Triphala: three little-known fruits for better health

by | Sep 20, 2020 | Diet & herbs, Featured blog post

Yesterday as I was stuffing tea bags with 3 magical fruits, I got inspired to write about triphala. Triphala means three fruits in Sanskrit because that’s what it is: the combination of amalaki, haritaki and bibhitaki.

Amalaki is Indian gooseberry and you can learn more about it here. For you, ayurveda buffs, while it’s a good herb for general wellness, ayurveda loves it for pitta conditions. Haritaki is chebulic myrobalan in English. It’s a favorite remedy for vata imbalances. The English name of bibhitaki is belleric myrobalan. It’s a classic kapha-balancer.

While these herbs are tridoshic when used correctly—which means each helps balance all three doshas—, each has a special relationship with one of the doshas. This special effect makes this trio of herbs very powerful in everyday wellness as well as imbalance management.

A balanced diet in ayurveda means savoring all 6 tastes in your meals in different proportions. This herbal blend has 5 of the 6 tastes: sour, sweet, pungent, bitter and astringent, putting you on a good path to a balanced diet. The only taste that’s missing is salty.

What can triphala do?

1. General wellness and rejuvenation

Triphala is a classical ayurvedic rasayana, or rejuvenative formula. You will always want to talk to your ayurvedic practitioner if and how much is right for you. As a general rule of thumb, 1 gram of powder a day is considered ok.

2. Digestive health

This is a big one. Ayurveda believes that your digestive system is key to your health. Triphala helps make it work better. It’s a mild laxative but takes hours to kick in so don’t expect immediate results. A human clinical trial showed that it reduced constipation, mucous, abdominal pain, hyperacidity and gas; and improved the frequency, yield and consistency of stool. Several animal studies prove its gastroprotective effects and ability to reduce stress-induced ulcers and colitis, likely due to its antioxidant quality.

I use triphala both for general wellness and digestive health. I like to combine it with self-massage to make it more of a physical, mental and emotional experience.

3. Body weight management

In a 10-week study with mice, triphala decreased body fat, body weight and energy intake. It also improved total cholesterol triglycerides and LDL. And in a 12-week human study, participants taking triphala lost ~5 kg (~11.02 lbs).

4. Diabetes

Human trials show that type 2 diabetes patients can benefit from triphala. 5 grams of triphala powder over 45 days helped significantly lower blood glucose levels. Lower blood glucose levels may help protect diabetics and those predisposed to diabetes through the inhibition of glycation enzymes, hence avoid nerve damage and blindness. Haritaki has great preventative effects against the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and endothelial cell dysfunction, which suggests that it may help alleviate complications from diabetes.

In addition to better blood glucose levels, it also helps improve insulin levels.

These 3 little-known fruits can help with overall wellness, digestive health, weight management, skin, and more #healthyliving #health Share on X

5. Cardiovascular health

Animal studies share promising results on triphala and cardiovascular health. It can help increase HDL, and lower LDL and triglycerides. You need all this to keep your heart healthy.

6. Cancer

Triphala is rich in antioxidants with polyphenols, which have anticancer qualities. Chebulinic acid, a large component of triphala, has been studied as an antitumor agent in colorectal cancers. This herbal blend can also aid in the fight against against gastric cancers and gynecological cancers.

7. Oral care

Triphala as a mouthwash can help reduce oral bacteria, dental plaque and gingivitis—even in children. It also works to prevent and manage oral infections, such as dental caries and periodontal diseases.

8. Eye care

The idea of a triphala eyewash may be foreign to most of you. But you can take it internally as well. This classical ayurvedic formulation can do wonders eyes. In a study with mice, triphala helped prevent selenite-induced cataract. Only 20% of rats on a triphala regimen developed cataract as opposed to 100% of the control group.

9. Skin health

Ladies and gents, you’re gonna love this! Triphala is rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, and has protective antiaging effects. No wonder that it helps stimulate collagen, elastin, cellular antioxidants, and prevent hyperpigmentation.

 

You can read more about the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, radioprotective and antibacterial effects of triphala here. Just remember to use any and all herbs with care, and talk to a practitioner.

And if you’re ready to try our triphala tea, head over to our store.

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Happy exploring!

 

Disclaimer: this blog is not intended as medical advice. Consult your physician before taking any herbal supplements especially if you have any health conditions.

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