Triphala is a valuable herb gifted to us by Mother Nature with amazing health benefits. It gets its name from two words in Sanskrit 'tri' meaning three and 'phala' meaning fruit. It is composed of three fruits - amalaki (Emblica officinalis), vibhitaka, (Terminalia belerica) and haritaki (Terminalia chebula).
According to ayurveda, triphala is considered to be the tridoshic rasayan. Thus it helps in balancing the three vital elements i.e. vata, pitta and kapha - Amalaki for pitta, vibhitaka for kapha and haritaki for vata. And these elements are supposed to control the human life.
Properties of triphala depend upon the properties of its individual herbs. So to know better about the benefits of triphala let see its components in brief
Haritaki
Haritaki is mentioned in almost all ayurvedic textbooks. According to Charaka, it is as nourishing and useful as mother's milk. It also helps enhance the absorption of nutrients in food. It is a yogavahini, which means that it cleanses the channels and is absorbed quickly by the body. It looks after the entire digestive, absorptive, assimilative and excretory process.
Amalaki
Amlaki also commonly known as amla fruit contains the sweet, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent tastes. The only taste missing is salty. Because it contains five out of the six tastes, it is balancing to all three doshas. It is the best rejuvenative herbs.
Amla helps purify toxins from the body, by enhancing food absorption. It also helps in eliminating and relieving constipation. It is an excellent source of Vitamin C, and also contains other absorbable minerals that nourish the skin, the blood and the whole body. Because of its high content of Vitamin C, it is a powerful antioxidant.
Vibhitaka
Vibhitaka is a bitter herb and has beneficial effects in healing of wounds. It is a tonic and a laxative. It can also reduce fevers, and hence it is an antipyretic. It cleanses the nutritive fluid (Rasa Dhatu), the blood, the muscle and the fat tissue.
So now we can have an idea why triphala is so powerful. The three fruits that constitute triphala have remarkable abilities to cleanse impurities, tone the digestive tract, nurture the body and restore health.
Triphala when consumed for a long period helps reduce excess weight. It also promotes good colon health and acts as a laxative without causing cramps or irritation. It gently stimulates the intestinal walls and restores tone to the colon, thus helping in the elimination process, providing a colon cleansing effect.
In addition triphala also improves blood circulation. Consequently it is also effective in persons having high blood pressure.
Benefits of Triphala
Triphala can be used in below health problems:
Constipation Colon cleansing Antioxidant Headaches Uterine support Respiratory support Kidney support Cardio vascular support Liver support Gastrointestinal tract tonifier Intestinal cleansing Bile duct opener Sluggish peristalsis Food assimilation support Serum cholesterol balance Digestive balancer Better circulation
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the insights of a qualified health professional before embarking on any health program.