Ayurveda, a Sanskrit phrase that means “knowledge of life” or “perfect health science,” is an Indian traditional system of personalised medicine that promotes disease prevention and health promotion. Triphala (Sanskrit: tri = three, phala = fruits) is a well-known and revered polyherbal medicine made up of dried fruits from three plant species native to the Indian subcontinent: Emblica Officinalis (Family Euphorbiaceae), Terminalia bellerica (Family Combretaceae), and Terminalia chebula (Family Combretaceae). In Ayurvedic medicine, it is designated as a Tridoshic Rasayana because it promotes longevity and rejuvenation in people of various constitutions and ages. There are several therapeutic uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic medicine.
The fruits of the three plants, Amalaki (Indian Gooseberry), Bibhitaki, and Haritaki, are used in the formula in about equal quantities. According to the writings of the renowned physician Charak in a fundamental text of Ayurveda called the Charaka Samhita and another key source called the Sushruta Samhita, it has been utilised in traditional medicine in India for over 1000 years. According to Charak, consuming the Triphala Rasayana (Triphala with honey and ghee) daily can let a person live for a hundred years without experiencing old age or disease. Sushrut, a physician, claims that the mixture can be used to cure ulcers and wounds.
According to Ayurveda and Western medicine, health and sickness originate in the gut. Triphala is a crucial formula since it aids in digestion, absorption, removal, and rejuvenation. Triphala is valued as a multipurpose medicinal and possibly even panacea in Ayurvedic medical books, as evidenced by several mentions in well-respected Ayurvedic medical texts. Let us learn the therapeutic uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic medicine in this article.
Triphala is a
Tridoshic Rasayana
, which means that its energetics is suitable for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, as well as all types of patients. According to Charak, Rasayanas have the characteristics of increasing strength and immunity. Triphala can be used in the very young, the infirmed, and the senior because of these properties and tonic energetics. Other traditional Ayurvedic classifications for the formula include Shukrala, digestive, moderate laxative at normal doses, bowel tonic at low doses, purgative at high doses, carminative, expectorant, antispasmodic, and bronchodilator. Ayurvedic medical literature and anecdotal evidence describe a slew of other applications.
Triphala is a pillar of gastrointestinal treatment in Ayurvedic medicine, but the intricacy of the three Rasayanas, or renewing herbs, in the formulation allows for a wide range of uses. Triphala’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, appetite stimulation, gastric hyperacidity reduction, dental caries prevention, antipyretic, analgesic, antibacterial, antimutagenic, wound healing, anti-cariogenic, anti-stress, adaptogenic, hypoglycemic, anticancer, hepatoprotective, chemoprotective, radioprotective, and chemopreventive effects have all been validated in studies. Triphala may also help with healthy digestion and absorption of food, as well as lowering cholesterol levels, improving circulation, relaxing bile ducts, preventing immunosenescence, maintaining endocrine system balance, and increasing red blood cell and haemoglobin synthesis.
The tannins, gallic acid, ellagic acid, and chebulinic acid are the formula’s essential components, and they are all effective antioxidants that could explain, at least in part, the formula’s immunomodulatory effects. Other bioactive substances found in Triphala include flavonoids (such as quercetin and luteolin), saponins, anthraquinones, amino acids, fatty acids, and a variety of carbohydrates. In addition, the human gut bacteria transform Triphala-derived polyphenols like chebulinic acid into bioactive metabolites that have been shown in vitro to protect against oxidative damage.
