What is triphala

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Weight loss story: "At 28, I weighed more than my mother and this is how I lost weight". Stomach cancer. Whooping cough. Triphala: What are its benefits and why you must have it daily. Count: We have sent you a verification email. To verify, just follow the link in the message. Created: Apr 7, , IST. When we talk about Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system, Triphala is one herbal mixture that is always mentioned due to its powerful properties.

The herbal concoction has been used in Ayurveda to treat different remedies for over 1, years. Amalaki is one of the highest natural known source of vitamin C, having 20 times the vitamin C content of an orange. The vitamin C in Amla is also uniquely heat stable. Amla is associated with the pitta dosha. Bihara is astringent, tonic, digestive and anti-spasmodic. Harada is a bitter and associated with the vata dosha, elements of air and space. It has emollient properties and as with most bitters encourages peristalsis and proper digestion.

The Medicine Buddha in Tibetan tankas sacred pictures holds the harada plant. Products Featuring Triphala. Triphala is classified as a tridoshic rasayana , meaning that the energetics are appropriate for Vata , Pitta , and Kapha or all types of patients. Charak describes rasayanas as having the qualities of supporting strength and immunity.

Other classical Ayurvedic classifications attributed to the formula are shukrala , digestive, mild laxative at normal doses, bowel tonic at low dose, purgative at high doses, carminative, expectorant, antispasmodic, and bronchodilator. In addition, myriad other uses are described both in the Ayurvedic medical literature and anecdotally.

Dravya guna or Ayurvedic pharmacology describes the attributes of herbs. The rasa or taste of Triphala is sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent; the only taste not contained within the formula is salty.

The virya , or potency and action, is neutral, and the vipaka , or postdigestive effect of the formula, is sweet. Triphala has a prabhav , meaning special action or trophism, for all doshas energetics and mind—body types and thus is balancing for all doshas and constitutions.

The gunas , or qualities, of Amalaki are heavy and dry, and both Haritaki and Bhibitaki are considered light and dry. Ayurvedic medicine uses Triphala as a pillar of gastrointestinal treatment; however, the complexity of the three rasayanas , or rejuvenative herbs, in the formulation allows for many applications. Moreover, studies have validated a number of potential uses of Triphala , which include free radical scavenging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, appetite stimulation, gastric hyperacidity reduction, dental caries prevention, antipyretic, analgesic, antibacterial, antimutagenic, wound healing, anticariogenic, antistress, adaptogenic, hypoglycemic, anticancer, hepatoprotective, chemoprotective, radioprotective, and chemopreventive effects.

The major constituents of the formula are the tannins, gallic acid, ellagic acid, and chebulinic acid, which are potent antioxidants that may account, at least in part, for the observed immunomodulatory activity of the formula. Triphala is perhaps most well known for its use in general gastrointestinal health.

Animal studies have shown that both aqueous and alcohol-based extracts of Triphala prevent diarrhea. In a rodent model, Triphala replenished depleted protein in the intestinal villi of the brush border as well as glutathione and phospholipid levels; the formula simultaneously decreased myeloperoxidase and xanthine oxidase levels in intestinal epithelium.

Stress-induced disorders such as anxiety represent the leading causes of adult disability worldwide. Animal studies have shown that Triphala protected against cold-induced stress and reversed stress-induced behavioral alterations and biochemical changes such as increased lipid peroxidation and corticosterone levels.

Deregulation of eating behavior is common in industrialized countries. Studies have demonstrated the potential of Triphala as a therapeutic agent for weight loss and reduction of body fat. In an animal study, Triphala was administered for 10 weeks to diet-induced obese mice. Triphala also decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the experimental group compared with the control group.

Given the global obesity epidemic, more treatment options are necessary to reduce the associated healthcare burden. Triphala exerts hypoglycemic effects. Patients with type 2 diabetes are likely to have high postprandial blood glucose levels, especially after consuming carbohydrates. Elevated blood glucose results from the breakdown of carbohydrates by the digestive enzymes, alpha -amylase and alpha -glucosidase, and the reduced ability of cells to take in glucose from the blood.

Past studies report that Triphala may exert actions similar to diabetic pharmaceutical drugs by inhibiting digestive enzymes and may decrease absorption of glucose through inhibition of glycolytic enzymes, thereby reducing blood glucose levels.

One study demonstrated the inhibitory potential of Triphala on pancreatic glycolytic enzymes, namely alpha -amylase and alpha -glucosidase, which break down larger polysaccharides into glucose molecules that enter the blood stream. The role that Triphala plays in inhibiting starch digestion and absorption, thereby decreasing postprandial hyperglycemia, is similar to that of diabetes pharmaceutical drugs, such as miglitol and acarbose, which also target these glycolytic enzymes.

In addition, Triphala decreased serum glucose levels in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Constituents in Triphala , including ellagitannins and gallotannins, also enhance both PPAR-alpha and -gamma signaling, which increase insulin responsiveness and glucose uptake without inducing adipogenesis.

Triphala may also protect diabetics and those predisposed to diabetes through inhibition of glycation enzymes. Elevated blood glucose can cause severe damage through the process of glycation, in which sugar molecules compromise protein molecules in the body, which may in turn lead to nerve damage or blindness. Due to the presence of tannins, Triphala extract was found to effectively inhibit protein glycation in vitro. As diabetes is the most prevalent endocrine disease globally, increased access to complementary hypoglycemic therapies for integrative care is needed.

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and hypercholesteremia is an important risk factor.

Animal studies have reported the hypercholesteremic effects of Triphala. In one study, Triphala reduced the total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, and free fatty acid levels in rats fed an atherogenic diet for 48 days. A reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and total protein and elevation of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were found in the herb-treated group compared with control group.

Overadministration of antibiotics has led to widespread drug resistance, thus it is becoming imperative that clinical researchers discover alternative and adjunctive antimicrobial agents with high efficacy. In addition, other studies report that these extracts also exert broad-spectrum antimicrobial action against antibiotic-resistant bacteria isolated from human subjects.

The aqueous extracts have demonstrated greater efficacy compared with the ethanol extracts on pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.

In addition to antimicrobial effects against oral bacteria, Triphala has also demonstrated the potential to eradicate enteric pathogens in vitro. Triphala exerts antifungal action against Asperigillus species and has been reported to inhibit the fungus by up to In particular, the aqueous extracts of fresh fruits were found to be more effective than dry fruits. The Potential of Triphala in Oral Care : Triphala has been used traditionally in Ayurvedic medicine as an antimicrobial agent.

Dental caries, or cavities of the teeth, is a common infection associated with humans. Human clinical trials using Triphala water decoction as a mouthwash report that it exerts comparable efficacy compared with chlorhexidine gluconate germicidal mouthwash in the prevention of dental caries. Moreover, a clinical study in children on the effects of Triphala 0.

The results indicated that both the germicidal chlorhexidine 0. In periodontal diseases, matrix metalloproteinases MMPs degrade extracellular matrix proteins in a spectrum of processes that include tissue remodeling such as the connective tissue destruction observed in periodontitis. Ex vivo Triphala studies using extracted gingival tissue have demonstrated a greater reduction of MMP-9 activity in patient-derived white blood cells treated with Triphala compared with patient-derived cells treated with the standard antibiotic drug.

Thus, MMP inhibitors are important adjunctive therapies in periodontitis treatment and Triphala may represent a candidate to investigate in greater detail in this context. In addition, given the observed effectiveness of Triphala mouthwash compared with standard treatment, additional clinical trials should be performed to identify the potential for integration in dentistry. Studies have concluded that Triphala may help prevent and reverse DNA damage and mutagenesis.

Research in animal models and in vitro has shown that Triphala is effective in prevention of mutagenesis induced by both chemical- and radiation-induced damage. The rasayana formulation also inhibited radiation-induced lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes and demonstrated the ability to scavenge free radicals such as superoxide.

Importantly, the high levels of phenolic compounds such as gallic acid were attributed to the free radical scavenging activity. Treatment with Triphala also prevented DNA damage in murine white blood cells and spleen cells post-irradiation.

Triphala may play a protective role against oxidation, even when administered after exposure. Human clinical trials to further elucidate the mechanisms of radioprotective action and clinical utility are required. Triphala has been investigated as a potential antineoplastic agent.

Triphala induces cytotoxicity in cancer cells, which showed increases in intracellular reactive oxygen species, but not normal cells. Excised tumor tissue from Triphala -fed mice compared with controls suggested that apoptosis induction may have mediated reduced tumor growth. Preclinical studies using in vitro and in vivo models report that Triphala inhibits cancer growth in both cell and in vivo models and the effects are mediated through the ERK and p53 pathways.

Triphala -induced apoptotic induction occurred through the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptotic signaling pathway. Moreover, one clinical trial reported that Triphala powder treatment in healthy humans increased cytotoxic T cells and NK cells in the experimental group compared with the control group.

Antioxidant effects of Triphala have the potential to help maintain eye health. Taking Triphala with other drugs processed by CYP may increase or decrease the amounts of those drugs in the blood. As such, you may need to avoid Triphala if you're taking any of the following:. To avoid interactions, let your healthcare provider know about any prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, or recreational drugs or supplements you are taking.

Today, Triphala can be found on many drugstore shelves. You can also find the product online or in stores specializing in Ayurvedic healing. Triphala is available in the following forms:. Capsules and tablets are by far the easiest preparations to use. Most Triphala supplements are sold in doses of milligrams mg to 1, mg.

The dose refers to the total amount of extract used rather than the individual ingredients. The problem is that the amounts of each ingredient can vary based on which supplier a manufacturer uses. This may not pose any significant risks, but it does show that Triphala products can differ.

There are no set guidelines for the appropriate use of Triphala. Most manufacturers will recommend one to two tablets or capsules daily. As a rule of thumb, never use more than the recommended dose on the product label. Triphala juice can be diluted with water to create a mouthwash. The powder is sometimes mixed with coconut or jojoba oil for use in scalp and hair treatments. When measuring Triphala powder or juice, always use a measuring spoon rather than a dining utensil.

Triphala tinctures and extracts are commonly dispensed with an eyedropper. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, dietary supplements like Triphala are not strictly regulated in the United States. This means that quality can vary from one brand to the next. To ensure quality and safety, opt for brands that have been tested by an independent certifying body, such as:.

Certification doesn't mean that the product is effective. It simply ensures that it contains the ingredients listed on the product label.

Supplements certified organic by the U. Department of Agriculture USDA are preferred, because they reduce your exposure to pesticides and other chemicals. If you decide to use Triphala, it may be safest to buy a brand in your drugstore rather than seeking the "real" Triphala from an imported source. In the end, do not be swayed by any health claims a manufacturer may make. Not only is there little current evidence of Triphala's benefits, but it is also illegal for a supplement manufacturer to make specific health claims.

Triphala is an Ayurvedic remedy that contains powerful antioxidants that may help treat gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cataracts. Yet research has yet to confirm these health benefits.

Triphala acts as a mild laxative and may cause gastrointestinal side effects. It also may reduce the efficacy of certain medications, so it's important to consult your healthcare provider before taking it.

Dietary supplements like Triphala are not strictly regulated in the United States and can vary from one brand to the next. Theoretically, eating the fruits can provide similar benefits to Triphala. The problem is that the fruits are rarely found fresh in the United States.