Is Giloy Really an Immunity Booster? What Does Scientific Evidence Say?

Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), also known as Guduchi, is a medicinal plant with a long history of use in Ayurveda. It is frequently promoted as an “immunity booster,” particularly in herbal supplements, juices, tablets, and Ayurvedic preparations.

But does scientific research actually prove that Giloy boosts immunity?

The answer requires some nuance. Laboratory and animal research suggests that Tinospora cordifolia can influence immune processes, and several human clinical trials have investigated the plant. However, robust clinical evidence demonstrating that Giloy improves immune protection or prevents infections in healthy people remains limited.

What Does “Boosting Immunity” Actually Mean?

The phrase “immunity booster” is widely used in health and wellness marketing, but it is not a precise medical term.

The immune system consists of numerous interacting cells, proteins, organs, and signalling pathways. Increasing the activity of one immune component does not necessarily mean that a person will become more resistant to infections.

A more scientifically appropriate term for many herbal products is immunomodulatory. This means that a substance may influence or modify certain aspects of immune function.

Therefore, evidence that Giloy affects immune cells or inflammatory markers should not automatically be interpreted as proof that it “boosts immunity.”

What Does Laboratory Research Suggest?

Preclinical studies have investigated several compounds present in Tinospora cordifolia and their potential biological effects.

Experimental research has suggested possible effects on immune-cell activity, inflammatory pathways and immune signalling. Such findings provide a biological reason for researchers to investigate Giloy further.

However, laboratory and animal experiments represent an early stage of evidence.

A substance that produces an immunological effect in cultured cells or animals may not necessarily provide a meaningful clinical benefit in humans.

For this reason, randomized controlled human trials are particularly important.

What Do Human Clinical Trials Tell Us?

Several human studies involving Tinospora cordifolia have been published. While some have produced interesting findings, they do not yet establish Giloy as a proven general-purpose immunity booster.

1. Randomized Trial in Allergic Rhinitis

One of the better-known studies was published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2005.

Researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 75 patients with allergic rhinitis. Participants received either Tinospora cordifolia extract or placebo for eight weeks.

The researchers reported significant improvements in symptoms such as sneezing, nasal discharge, nasal obstruction and nasal itching among participants receiving the extract. Changes in leukocyte counts and nasal-smear findings were also observed.

This study provides evidence that Tinospora cordifolia may have biological effects relevant to immune-mediated conditions.

However, there is an important distinction:

Treating symptoms of allergic rhinitis is not the same as demonstrating enhanced immunity against infections.

The study therefore cannot be used as proof that taking Giloy makes healthy individuals more resistant to infectious diseases.

2. Randomized Trial in People With HIV

Another randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated Tinospora cordifolia extract in 68 HIV-positive participants.

Participants received either the extract or placebo for six months.

Researchers reported improvement in some disease-associated symptoms among participants receiving the extract. However, the study did not demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in CD4 counts between the groups.

CD4 cells play an important role in immune function and are an especially relevant clinical marker in people living with HIV.

Consequently, although the trial provides some evidence that Giloy may produce biological or symptomatic effects, it does not establish that Giloy meaningfully “boosts” immune function.

The relatively small sample size also limits how broadly its findings can be applied.

What About Giloy for Preventing Infections?

A much larger study investigated a Giloy preparation called Guduchi Ghana Vati for the prevention of COVID-19 and other infections.

The multicentre randomized study included more than 10,000 healthy participants who completed the trial. Participants either received Guduchi Ghana Vati for 45 days or received no intervention.

Researchers observed a lower incidence of COVID-19 in the Giloy group.

However, critically, the difference between groups was not statistically significant.

The study also had important methodological limitations. It was open-label rather than double-blind, and the comparison group received no intervention rather than an identical placebo.

These factors make it difficult to draw strong conclusions regarding whether Giloy itself prevented infection.

The study is important because of its large sample size, but its results do not provide definitive evidence that Giloy prevents COVID-19 or strengthens immunity in healthy individuals.

So, Is There Robust Evidence That Giloy Boosts Immunity?

At present, the evidence can broadly be summarized as follows:

Preclinical evidence: There is experimental evidence suggesting that Tinospora cordifolia has immunomodulatory properties.

Human evidence: Several clinical trials have been conducted, including randomized controlled trials, and some have reported potentially beneficial effects.

Evidence for general immunity: There is currently insufficient high-quality evidence demonstrating that Giloy strengthens immune protection in healthy individuals.

Evidence for infection prevention: Large-scale research has not convincingly demonstrated that Giloy significantly reduces the risk of infection.

Therefore, describing Giloy simply as a “scientifically proven immunity booster” would overstate the available evidence.

A more evidence-based description would be:

“Giloy has demonstrated immunomodulatory activity in experimental research and has been investigated in human clinical trials, but robust clinical evidence establishing it as an effective immunity booster or infection-preventive treatment in healthy individuals remains limited.”

Does Natural Mean Completely Safe?

Another important part of evaluating Giloy is safety.

Herbal products are often assumed to be harmless because they are natural. However, natural substances can produce pharmacological effects, interact with medications and cause adverse reactions.

Reports of liver injury associated with Tinospora cordifolia have appeared in the medical literature.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health's LiverTox database currently classifies Tinospora cordifolia as a well-established cause of clinically apparent liver injury. Cases have ranged from elevated liver enzymes to severe hepatitis, although such adverse reactions do not occur in everyone who uses Giloy.

This does not mean every person taking Giloy will experience liver problems. It does mean that claims suggesting Giloy is universally safe because it is natural are not scientifically justified.

People with existing liver disease, those taking medications, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, and people with medical conditions should discuss herbal supplements with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

Traditional Knowledge and Modern Evidence Can Coexist

Giloy has an established history within Ayurveda, where Guduchi has traditionally been used in numerous preparations.

Traditional use and modern clinical evidence, however, answer different questions.

Traditional knowledge can provide valuable leads for scientific investigation. Modern clinical trials can then determine whether a treatment produces measurable benefits, how large those benefits are, what dose is appropriate and what risks may accompany its use.

Recognizing the historical importance of Giloy therefore does not require overstating what contemporary clinical research has established.

Conclusion

Giloy is an interesting medicinal plant with a long history of traditional use and substantial scientific interest.

Laboratory research provides evidence that compounds from Tinospora cordifolia can interact with biological pathways associated with immune function. Small randomized clinical trials have also reported potentially beneficial effects in conditions such as allergic rhinitis.

Nevertheless, there is currently no strong clinical evidence demonstrating that Giloy generally “boosts immunity” in healthy individuals or reliably prevents infections.

The most scientifically accurate position is therefore not that Giloy has no biological activity, nor that its immunity benefits have been conclusively proven.

Rather, Giloy has promising immunomodulatory properties that warrant further investigation through well-designed, adequately powered, independently replicated randomized controlled trials.

Consumers should also consider the emerging evidence regarding Giloy-associated liver injury and seek appropriate medical advice when using herbal products, particularly when they have existing medical conditions or take medications.

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References

1. Badar VA, Thawani VR, Wakode PT, Shrivastava MP, Gharpure KJ, Hingorani LL, Khiyani RM. Efficacy of Tinospora cordifolia in allergic rhinitis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2005;96(3):445–449. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.09.034. PMID: 15619563.
2. Kalikar MV, Thawani VR, Varadpande UK, Sontakke SD, Singh RP, Khiyani RK. Immunomodulatory effect of Tinospora cordifolia extract in human immuno-deficiency virus positive patients. Indian Journal of Pharmacology. 2008;40(3):107–110. PMCID: PMC2792597.
3. Safety and Efficacy of the Ayurvedic Formulation Guduchi Ghana Vati as a Preventive Remedy in COVID-19. Open-label, multicentre, randomized comparative clinical study involving healthy participants. Available through PubMed Central: PMCID PMC11112623.
4. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Tinospora. LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Updated June 27, 2025. NCBI Bookshelf: NBK608429.
5. Nagral A, Adhyaru K, Rudra OS, Gharat A, Bhandare S. Herbal Immune Booster-Induced Liver Injury in the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Case Series. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology. 2021. doi: 10.1016/j.jceh.2021.06.021.

Medical Disclaimer

This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before using Giloy or other herbal supplements, particularly if you have an existing medical condition or take medication.