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Ayurveda

TriphalaEmblica officinalis + Terminalia bellirica + Terminalia chebula

A three-fruit Ayurvedic powder used for bowel regularity; its one placebo-controlled gut study tracked stool bacteria in 31 adults, not bowel habits.

Botanical name
Emblica officinalis + Terminalia bellirica + Terminalia chebula
Part used
dried fruits of three trees
Also called
Sanskrit Triphala (“three fruits”); Hindi Triphala, Triphala churna (the powder); Three myrobalans, Triphala rasayana (with honey and ghee)
Used in
Ayurveda
Taken for
Constipation, Indigestion, Bloating
Sold as
powder (churna), capsules, tablets, liquid extract, decoction

What is meant by triphala

Triphala is a formula, not a single plant. It is made from the dried fruits of three trees native to the Indian subcontinent: amalaki (amla, Emblica officinalis, also called Phyllanthus emblica), bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) and haritaki (Terminalia chebula). Each has its own entry on this site. The ratio of the three differs between makers, and animal work has compared equal and unequal ratios.

The traditional form is a dry powder (churna) stirred into warm water, or a decoction boiled from the fruits. Today it is also sold as capsules, tablets and liquid extracts. The classic rasayana preparation takes the powder with honey and ghee. Triphala mouth rinses have their own trial literature in dentistry, which is separate from the gut research summarized here.

In the traditions

Ayurveda (about Ayurveda)

Ayurveda classes triphala as a tridoshic rasayana: a rejuvenating preparation that the tradition says suits all three of its body types (vata, pitta and kapha). A review of the Ayurvedic literature gives its taste as all five except salty, its potency (virya) as neutral and its post-digestive effect (vipaka) as sweet. The same review lists the actions the texts and later writers attribute to it: digestive, carminative (gas-relieving), mild laxative at ordinary amounts, bowel tonic at small amounts and purgative at large amounts. It calls triphala a cornerstone of gastrointestinal treatment in the tradition. The Charaka Samhita is cited for a daily triphala rasayana taken with honey and ghee, and the Sushruta Samhita also names it. These are the tradition’s own claims about what the formula does; they are not findings from controlled trials.

What the plant contains

The three fruits are rich in polyphenols, including gallic and ellagic acids, and amla is a source of vitamin C. In laboratory and animal work, triphala extracts were protective in a rat model of methotrexate-induced intestinal injury, with the highest-amla formulation giving the most protection to the intestinal lining, and extracts have been tested in rat colitis models. Lab work has also shown that particular combinations of the three extracts slow the growth of gut bacteria in culture. A review proposes that gut bacteria convert the polyphenols into anti-inflammatory compounds; that is a hypothesis from lab data, not a finding in people.

What has been tested in people

We could not find a placebo-controlled trial of triphala alone with bowel habits as the outcome. The 2018 review of triphala in functional gut disorders concluded that the literature gives no clear evidence of its effect on the human digestive tract, and noted that studies point both ways on gut motility. The closest human data are below.

An open-label study of 34 adults with functional constipation gave a powder of psyllium husk, senna extract and triphala extract for 14 days. Mean weekly bowel movements rose from 10.19 to 18.29, mean time on the toilet fell from 11.02 to 8.70 minutes, and Bristol stool form score rose from 2.97 to 4.61. There was no placebo group, and because senna and psyllium are laxatives themselves, the result cannot be assigned to triphala.

The microbiome pilot is the placebo-controlled trial in the literature. It randomized 31 healthy adults to 2,000 mg a day of triphala, 2,000 mg a day of manjistha (another Ayurvedic herb) or placebo for 4 weeks; 29 finished (triphala 9, manjistha 9, placebo 11). Responses were highly individual and no bacterial group changed uniformly. Both herb groups showed a trend toward a lower Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and more Akkermansia muciniphila, and both reduced Rikenellaceae, mainly Alistipes. The abstract reports no symptom outcomes, and the trial was too small to separate the herbs from chance.

The 2017 narrative review of triphala (a PubMed search, not a systematic review) lists appetite stimulation and reduced hyperacidity among its candidate uses and states that its polyphenols modulate the gut microbiome. Not tested in the sources we read: triphala alone against placebo for constipation, diarrhea, bloating or IBS, long-term use, and children.

StudyDoseWhat it found
Open-label study, 34 adults with functional constipation (formula of psyllium husk, senna extract and triphala extract) PMID 22022157Powder formula, 14 daysWeekly bowel movements 10.19 to 18.29; Bristol stool score 2.97 to 4.61; no placebo and two laxative ingredients besides triphala
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot, 31 healthy adults (29 analyzed) PMID 329559132,000 mg a day for 4 weeksStool bacteria changed in an individual pattern; trend to lower Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and more Akkermansia; no symptom outcomes
Narrative review of triphala’s therapeutic uses PMID 28696777VariousLists laxative action, appetite stimulation, reduced hyperacidity; polyphenols modulate the gut microbiome
Review of triphala in functional gastrointestinal disorders PMID 30034512VariousNo clear evidence of effect on the human digestive tract; studies suggest it can speed or slow motility

Doses used in trials and traditional preparations

The microbiome pilot used 2,000 mg a day of triphala for 4 weeks. The constipation study used a powder formula for 14 days; the abstract does not give the triphala content. Traditionally the powder is stirred into warm water, boiled as a decoction, or taken with honey and ghee as a rasayana. The Ayurvedic literature reviewed above ties the dose to the effect: small amounts as a bowel tonic, ordinary amounts as a mild laxative, large amounts as a purgative. We found no trial that tested dose against effect.

Treat these figures as a record of what was studied. Whether any amount of triphala suits a particular person is a question for a clinician or pharmacist who knows their history.

Safety

Studies cited in the 2018 review reported no side effects in treated groups, and aqueous and alcoholic triphala solutions were described as safe up to 1,750 mg per kilogram in animal oral toxicity testing. The review of Ayurvedic sources describes large amounts as purgative, which in practice means loose stools and cramping. We could not find pregnancy, breastfeeding or pediatric safety studies.

Contamination is a separate question from the fruits themselves. A 2008 study of 193 Ayurvedic products bought online found 20.7% had detectable lead, mercury or arsenic, 40.6% of the rasa shastra (herb-plus-metal) products against 17.1% of the others. A 2004 study of 70 items from Boston-area South Asian stores found 14 (20%) contained metals, and CDC documented 12 adult lead poisoning cases linked to Ayurvedic remedies in five states in 2000 to 2003. These studies did not single out triphala, and plain fruit powders are not the metal-containing rasa shastra class.

Drug interactions

We found no human interaction studies for triphala. The Ayurvedic literature describes it as loosening the stool at ordinary amounts and purging at large amounts; faster passage through the bowel is the plausible way a laxative formula could change how much of another oral medicine is absorbed. This is a possibility from mechanism, not a documented interaction.

Prescriptions flagged alongside triphala

Published interaction references put these medicines next to this herb, and the quiz acts on them; a pharmacist is the person to confirm any of it:

Products in the catalog with triphala

These catalog entries list triphala or one of its preparations among their active ingredients. Each page shows the amount on the label, the trials behind it and what buyers report.

Organic India Triphala Capsules 4.4 out of 5 from 5,337 ratings from Amazon · $0.76 a day Lanural Regularity Reset 4.8 out of 5 from 4,463 ratings from lanural.com · $0.92 a day Himalaya Organic Triphala 4.4 out of 5 from 2,434 ratings from Amazon · $0.33 per day at one caplet ($19.99 for 60 at Vitacost and Amazon); $0.39 on the brand site Planetary Herbals Triphala 1,000 mg Tablets 4.5 out of 5 from 2,416 ratings from Amazon · $0.37 per day at two tablets twice a day ($16.45 for 180 at Vitacost and Amazon); $0.18 a serving Banyan Botanicals Triphala Tablets 4.6 out of 5 from 2,123 ratings from Amazon · $0.51 per day at two tablets ($22.99 for 90 on the brand site, $21.99 on Amazon); $0.26 at the one-tablet low end of the label range Revival Point Total Bowel Release 3.4 out of 5 from 393 ratings from Amazon · $1.78 a day NOW Foods Triphala 500 mg Tablets 4.6 out of 5 from 302 ratings from Amazon · $0.20 per day at two tablets ($12.24 for 120 at Amazon and Vitacost); $0.18 on Amazon Subscribe & Save Bio Cleanse Herbal Detox Kit 3.7 out of 5 from 263 ratings from Amazon · $10.33 per day over the 9-day course at the Amazon price ($9.22 at the brand price); it is a course, not a daily supplement Pure Indian Foods Organic Triphala Powder 4.82 out of 5 from 132 ratings from Vitacost · $0.08 per day at one half-teaspoon serving of about 1,300 mg ($14.16 for 8 oz at iHerb, $14.99 on the brand site, about 175 servings) Bluegrass Supplements Move Easy 4.95 out of 5 from 21 ratings from bluegrassvitamins.com · $1.17 a day

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Related herbs

Ayurvedic Amla Emblica officinalis (Phyllanthus emblica) Ayurvedic Haritaki Terminalia chebula Ayurvedic Bibhitaki Terminalia bellirica (also spelled bellerica) Ayurvedic / Western Senna Senna alexandrina (Cassia senna, Cassia angustifolia)

Questions people ask

What is in triphala?

Three dried fruits: amla (amalaki), bibhitaki and haritaki. The name is Sanskrit for “three fruits.” Makers vary the ratio, so two products with the same name can differ.

Does triphala work for constipation?

The sources we read show a small open-label study of a formula that also contained psyllium and senna, in which weekly bowel movements went from 10.19 to 18.29. We could not find a placebo-controlled trial of triphala alone for constipation, and a 2018 review said clear evidence on the human digestive tract was lacking.

Does triphala change gut bacteria?

In a 4-week placebo-controlled pilot of 31 healthy adults, the changes were different in each person, and no bacterial group moved the same way for everyone. The group trends were toward more Akkermansia muciniphila and fewer Rikenellaceae. The pilot was too small to say more.

Why is triphala sold with honey and ghee in some texts?

The Charaka Samhita describes a daily rasayana (rejuvenating) preparation of triphala with honey and ghee. That is the tradition’s own preparation and claim, not something controlled trials have tested.

Are Ayurvedic products contaminated with metals?

Some are. A 2008 study of 193 Ayurvedic products sold online found 20.7% had detectable lead, mercury or arsenic, and the rate was higher in products made by the rasa shastra herb-plus-metal method. The study did not single out triphala or any other single herb.

Sources