The short answer
Kanchanar Guggulu is a tablet of kanchanar bark, triphala, trikatu (dry ginger, black pepper and pippali) and purified guggulu resin. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it for gulma (lumps in the abdomen), swollen glands in the neck (gandamala and apachi), cysts, wounds, skin disease, fistula and filariasis.
One randomised trial has used it, as the comparison group. Adults whose hypothyroidism was not well controlled on levothyroxine took either Kanchanar Guggulu or a whole-system Ayurveda programme for 60 days, and TSH improved more with the programme. With no placebo group, the trial cannot say what Kanchanar Guggulu does by itself. Guggulu has its own interaction pages, including one on thyroid medicines, so tell your prescribing doctor if you take it.
What is in it
The official recipe is in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 5:1 (2003 printed edition, page 67).[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanchanar bark (kanchanara tvak) | Bauhinia variegata | Stem bark | 480 g |
| Haritaki (harad) | Terminalia chebula | Pericarp | 96 g |
| Bibhitaka (baheda) | Terminalia bellirica | Pericarp | 96 g |
| Amalaki (amla) | Emblica officinalis | Pericarp | 96 g |
| Shunthi (dry ginger) | Zingiber officinale | Rhizome | 48 g |
| Marica (black pepper) | Piper nigrum | Fruit | 48 g |
| Pippali (long pepper) | Piper longum | Fruit | 48 g |
| Varuna | Crataeva nurvala | Stem bark | 48 g |
| Ela (sukshmaila, cardamom) | Elettaria cardamomum | Seed | 12 g |
| Tvak (cinnamon) | Cinnamomum zeylanicum | Stem bark | 12 g |
| Patra (tejapatra, bay leaf) | Cinnamomum tamala | Leaf | 12 g |
| Guggulu, purified | Commiphora wightii | Exudate (resin) | 996 g |
From the 2003 printed edition. The powders are pounded into the guggulu, with ghee added as needed to form a mass. Products on sale may differ, so check the label.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Sharngadhara Samhita, Madhyamakhanda, chapter 7, verses 95 to 98. The verse opens with ten palas of kanchanar bark.[1]
What it is used for
- The formulary lists it for gulma (abdominal lumps), gandamala and apachi (swollen glands of the neck), granthi (cysts or lumps), vrana (wounds), kushtha (skin disease), bhagandara (fistula-in-ano) and shlipada (filariasis).[1]
What the evidence says
RCTRandomised trial in hypothyroidism, India, 2025. Forty-six adults aged 20 to 60, whose thyroid levels stayed off target on a stable dose of levothyroxine, were given either Kanchanar Guggulu or a whole-system Ayurveda programme for 60 days. TSH improved more in the programme group (p = 0.02). Kanchanar Guggulu was the comparison arm, there was no placebo, and the abstract gives no absolute TSH values.[2]
Safety notes
- Contains guggulu, which has its own interaction pages. See Guggulu and thyroid medicines, Guggulu and statins, and Guggulu and blood thinners.
- Contains pippali and black pepper. In a small study of people with epilepsy, a single dose of piperine, a compound in pippali and black pepper, raised blood levels of phenytoin. That study used isolated piperine, not this tablet. See Pippali and phenytoin.[4]
- In a 2008 US study of Ayurvedic medicines bought online, one Kanchanar Guggulu (Banyan Botanicals) contained 7.5 µg/g of lead, with mercury and arsenic below the reporting level. One old sample says nothing certain about the product you have.[3]
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Patanjali, Baidyanath, Dhootapapeshwar. We list names so you can match your bottle to this page. We do not recommend or sell any brand.
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Can Kanchanar Guggulu replace thyroid medicine?
Nothing we reviewed supports replacing levothyroxine. In the trial, everyone continued levothyroxine; Kanchanar Guggulu was compared with a whole-system Ayurveda programme, with no placebo group. Any change to a thyroid medicine is for your prescribing doctor to decide.[2]
Is Kanchanar Guggulu the same as other guggulu tablets?
No. Each guggulu has its own recipe. This one is built on kanchanar bark, with triphala, trikatu, varuna and three spices, held together in guggulu resin.[1]
Related
Guggulu and thyroid medicine (levothyroxine)
Guggul raised thyroid hormone in mice. The one human trial in people on levothyroxine used a multi-herb tablet and cannot show guggul's own effect.
ConditionUnderactive thyroid (hypothyroidism): what Ayurveda offers
One small trial found ashwagandha improved mildly raised TSH. No trial we found tested Ayurveda in place of levothyroxine. Do not stop it.
InteractionGuggulu and blood thinners (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel)
Lab studies suggest guggul speeds up a liver enzyme that helps clear warfarin. Which way the INR would move is not known, and no study tested the pair.
FormulationTriphala Guggulu
Guggulu with triphala and pippali, listed for swelling, piles and fistula. One uncontrolled study in bleeding piles; the rest is lab work.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Kancanara Guggulu, 5:1, printed page 67.
- Vivek, Chougale A, Joshi H, Tubaki BR. Add on effect of Whole System Ayurveda protocol in suboptimal controlled Primary Hypothyroidism - A randomized controlled trial. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2025;16:101052. PMID 39798266.
- Saper RB, Phillips RS, Sehgal A, et al. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA. 2008;300(8):915-23. PMID 18728265.
- Pattanaik S, Hota D, Prabhakar S, Kharbanda P, Pandhi P. Effect of piperine on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of phenytoin in patients with epilepsy. Phytother Res. 2006;20(8):683-686. PMID 16767797.
Awaiting review by The Good Vaidya Medical Board. Prepared from the sources below and checked against each one.
Published 4 November 2026 · Last updated 4 November 2026
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