Guggulu and Triphala for the Treatment of Hypercholesterolaemia: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Randomised Trial

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Several herbs are used for lowering high blood cholesterol levels in traditional medicines including Indian Medicine (Ayurveda). We aimed to assess the short-term effects of the combination of Guggulu (<i>Commiphora mukul</i>) and Triphala (<i>Terminalia chebula</i>, <i>Terminalia belerica</i>, and <i>Phyllanthus emblica</i>) on serum cholesterol in healthy subjects with hypercholesterolaemia. <b><i>Patients and Methods:</i></b> This was a parallel randomised double-blind controlled trial that included 90 individuals at low-moderate cardiovascular risk. The main outcome measures were serum levels of total and low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, HDL-C). Secondary outcome measures included BMI, waist circumference, and adverse events. Subjects were administered either Guggulu and Triphala or placebo three times daily for 3 months, with 3 months of follow-up after the end of treatment. <b><i>Results:</i></b> At intention-to-treat analysis, from baseline to 3 months, total serum cholesterol decreased by 1.9% in the placebo (<i>n</i> = 44) and 3.3% (<i>p</i> = 0.01) in the intervention (<i>n</i> = 46) group. Serum LDL-C decreased by 4.9% (<i>p</i> = 0.03) and 4.8% (<i>p</i> = 0.02) in the placebo and intervention group, respectively, without differences between them. Two participants in the intervention group developed hypersensitivity rash (4.3%) as compared with none in the placebo group. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Three months of treatment with Guggulu and Triphala did not show better effects than placebo on serum levels of total and LDL cholesterol, BMI, and waist circumference.