Triphala is a staple formula of the traditional Indian medical system known as Ayurveda. It is made from the powdered fruits of three plants that are all used as medicine on their own and believed to have profound therapeutic potential when combined to make triphala. Recently, triphala has been gaining popualrity in the West due to its reported ability to overcome stress, fight cancer, boost the immune system and as an overall rejuvenating tonic. Studies of triphala have revealed some astonishing results and have confirmed many of the properties and actions that triphala has been know to posses for thousands of years.
History
Triphala is made from three fruits; Amalaki, Haritaki and Bibhitaki. Amalaki, also known as Indian gooseberry, is considered a sacred plant and is used in many Ayurveda formulas due its high concentration of Vitamin C. Haritaki has been used since the vedic age in India as a tonic food and is said to contain five of the six "tastes" in the Ayurvedic system. Bibhitaki also has a long history of use as food and medicine and is considered the "king of medicines" in Tibet. Some of the traditional depictions of the Buddha in India show him holding Bibhitaki fruit in his hand.
Stress
One of the most common traditional uses of triphala in the Ayurvedic system is as a supreme stress tonic that keeps the body from free of disease even during periods of extreme duress. In a study published in Iran's Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin in 2005, researchers tested the effects of triphala on the immune systems of rats exposed to noise stress. They found that triphala effectively prevented the noise-induced stress to suppress immune function.
Cancer
As a potent rejuvenating tonic that wards off disease, triphala enjoys a legendary reputation in Ayurvedic medicine. A study published in January 2006 in the journal Cancer Letters tested triphala on human breast cancer cells as well as mice that were given cancer through a transplant. The researchers found that triphala caused aptosis (death of cancer cells) in the human breast cancer tissue and caused the mice tumors to shrink. They concluded that triphala is a potential anticancer drug for clinical use.
Antibiotic
Much of triphala's reputation as a tonic formula to ward off disease and prolong a healthy life may be due to its profound antibiotic qualities. In a review of triphala's antimicrobial properties published in the Journal of Evidence Based Complementary Alternative Medicine in March 2008, researchers examined triphala's action against a large number of bacteria. They found that triphala exhibited a broad spectrum of activity against both gram positive and gram negative bacteria. In fact it inhibited all bacteria that it was tested against.
Potential
As an immune-boosting, cancer-fighting, stress-reducing tonic for the warriors of the modern world, triphala may be just what the doctor ordered. Triphala is readily available in pill form at most health food stores and in bulk powder at Indian groceries as well as many on-line retailers.
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