Subject: The Wonders of Triphala: Internal Purification

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The Wonders of Triphala:

Ayurvedic Formula for

Internal Purification

 

 

Dr. Michael Tierra L.Ac., O.M.D.

 

http://www.planetherbs.com/

 

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The most popular herbal remedies in the health food industry are

those which promote bowel movement. The reason is quite simple since

the most common problem of so many individuals is constipation and

bowel irregularity. Consider how tremendously valuable a formula is

that not only regulates bowel movement but at the same time does the

following:

 

improves digestion,

reduces serum cholesterol,

improves circulation (potentiates adrenergic function),

contains 31% linoleic acid,

exerts a marked cardio-protective effect,

reduces high blood pressure,

improves liver function,

has proven anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties,

expectorant, hypotensive.

 

Sound like a panacea? Well, it is practically just that.

 

Triphala, as it is called, is the most popular Ayurvedic herbal

formula of India, since it is an effective laxative which also

supports the body's strength. The constitution of vegetarian Hindus

cannot tolerate harsh laxatives anymore than vegetarians in other

countries.

 

Because of its high nutritional value, Triphala uniquely

cleanses and detoxifies at the deepest organic levels without

depleting the body's reserves. This makes it one of the most

valuable herbal preparations in the world.

 

How is Triphala different from other kinds of laxatives? There are

two primary types of herbal laxatives. One is called a purgative and

includes herbs such as senna, rhubarb, leptandra, buckthorne and

cascara. These often contain bitter principles in the form of

anthroquinones which work by stimulating the peristaltic action of

the intestinal lining, either directly or by promoting the secretion

of bile through the liver and gall bladder.

 

The second type of laxative is a lubricating bulk laxative,

including demulcent herbs such as psyllium and flax seed. This is

more nutritional and usually does not have any significant direct

effect on either the liver or the gall bladder. Rather, these work

like a sponge by swelling and absorbing fluid, thus acting as an

intestinal broom.

 

Triphala combines both nutritional as well as blood and liver

cleansing actions. It has little function as a demulcent or

lubricating laxative, however. It possesses some anthroquinones

which help stimulate bile flow and peristalsis.

 

The nutritional aspect is more in the form of its high vitamin C

content, the

presence of linoleic oil and other important nutrients which it

makes more of a tonic.

 

People who are in need of purgatives are those whose bowel

irregularity is caused by liver and gall bladder congestion usually

accompanied by some degree of blood toxins. Those in need of

demulcent laxatives are those with intestinal dryness caused by a

variety of metabolic factors including a nutritional deficiency as

well as a condition of excess hypermetabolic energy.

 

Triphala will prove useful for all kinds of constipation except

that caused by a lack of vital energy or chi. Even for the latter

type, it will not

further deplete such an individual and can be made to work well if

it is combined with other chi, blood or yang-warming tonic herbs

for chi tonification, tang kuei for blood

tonification and prepared aconite for yang tonification.

 

Herbal healing is largely a matter of strategy. One approach may

emphasize tonification while another emphasizes elimination. The

problem with overemphasizing tonification is that it can lead to

further stagnation and congestion in an excess condition.

 

Emphasizing elimination through the overuse of purgatives in an

already deficient individual can further deplete the body's store of

minerals and essential B vitamins as well as imbalance beneficial

intestinal micro-organisms. The result is weakness with a likely

tendency towards chronic fatigue and anemia. Since the body is

always simultaneously involved with maintaining and gaining strength

through good nutrition as well as eliminating waste, Triphala is

unique in that it is naturally able to support both vital processes

simultaneously.

 

Because of its high nutritional content, Ayurvedic doctors generally

do not regard Triphala as a mere laxative. Some of the scientific

research and practical experience of people using it down through

the ages has demonstrated that Triphala is an effective blood

purifier that stimulates bile secretion as it detoxifies the liver,

helps digestion and assimilation, and significantly reduces serum

cholesterol and lipid levels throughout body. As a result, it is

regarded as a kind of universal panacea and is the most commonly

prescribed herbal formula.

 

A popular folk saying in India is, " No mother? do not worry so long

as you have Triphala. " The reason is that Indian people believe that

triphala is able to care for the internal organs of the body as a

mother cares for her children. Each of the three herbal fruits of

tTriphala takes care of the body by gently promoting internal

cleansing of all conditions of stagnation and excess while at the

same time it improves digestion and assimilation.

 

We herbalists believe that the longevity and innate power of herbs

such as those of Triphala are, when ingested, energetically absorbed

and imparted to our reserves. This belief exists with herbs such as

wild ginseng, where specimens that have " weathered " decades of

climatic stress have been found to contain the highest concentration

of ginsenosides. The Ginkgo tree is another of those long lived

plants whose evolution extends back over millennia to the time of

the dinosaurs.

 

The three fruits of Triphala (Harada, Amla and Bihara) each

correspond to the " three humours " or " tridosha " of Indian Ayurvedic

medicine. According to Ayurvedic theory, the body is composed of

three doshas or humours. Vata is sometimes translated as " wind "

which corresponds to the mind and nervous system. Its nature is dry,

cold, light and activating. The second is pitta which is also

translated as " fire " or " bile. " It is responsible for all metabolic

transformations including the digestion and assimilation of food as

well as assimilation and clarity of thought and understanding. The

nature of pitta is primarily hot, moist and light. Kapha is

sometimes translated as the " water " or " mucus " humour and is

responsible for all anabolic or building functions such as the

development of muscle and bone tissue. Its nature is cool, moist and

heavy.

 

Harada, having a bitter flavor, is associated with the vata humour

as well as the air and space elements. It treats imbalances and

diseases of the vata humour. Harada possesses laxative, astringent,

lubricant, antiparasitical, alterative, antispasmodic and nervine

properties. It is therefore used to treat acute and chronic

constipation, nervousness, anxiety and feelings of physical

heaviness.

 

Among Tibetans, Harada is so highly revered for its purifying

attributes that it is the small fruit that is depicted in the hands

of the " medicine Buddha " in their sacred paintings or tankas. Of the

three fruits, Harada is the most laxative and contains

anthroquinones similar to those found in rhubarb and cascara.

 

Amla has a sour flavor and corresponds to the pitta humour and the

fire element in Ayurvedic medicine. It is a cooling tonic,

astringent, mildly laxative, alterative, antipyretic. It is used to

treat fire imbalances that include ulcers, inflammation of the

stomach, intestines, constipation, diarrhea, liver congestion,

eruptions, infections and burning feelings throughout the body. In

various studies, Amla has been shown to have mild anti-bacterial[1]

properties, pronounced expectorant[2], anti-viral[3] and cardiotonic

[4] activity.

 

Amla is the highest natural known source of vitamin C. Having 20

times the vitamin C content of an orange, Amla is also uniquely heat

stable. Even when subjected to prolonged high heat, as in the making

of the Ayurvedic tonic formula called Chyavanprash, Amla, as the

primary herb comprising 50% of the formula, hardly loses any of the

vitamin C that is present when it is freshly harvested off the tree.

The same is true of Amla that has been dried and kept for up to a

year. This age and heat stable form of vitamin C in Amla is due to

the presence of certain tannins that bind and inhibit its

dissipation.

 

Bihara is astringent, tonic, digestive and anti-spasmodic. Its

primary flavor is astringent and the secondary is sweet, bitter and

pungent. It targets imbalances associated with the kapha or mucus

humour, corresponding to the earth and water elements in Ayurvedic

medicine. Specifically Bihara purifies and balances excess mucus,

treats asthma, bronchiole conditions, allergies and hiccoughs.

 

Ama is a term denoting a substance associated in Ayurveda with

chronic disease patterns and symptoms of aging. It is described as a

kind of sticky buildup of material that clogs the circulatory

channels. In many ways it is nearly identical to the accumulation of

excess cholesterol and blood lipids described in the West. Both

conditions seem to contribute to a wide variety of circulatory

disorders ranging from senility, rheumatic conditions, cancer and

heart disease. It is interesting that in Traditional Chinese

Medicine there is also a pathological condition associated with the

heart called " invisible mucus " that is similar to the descriptions

of both excess cholesterol and ama in Ayurveda.

 

One of the body's reactions to coping with stress is to increase the

production of corticosteroids. The accumulation of these stress

hormones can also contribute to the formation of cholesterol.

Internal stress and the resultant buildup of cholesterol can be

caused by the abuse of stimulants, spicy, hot foods such as garlic

and cayenne, excessive aerobic exercise and repression of the

emotions. It is interesting that an excess of some of those very

substances and activities that lower cholesterol in some, when not

utilized in a holistic, balanced manner, can act as a stimulant and

add further stress that would precipitate the further accumulation

of cholesterol. Triphala is one of two[5] Ayurvedic formulations

that are specific for eliminating Ama and cholesterol from the body.

 

Triphala is a completely balanced energetic formula, being neither

too cold, nor too hot. When taken regularly over a long period, it

gently effects the elimination and purification of Ama from the

tissues of the entire body. The three fruits have been

scientifically studied and confirm some of its known traditional

benefits. These include the lowering of cholesterol, reducing high

blood pressure, benefiting circulation, improving digestion and

regulating elimination without causing any laxative dependency.

 

One Indian study reported by C.P. Thakur, demonstrated the enormous

value and effectiveness of Amla, reducing serum, aortic and hepatic

cholesterol in rabbits[6]. In another study[7], extracts of Amla

fruit were found to decrease serum free fatty acids and increase

cardiac glycogen. This helps to prevent heart attacks by providing

significantly greater protection and nourishment to the heart

muscle.

 

Studies of the fruit of Bihara[8] found that it contains up to 35%

oil and 40% protein. The oil is used in soap making and by the

poorer classes as a substitute cooking oil for ghee. The sweet

smelling oil is 35% palmitic, 24% oleic and 31% linoleic. Linoleic

oil is an essential fatty acid important for increasing HDL

cholesterol, associated with a healthy state and reducing LDL

cholesterol, considered to indicate a higher-than-average risk for

developing coronary-heart disease.

 

One of numerous studies of Harada[9] demonstrated its anti-vata or

anti-spasmodic properties by the reduction of abnormal blood

pressure as well as intestinal spasms. This confirms its traditional

usefulness for heart conditions, spastic colon and other intestinal

disorders.

 

With all the virtues of the three individual herbs, Triphala has

many wide and varied uses as a therapeutic herbal food. Before

considering pathological indications for which Triphala would be

appropriate, we should never ignore the value of taking it on some

regular basis whether once daily or once or twice a week simply for

health maintenance. Triphala, having great nutritional properties,

will help to prevent sickness.

 

I remember meeting a yogic master who was in his late eighties and

staying in Santa Cruz for a few months. Being clear of mind and

body, he could out walk anyone, both in terms of speed and distance.

Besides his practice of meditation, he considered the fact that his

remarkable fitness and health was primarily due to the fact that his

diet consisted primarily of Kicharee (mung beans, rice, ghee and

spices, i.e., cumin, coriander, turmeric and salt) and a daily dose

of Triphala as the primary herbal tonic.

 

I have numerous reports of individuals with chronic constipative

tendencies who were able to regulate their bowels with the use of

Triphala. One patient with a history of bowel irregularity was

suffering from pyorrhea. After taking Triphala twice a day for three

months, she was completely cured. Another patient who was at least

40 pounds overweight began taking Triphala and lost 20 pounds in a

month with hardly any modifications in her diet. The reason is that

such severe obesity is usually accompanied by congestion of the

internal organs of elimination, including the liver and bowels. As a

result, digestion is compromised with the poorly assimilated food

contributing to the organ congestion. For such conditions, Triphala

can be highly effective in removing stagnation of both the liver and

intestines.

 

Regardless of any other herbs used, Triphala can be prescribed

singly or adjunctively whenever there are symptoms of inflammation,

heat, infection, obesity and other conditions of excess. Because of

its combined tonic and eliminative properties, it is generally quite

safe to give even for deficiency diseases including anemia, fatigue,

candida, poor digestion and assimilation. Unlike other eliminative

and cleansing herbs, Triphala is safely taken for symptoms of

wasting heat that frequently accompanies diseases such as

tuberculosis, pneumonia and AIDS.

 

There are two ways to take Triphala, as a powder or tablet.

Traditionally Triphala is taken as a churna or powder. One would

stir in two or three grams of the powder with warm water and consume

the entire amount each evening or divided into three doses

throughout the day. Since for most it does not possess a flavor that

one would look forward to experiencing, it is convenient that

Triphala is available in tablet or capsule form. Generally the dose

is from two to six tablets taken one to three times daily. Children

may only require one or two tablets in the evening.

 

The larger dose is more laxative while the smaller dose tends to be

more gradually blood purifying. A smaller dose might be one or two

tablets three times daily. One should increase or decrease the dose

according to one's bowel movements. Since there are no problems in

using Triphala, the dose can be adjusted upwards from the suggested

amount.

 

Triphala is also widely taken for all eye diseases including the

treatment of conjunctivitis, progressive myopia, the early stages of

glaucoma and cataracts. For these conditions, it is taken daily both

internally as described above, as well as externally as an eye wash.

Steep one tablespoonful of the powder or six tablets in an 8 ounce

glass of water overnight. In the morning, strain the infusion

through a clean cloth. The resultant tea is used to sprinkle over

the eyes or used in an eyewash in an eyecup that can be readily

purchased at most drug stores. One can drink the remainder in one or

two doses, morning and evening. Taken in this way for at least three

months, Triphala becomes an herbal eye tonic.

 

As stated, there can be different reactions to the same dose of

triphala. For some it causes too loose bowels while in others it may

have little or no effect. As a result, it may take two or three days

to regulate the dose that is best. After the constipative tendencies

are removed, usually within 15 days of daily application, it will no

longer cause loose bowels.

 

Presently Triphala is distributed and available in the US from a few

different sources. The powder can be purchased in most Indian food

import stores in larger cities. Tablets are currently manufactured

and distributed by Planetary Herb Formulas as well as a few other

companies.

 

I have used Triphala as a regular part of my clinical practice for

at least ten years. I know that other Ayurvedic doctors both here

and in India also regularly prescribe Triphala for most of their

patients to be taken at least once each evening. For centuries,

Triphala has been known and used as a standard household health

supplement much as vitamins are in the West. In many households,

Triphala is taken on a weekly basis by all family members to prevent

disease and maintain health.

 

In India, Triphala is considered the greatest and most versatile of

all herbal formulations. With the presence of such a vitamin C rich

herbal food as Amla, it possesses unique nutritive tonic and

eliminative properties. Both the public and therapists of all

disciplines should be able to benefit from its unique therapeutic

virtues.