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Triphala – More Than Just An Internal Cleanser
Rama Kant Mishra
Triphala is one of the most famous herbal compounds in ayurvedic
medicine. Triphala literally means "three fruits"--the three fruits
contained in Triphala are Haritaki, Amalaki and Bibhitaki.
Traditionally, Triphala comes in many different forms, including the
Triphala tablets available from Maharishi Ayurveda, or Triphala Ghee
(a paste). Triphala can also be mixed with other herbs in compound
formulations. Triphala Guggulu, for instance, is much more powerful
than Guggulu alone.
A powerful rasayana
There is a saying in India that if a vaidya (ayurvedic expert) knows
how to use Triphala properly, he can heal any disease. It is a highly
revered rasayana in Maharishi Ayurveda.
A rasayana is the most highly refined and powerful herbal and fruit
combination in ayurveda, and is known to promote long life and
vitality. A rasayana promotes ojas, the finest product of digestion
that prevents disease, creates luster in the skin and rejuvenates the
whole body.
Besides nourishing the mind and body and promoting longevity,
Triphala has many specific effects. It is particularly rejuvenating
for the digestive tract, and is a rasayana for the eyes and the skin.
Triphala balances Apana Vata, the subdosha of Vata that governs the
colon, lower abdomen, menstrual flow and elimination. For most people
Triphala is a mild laxative, and for that reason it is excellent for
clearing toxins from the digestive system. In very rare cases it has
a stronger laxative effect, but usually it is an ideal bowel cleanser
precisely because of its mildness. In moderate doses it is gentle,
and detoxifies the body slowly.
Because it is gentle, you can take Triphala for longer periods of
time, and then it has a deeply purifying effect. It goes deep into
the physiology and releases the toxins at a much deeper level.
Because it detoxifies the blood, muscle and fat tissues, it is
excellent for preventing skin disease. And because it removes ama
from the fat tissue, Triphala also helps balance cholesterol.
Triphala also purifies the urine and prevents urinary tract disease.
It enhances all thirteen agnis (digestive fires), especially the main
digestive fire in the stomach. It pacifies Kapha and Pitta, and if
taken regularly, is a powerful anti-aging rasayana.
The ingredients
The ingredients that make up Triphala are powerful individually. When
combined correctly, synergy enhances the healing quotient
exponentially.
The first ingredient is Haritaki. This fruit is mentioned in almost
all ayurvedic textbooks. Charaka goes so far as to say that Haritaki
is as nourishing and useful for everyone as mother's milk. He
mentions that it's a rasayana for the eyes and good for the digestive
system. It helps enhance the absorption of nutrients in food.
Haritaki is a yogavahini, which means that it cleanses the channels
and is absorbed quickly by the body. In addition, the Charaka Samhita
says that Haritaki is all-dosha balancing. Very few fruits and herbs
have this designation.
Amalaki, the second ingredient, is known as a divine plant in the
ayurvedic materia medica. Amalaki is also a rasayana, which means
that it has longevity-enhancing and disease-defying qualities. The
Charaka Samhita says, "Amalaki is the best among rejuvenative
herbs." Amalaki 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.
There are many excellent qualities in Amalaki. Amalaki helps purify
toxins from the body, by enhancing food absorption. When your
digestion becomes stronger, the food you eat is converted to
nutrition rather than staying undigested and producing impurities.
The unique thing about Amalaki is that it heightens digestion, yet is
not heating. That's why it's traditionally considered one of the best
herbs for balancing stomach acid. By enhancing digestion, it helps
eliminate toxins from the body. It also does this by strengthening
and stimulating the liver. Amalaki also helps elimination and helps
relieve constipation, so you can see why Triphala also has that
quality.
Amalaki is an excellent source of Vitamin C, and is the most
concentrated and absorbable source of the vitamin in the plant
kingdom. It also contains other absorbable minerals that nourish the
skin, the blood and the whole body. Because of its high content of
Vitamin C, Amalaki is a powerful antioxidant..
Bibhitaki, the final ingredient in Triphala, is also famous in the
classical ayurvedic texts for its many good qualities. Charaka
reports that it is ideal for pacifying both Pitta and Kapha, and that
it cleanses the nutritive fluid (Rasa Dhatu), the blood, the muscle
and the fat tissue. Sushruta points out the bhedana effect of this
fruit, which means that because of its heating quality it clears the
clogged channels almost as if drilling them clear.
So now you can see why Triphala is so powerful: it's because the
three fruits that make up the formula have remarkable abilities to
cleanse impurities, tone the digestive tract, nurture the body and
restore health.
Quality Matters
There are many brands of Triphala available in the market. Look for
top quality Triphala--settling for second-best can mean you do not
derive the full range of benefits this amazing formula has to offer.
For example, at Maharishi Ayurveda, we are committed to only using
the highest quality ingredients, and to upholding the authenticity of
the ayurvedic tradition no matter what the cost. One example of this:
the Haritaki fruit comes in seven different varieties. While all are
beneficial, the Vijaya variety is mentioned by all the great
ayurvedic seers as best variety to use, which in itself is rare, as
not many fruits and herbs are universally acclaimed by all the seers.
Vijaya is the only variety that is used in Maharishi Ayurveda's
Triphala, because it is, quite simply, the best. But while it is the
best, Vijaya is also the most rare. This scarcity makes it more
expensive; in fact it is ten times the price of other varieties of
Haritaki.
It is also important to use fruits that are grown without pesticides,
chemical fertilizers or exposure to environmental pollutants, and
harvest the fruits only at their peak, when they are ripe on the tree.
At Maharishi Ayurveda, once the fruits are collected, at the
processing factory they are sorted and tested to make sure the batch
is of the right degree of ripeness and the proper quality. The fruits
are washed and cleansed of traces of jute (jute bags are used to
collect the fruit), dirt and dust. They are tested for foreign
material, heavy metals and for bacteria before, during and after
processing. The processing methods we use do not destroy the natural
properties of the fruits.
Diet and lifestyle tips to maximize benefits
Here are some tips that will help your body maximize the benefits
from taking Triphala:
* It's important to avoid building up toxins in your body in the
first place.. Avoid foods that include chemical preservatives,
emulsifiers and additives of any kind. Also try to avoid foods that
are grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Eat fresh,
organic, well-cooked foods whenever possible.
Avoid eating packaged, frozen, canned, "fast" or leftover foods, as
these dead foods are hard to digest and create toxins when the body
can't digest them properly.
* Avoid ice-cold drinks, as they reduce the digestive fire. Drink
plenty of warm water throughout the day to help flush out toxins. Eat
sweet, juicy fruits daily if possible, as these help cleanse the rasa
(nutrient fluid) and the bowels.
* Go to bed by 10 p.m. so your body can rest during its natural
purification period from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
* Eat your main meal at midday, when your digestive fire is high. Eat
lighter at breakfast and supper, when your digestion is not as
strong. Save the harder-to-digest foods such as yogurt, meats (if
you're not vegetarian), and potatoes for the noon meal.
* Eat your meals at the same times each day. Eat only when you're
hungry, and wait a full 3 hours after a main meal before snacking.
This will allow the food to digest properly. Take your time when you
eat, and be sure to chew your food. Don't try to watch TV, read or
work while you're eating, as that will only be a recipe for
indigestion. Savor the flavors, enjoy the colors, aromas and textures
of your food. Light, pleasant conversation with people you love is
best for digestion. Avoid intense conversations or emotional topics
while eating.
* Eat only until you are 3/4 full. Usually it takes a few minutes for
the brain to register that you're full, so if you eat until you're
stuffed, you're probably going to feel uncomfortable a while later.
Also, the digestive system needs some space to operate in, so
stuffing yourself to the maximum will actually inhibit digestion.
Allow five minutes to sit after the meal is finished to get your
digestion off to the right start.
* When you drink milk, boil it first with fresh ginger or cardamom
pod, or add a pinch each of the ground ginger and cardamom spices.
Let the milk cool to the temperature you like and then drink it. This
is the ayurvedic way to make milk more digestible and to avoid the
build-up of mucus. Avoid combining milk with salty foods, fish, and
foods of mixed taste. It digests well when you drink it alone between
meals, or with other sweet tastes such as cereal, desserts, or toast.
Note – This ayurvedic information is educational. It is not
intended to replace standard medical care or advice.
About the Author: Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra is Director of Research and
Product Development at Maharishi Ayurveda in Colorado Springs. His
perspective on health and wellness issues is published in Total
Health News, a free e-mail newsletter published at
http://www.mapi.com. To subscribe to receive your free copy, or to
buy top-quality Ayurvedic products, including Triphala in convenient
tablet form, please visit http://www.mapi.com.
Copyright MAPI Inc, 2002
Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended
to replace standard medical care or advice.
Copyright MAPI, 2002.
For more information on Ayurveda or to subscribe to free newsletters,
plaese visit http://www.mapi.com
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