About
Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) is a perennial climbing shrub of the Menispermaceae family, native to tropical India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar, widely used in Ayurvedic medicine for its immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Its stem, root, and leaves contain bioactive phytochemicals including alkaloids, diterpenoid lactones, glycosides, steroids, and polysaccharides, and it is incorporated into nutraceuticals, functional foods, and dietary supplements.
Safety summary
At typical Ayurvedic doses, short-term use appears relatively safe in most adults; however, multiple case series have linked Giloy consumption—particularly unsupervised or high-dose use—to idiosyncratic, possibly immune-mediated herb-induced liver injury (HILI), including autoimmune-pattern hepatitis. Contamination or misidentification with the closely related hepatotoxic species Tinospora crispa has been proposed as a confounding factor, but T. cordifolia itself contains clerodane furano-diterpenoids with hepatotoxic potential. No formal ADI has been established by any major international regulatory body.
Regulatory landscape
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | FSSAI recognises root and stem of T. cordifolia as a nutritional supplement in powder, decoction, sattva (satva), and extract forms at doses of 0.5–10 g per day. No ban or restriction in place; sold widely as a food supplement.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | Marketed and sold as a dietary supplement under DSHEA; FDA has not issued a specific approval or ban. No formal ADI established. Sold under brand names such as HistaEze containing 900 mg T. cordifolia stem extract.source |
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Under_review | Not listed as an approved food additive or novel food in the EU. May be sold as a herbal food supplement in some member states under national legislation; no harmonised EFSA opinion or ADI established to date.source |
Who should approach with care
Research citations
- 1PubMed. Immunomodulatory properties of Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) leaves and its applications in value-added products, 2024. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2other. Tinospora – LiverTox (NIH/NCBI Bookshelf), 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3PubMed. Tinospora cordifolia (Guduchi/Giloy)-Induced Liver Injury: A Case Review, 2023. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4FSSAI. Regulation of Insulin Resistance, Lipid Profile and Glucose Metabolism Associated with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome by Tinospora cordifolia, 2023. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5other. Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy)-Induced Liver Injury During the COVID-19 Pandemic—Multicenter Nationwide Study From India, 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6PubMed. Apparent Hepatotoxicity of Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia): Far From What Meets the Eyes, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
