Pure Giloy Powder 100g — Guduchi Stem Powder

Giloy carries the Sanskrit name Amrita — the nectar of immortality. It is the herb our own brand is named after.

Ours is pure stem powder of Tinospora cordifolia, which is the part Ayurveda actually uses. A great deal of cheap giloy is leaf, because leaf is easier to collect and weighs the same on a scale.

What Giloy Is

Giloy is a climbing vine that grows over other trees across India. The stem is cut, dried and ground. Traditionally, giloy grown on a neem tree is considered the most potent, as the vine is said to take on some of the neem's character.

Ayurveda classes it as a rasayana and it appears in more classical formulations than almost any other single herb.

Traditional Uses

Seasonal resilience

Giloy's best-known traditional use is supporting the body through seasonal change, which is why demand for it spikes every monsoon.

Supporting natural defences

It is the herb most associated in Ayurveda with the body's own defensive capacity, taken as a course rather than continuously.

Digestion and metabolism

Traditionally used to support digestive fire, or agni, which in Ayurveda underpins most other functions.

Cooling the system

Classified as cooling. Commonly taken through Indian summers.

How to Take It

With warm water — the usual method

½ teaspoon in warm water on an empty stomach in the morning. Giloy is bitter, so honey helps.

As a kadha

1. 1 teaspoon giloy powder
2. 2 cups water
3. Simmer until it reduces to one cup
4. Strain, add honey, drink warm

Tulsi, black pepper and ginger are common additions to a giloy kadha.

With honey

½ teaspoon mixed into a spoon of honey, taken directly. The simplest way to get past the bitterness.

Dosage

Starting out	½ teaspoon (about 1.5g) once a day
Regular use	½ to 1 teaspoon a day
Best time	Morning, empty stomach
How long	Courses of 4-8 weeks with breaks, rather than continuously

Giloy is traditionally taken in courses, particularly at the change of seasons, rather than every day of the year.

Stem or Leaf — Why It Matters

Classical Ayurveda uses the stem. Leaf is lighter, faster to collect and far cheaper, so a lot of commercial giloy powder is leaf-heavy or leaf only.

Stem powder is a warm grey-brown and slightly starchy. Leaf-heavy powder is distinctly green. If your giloy powder looks green, it is not stem.

How to Tell Good Giloy

• Grey-brown, not green
• Intensely bitter. Mild giloy is weak giloy
• Slightly starchy texture — the stem is high in starch
• Stem clearly stated on the label
• Sealed pack with a manufacturing date

Who Should Be Careful

• Anyone with an autoimmune condition should not take giloy without medical advice
• Anyone on blood sugar medication — giloy may affect blood sugar
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women
• Before surgery — stop two weeks ahead
• Stop and see a doctor if you have any liver condition or develop any unusual symptoms

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take giloy every day, all year?
Traditionally it is taken in courses of four to eight weeks, particularly at seasonal changes, rather than continuously.

Why is it so bitter?
Because it is pure stem. The bitterness is the herb.

Powder, juice or tablet?
Powder is closest to the traditional form and lets you make a kadha. Juice is usually diluted; tablets contain binders.

Is giloy grown on neem better?
That is the traditional view. It is not something you can verify from a finished powder, so treat any such claim with caution.

Can I mix it with tulsi or ashwagandha?
Yes, both are common combinations, particularly in a kadha.

This is a food product, not a medicine. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a qualified doctor before starting any supplement, particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking prescription medication.