Ayurveda is an age-old medicinal system in India. Triphala is a popular Ayurvedic formulation that has been used for a thousand years in the treatment of skin and stomach related ailments. It is made with a combination of three fruits as amalaki, haritaki, and bibhitaki. Each fruit positively impacts the three energies of the body as vata, pitta, and kapha.
Triphala is a potent detoxifier and assists the immune system of the body. Despite its incredible benefits, it is not appropriate for everyone. An impure Triphala may contain toxins, like lead and mercury that can harm the body. Let us know more about the benefits and side effects of consuming Triphala Churna or Triphala Powder.
What is Triphala Churna?
Triphala is considered to be a Tridoshic Rasayana. This implies that it has the ability to support all three doshas in the body i.e., air/space, water/earth, and fire/water. These attributes improve immunity and strength in a person. They can also help treat numerous health conditions easily.
Triphala churna is a mixture of the dried fruits of Bibhitaki, Haritaki, and Amalaki. When used in the right proportion, it can offer remarkable healing to a person. It is available in the form of powder, tincture, tablet, capsules, and liquid extracts at online and local retail stores.
It is an abundant source of antioxidants. It stimulates immune-system cells like cytotoxic T cells. The extract of Triphala also has anti-inflammatory compounds that help treat skin and hair disorders. It regulates bowel movements and provides relief from constipation.
It contains various compounds that are responsible for its health benefits. These include dietary fibers, carbs, vitamins, sodium, minerals, chebulagic acid, chebulinic acid, and gallic acid. Every 2.8 Grams of Triphala contains 10 calories and 3 g of fats.
Health Benefits of Triphala Churna
Inclusion of Triphala in the food, or skincare/hair care routine, can provide plenty of medicinal benefits to a person. Let us learn about them:
1. Reduces cholesterol levels
Triphala is rich in linoleic and oleic oils, which helps reduce the chances of heart ailments in the body. Linoleic oil increases high-density cholesterol and lower “bad’ cholesterol levels in the body. This makes it beneficial for heart disease patients.
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2. Treats Digestive troubles
Triphala churna is a great laxative. It helps stimulate bowel movements in the body. Consuming a tsp of Triphala powder at bedtime helps cure constipation in the body. If you suffer from a fussy stomach, diarrhea, and bloating, you can take consume Triphala churna on an empty stomach.
It cleanses your stomach, clears bowel movements, and relieves flatulence. It also provides nutrition to the digestive tract and strengthens the rectal muscles. Triphala powder also helps heal stomach ulcers and reinstates healthy levels of enzymes in the stomach.
Triphala restricts the development of damaging bacteria in the intestine. It supports the development of good bacteria that helps enhance gut health. Triphala is effective in people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome. Consuming Triphala with or without probiotics is a good inclusion of IBS treatment.
3. Promotes Weight Loss
Triphala powder is a superfood that helps remove unwanted belly fat from the body. It detoxifies your digestive tract and stimulates the secretion of cholecystokinin in the body. Triphala churna also works by controlling the satiety center, so that you eat in a controlled manner. It gives you a feeling of fullness by eating a lesser amount of food.
So, when you eat less, you accumulate lesser calories in your body. This prevents weight gain. The right way to consume Triphala for weight loss is to mix ½ tbsp of it with ½ tbsp of trikatu churna in lukewarm water. Add honey to it and consume it daily two times a day.
4. Boosts immunity
Triphala powder has high amounts of vitamin C and bioflavonoids that work as powerful antioxidants in the body. It stimulates the immune system and accelerates healing in the body. Triphala cleanses the digestive and gastric tract.
It enhances blood circulation and nourishes the body from the inside. By supplying an adequate amount of minerals, and nutrients, Triphala strengthens the immunity system and wards off seasonal flu, cold cough, etc.
5. Treats Inflammation
Malnutrition or poor immunity levels can cause inflammation in the body. It causes aging, pain in joints, hair disorders, diabetes, arthritis, etc. Triphala possesses remarkable anti-inflammatory properties that help lower external and internal inflammation in the body.
Due to the “powerful anti-inflammatory effect” of Triphala, it combats arthritis and signs of gout in the body. It fights against the cessation of bone and tendons. it lowers inflammation and uric acid levels in the body.
6. Prevents cancer
Triphala churna carry anti-cancer properties. It exhibits chemoprotective, antineoplastic, and radioactive effects that help prevent various types of cancer in the body. This herb has the ability to fight against various conditions that include cancer, and even life-threatening AIDS. The methanol extract of Triphala prevents the propagation of cancer-causing cells in the body. It has anti-carcinogenic properties that help combat colon cancer.
7. Gives You Acne-Free Skin
Triphala powder has several antioxidant compounds that revitalize, conditions, smooths, and softens the skin. It clears pigmentation and destroys the acne-causing bacteria in the body. The emollient property of Triphala makes it ideal for calming scaly and dry skin. Use this therapy three times a month to reap the best outcome.
8. Fights Dandruff
Triphala powder is a very effective anti-dandruff treatment that can give you relief from mild or severe dandruff in no time. It exhibits remarkable emollient property that retains natural oils on the scalp and prevents dandruff. It also speeds up hair growth and keeps alopecia at bay.
Prepare a Triphala hair mask by adding two tbsps of Triphala powder in 4 to 5 tbsp of water. Cover your entire scalp with this mask. Keep it for half an hour before you rinse your hair with plain water. You would start to notice the growth of new hair after a few applications.
9. Prevents Infections
Triphala possesses potent viral and bacterial properties that help fight against varieties of infections in the body. It has got remarkable anti-allergic properties that prevent the trigger of any damaging allergic reactions in the body.
10. Promotes Oral Health
Triphala promotes dental health. It can help fight against a variety of health issues such as gingivitis, sores. fungal infections, and plaque in the body. A Triphala mouthwash effectively lowers fungal growth and destroys oral germs in the mouth. The presence of plant compounds and tannins in Triphala helps heal mouth sores.
11. Delays Aging
Triphala has the ability to ward off the signs of aging. This is due to the high amounts of antioxidants present in it. A study performed on the use of Triphala on the skin revealed that it forms a protective shield on the epidermis and dermis layer of the skin and helps recover from injury.
Triphala kills the free radicals that cause oxidative damage to the skin. It boosts the production of collagen that makes your skin firm, tight and youthful. Being a rich source of antioxidants, it helps fight age-induced dark spots and acne. Drinking Triphala water daily in recommended amounts gives you blemish and spotless skin naturally.
12. Helpful in Management of Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a severe condition where the blood sugar levels of a person remain high. This prevents the body cells from absorbing and utilizing sugar to produce energy.
Triphala has an amla or Indian gooseberry that shows an incredible antioxidant property. It reduces elevated levels of cholesterol and blood sugar in the body. It is also helpful in addressing nerve damage that is the outcome of diabetes.
Triphala has an antidiabetic ingredient as “Terminalia bellirica” and a phytochemical as “gallic acid” that is beneficial in the treatment of diabetes. It has the ability to improve insulin resistance and “good” HDL cholesterol in the body. It also enhances liver enzymes and oral sugar tolerance in people that help manage Type 2 diabetes.
However, a person should not consider Triphala as a mainstream treatment for diabetes. It is beneficial when used in conjunction with the ongoing anti-diabetic medication. It is recommended to consult with the doctor about the dosage of Triphala powder before you include it in your treatment routine.
13. Treats Constipation
This polyherbal formulation of three fruits has plenty of dietary fibers in it. Due to which, it serves as a mild laxative agent. It helps normalize the movement of the bowel and gives the satisfaction of complete evacuation in people.
14. Treats Cataracts
Triphala is made of three fruits that are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin E, polyphenols, and flavonoids. They neutralize free radicals that cause molecular-level damage in the body. This can lead to aging-linked eye ailments, such as macular degeneration/cataracts in the body. Triphala helps slow down the rate of the development of this ailment to a considerable extent.
Side Effects of Triphala Churna
Triphala Churna is a purely natural and herbal remedy that is generally safe to use, however, there are certain segments of people who should not take it.
- Triphala Churna or Triphala powder causes a downward flow of energy in the body. Due to this reason, it can cause miscarriage in pregnant women. Therefore, a woman who is expecting should refrain from their consumption.
- It is also advised that lactating mothers should avoid Triphala Churna as there are possibilities that this herb may pass on to the fetus via breast milk. This can prove to be risky for his development.
- Triphala Churna is not beneficial for babies more than a pinch of it. This is because of the presence of high amounts of dietary fiber in it. When the baby consumes Triphala churna in more than permissible amounts then it can lead to gastric troubles in the body. It can be seen in the form of vomiting, loose motion, dehydration, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Also, ensure that the product you feed to your baby should only be from a trusted manufacturer.
- Triphala can even lead to elevated levels of blood sugar in the body. So, people who have diabetes should consume it only after approval from the doctor.
- Also, those who have existing digestive issues, should avoid consumption or take it in very low amounts. The high fiber content of Triphala may result in gastrointestinal side effects that include loose stools, bloating issues, etc.
- There is a possibility of contamination in your Triphala supplement. There can be a presence of contaminants, such as mercury, arsenic, and lead in inferior-quality Triphala powder. So, before you buy this supplement or herb, it is very important to ensure that it is only from a genuine source. It is required that the manufacturer perform thorough testing of each Triphala product before releasing it on the market.
- Triphala powder has menthcan and sorbitol that can result in an excessive reduction in blood pressure levels in the body. Such dangerously low levels of blood pressure can lead to dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and other discomforting situations.
- Interaction with ongoing medication is another important side effect of Triphala powder. It has been seen that this herb reacts with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-anxiety medicines, anti-arrhythmia drugs, anticonvulsants, antifungal drugs, antipsychotic drugs, atypical antidepressants, benzodiazepine sedatives, HIV drugs, immune-suppressive drugs, macrolide antibiotics, migraine medications, opioid painkillers, and rifampin-based drugs and blood clotting drugs. To avoid any interactions with medicines, consult your doctor if you are on any existing medications.
How To Use Triphala Supplements?
The dosage of Triphala supplements varies depending on the type of form, and the ailment that you want to heal using it. For desired results, it is important to follow the dosage and usage instructions properly.
There are different ways prescribed to take Triphala supplements:
- In many cases, it is advised to consume a Triphala supplement with warm water before going to sleep.
- Where some people are advised to consume it on an empty stomach, others like to take it with food. Do as per the advice of the doctor.
- You can also find Triphala supplements in the form of powder. You can dissolve it in warm water and consume it in tea form.
- You can also use it as a mouthwash and gargle with it.
- People who have low eyesight are advised to dip their eyes in Triphala water 5-6 times and rinse with plain water.
- Triphala powder when mixed with jojoba or coconut oil can be used in hair and scalp hair treatments.
- Add Triphala powder in your face masks, and shampoos. It will help maintain the right balance of tri doshas, i.e. pitta dosha, Kapha dosha, Vata dosha in the body.
Note: Triphala is a mild laxative, that may lead to digestion issues such as gas, cramps, diarrhea, and stomach upset when consumed in large amounts. So, always start with a smaller dosage.
Conclusion
Triphala is widely used in the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines to treat a variety of health conditions. The high level of antioxidants makes it beneficial for vision, skin, and digestion system. It is recommended to go for a trusted manufacturer. Also, consume it under the supervision of a doctor to avoid complications.
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Well done! Nicely described each and everything.