From boosting immunity to reducing anxiety, here’s what giloy can do for you

While we have all been worried sick about our health as we try to stay safe from covid-19, here is another superfood that Ayurveda has on offers for better immunity. Popularly known in Ayurveda as ‘amrita’ translating into ‘root of immortality’, giloy can help fix most of our health woes.

Used in Indian medicine since ages, the giloy plant has abundant medicinal properties. Although the stem of the giloy plant is mostly used to prepare concoctions, many experts believe that even the root of the plant has phenomenal health benefits.

In fact, here are six health benefits of the plant that will make you want to embrace giloy:

1. Giloy can give your immunity the boost it needs
The heart-shaped herb is naturally doused in antioxidants that can help us fight off free radicals and disease-causing germs. It can help our body in removing toxins, purifying blood, combat liver disease, and urinary tract infections.

Being anti-pyretic in nature, it also can help fight off chronic fevers and is suggested to dengue patients. Giloy can also build our immunity to fight off foreign particles.

2. Giloy can help you manage diabetes
Giloy possesses properties that can help you manage diabetes by improving your body’s blood glucose levels. The variety of phytochemicals in its composition work by reducing oxidative stress in the body and boosting natural insulin secretion. A 2010 research paper published in the journal Ancient Science of Life also states that giloy or Tinospora significantly counterbalanced diabetes-induced oxidative stress in the liver.

3. Giloy shall help us fight off respiratory issues
The phenomenal anti-inflammatory powers found in this immortal herb can help fight off any common respiratory issues such as frequent cough, cold, tonsilitis.

Other than pesky cold and cough, it can also provide relief to asthmatic patients. While symptoms such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing make it difficult to treat asthma–giloy can help manage these symptoms better.

4. This heart-shaped herb can reduce stress and anxiety
Interestingly, giloy can be used as an adaptogenic herb. An adaptogen is basically a substance that helps our body adapt to stress. Since this health tonic can help our body get rid of toxins and boost our memory, it can also help us calm down.

5. It can also possibly protect your heart
A research paper published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology studied the effects of Tinospora root in diabetic rats to find that it significantly reduced serum cholesterol levels in diabetic rats. Another study found that giloy can potentially normalise lipid metabolism, thereby indirectly benefiting your heart.

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6. Giloy might just delay the onset of osteoporosis in women
An interesting research paper published in Maturitas, the official journal of the European Menopause and Andropause Society, claims that giloy root extracts can have an osteoprotective effect on the body, thus delaying the onset of osteoporosis if not completely prevent it.

So should you start consuming giloy?
Although giloy plants are abundantly available in India and you don’t necessarily need to pop supplements to reap its benefits, it is always advisable that you talk to your doctor before make giloy a regular in your life.