strongest dosage of 6,000 milligrams per day saw their low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level - so-called bad cholesterol that can clog arteries - rise an average of 5 per cent.

Cholesterol levels declined in nearly one out of five taking the supplement.

Besides producing the opposite impact on cholesterol levels as desired, a small number of participants developed a rash, University of Pennsylvania researcher Philippe Szapary wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Sabinsa Corp., the New Jersey-based company that makes Gugulipid, the supplement used in the study and advertised as a cholesterol fighter, challenged the results as incomplete. In a statement, the company said the study did not examine the impact on indicators such as triglycerides, another harmful substance, and C-reactive proteins, a measure of damaging inflammation.

"We all know measuring cholesterol is not sufficient to determine whether you're a candidate for heart problems," said Steven Dentali of the American Herbal Products Association, a trade group. "If you are going to be medicating with a drug or a diet, you should check your cholesterol."

Dentali said earlier Indian studies have shown positive results for the long-used substance extracted from tree resin, as it may open blood vessels and deter cholesterol from oxidizing and forming artery-clogging plaques.