5 Top Benefits & Side Effects Of Gokhru (Tribulus Terrestris)

Gokhru Plant:

Gokhru is a small plant that produces beautiful yellow flowers. The flowers turn into fruits quickly and they fall apart into 5 nutlets. These nutlets have 2 to 4 sharp spines and can actually cause a lot of pain when we accidentally step on them.

This plant is found in plenty on our farm. When we walk barefoot on our farm, we are very careful around this plant because if the fruit spines prick us, it is very very painful, I have been pricked by it many times 🙁

Gokhru Common Names:

Gokhru Benefits For Men:

This wonderful plant is very very famous all over the world especially among men as it is believed to increase testosterone levels and enhance endurance levels in athletes. As mentioned before, it is also very famous for its aphrodisiac properties effective for both men & women.

This plant has been widely used by athletes for many years now especially competitive weight lifters as it is believed to enhance their performance. Gokhru tablets are now sold worldwide because of these uses.

Gokhru Benefits in Ayurveda:

The two famous ayurvedic formulations using Tribulus terrestris are Gokshuradi Churna which is a combination of 6 herbs with gokhru as the main ingredient, it is used for treating all urinary tract infections.

Another famous preparation is gokshuradi guggulu which is a combination of gokhru along with thirikadugam, triphala and nagarmotha, it is mainly prescribed for bloating, diabetes, and urinary tract problems.

We get pure Tribulus terrestris powder too, you can buy it from herb shops or order it online. This herb has wonderful medicinal uses and health benefits and the whole plant is used as a medicine.

In addition to the benefits mentioned below, the extract also has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-cancer, cardio-protective, and larvicidal properties.

Gokhru Side Effects:

5 Top Benefits & Uses Of Gokhru | Tribulus Terrestris | Nerunji Mull:

1. For Increasing Testosterone & Body Building Performance:

Though this herb is very famously known for increasing testosterone in males and the extract is marketed all over the world claiming that it increases testosterone levels, interestingly there is contradicting evidence to this claim.

Though gokhru extract showed a significant increase in testosterone in animals, in humans there was no significant increase in testosterone at all, you can read the study that proves it here. The extract also showed no effect on athletic (body building) performance.

2. As an Aphrodisiac:

This herb has been used traditionally as an aphrodisiac for many years and it has been shown to be effective for both males and females. Female sexual dysfunction which is due to the reduction of estrogen is very common as we women age and Tribulus extract can be a good remedy for that. This traditional claim has been backed by research, you can read the study that proves this claim for females here.

3. Gokhru Benefits For Kidney Stones:

Kidney stones which are formed in the kidneys from certain minerals in the urine usually pass off in the urine. But if it has grown in size, it cannot pass through urine and can lead to intense pain. Certain herbs have the ability to prevent kidney stones, Tribulus terrestris is one among them.

This herb extract prevents the formation of crystals that leads to kidney stones by balancing the phosphate levels in the kidneys. This herb also helps expel the existing stones very fast, you can read the study that proves it here.

4. Anti Diabetic & Hypolipidemic Activity:

The herb reduces blood sugar levels and also cholesterol levels significantly. The study done on cholesterol-induced rats for 8 weeks using the dosage of 5 mg per kg resulted in a significant reduction in lipid profile.

It also has a protective effect by reducing oxidative stress and it also reduced the blood sugar levels in diabetic rats significantly. But at higher doses (50 mg per kg) it proved to be toxic to the kidneys in rats.

If you are a diabetic patient, please take Tribulus terrestris only under medical supervision to determine the correct dosage.

5. Anti-Stress & Anti-Hypertensive Activity:

Due its diuretic properties, gokhru has the potential to reduce hypertension. It has been proved in research done on 75 patients suffering from hypertension along with other problems caused due to hypertension like headaches, insomnia, and giddiness.

The group was divided into 3 with 1 group receiving the whole plant extract, the second receiving the fruit extract in the dosage of 3 grams per day and the third group was not given any. At the end of the first month, in the first 2 groups, there was a drastic reduction in the symptoms associated with hypertension like headache, insomnia, and palpitations.

Also, gradual reduction in blood pressure was seen from the end of the first week. Along with reducing blood pressure, it also reduces stress very effectively. You can read the study that proves its anti-stress activity here.