How to Take Triphala Churna for Digestive Health
Triphala is an Ayurvedic preparation that is a combination of the powdered fruit of 3 different herbs — haritaki, bibhitaki and amalaki (commonly known as amla powder).
It is prized in Ayurveda for its ability to balance the doshas (the elements of body and mind) and enhance the process of digestion and elimination.
It is also beneficial for removing waste products from the digestive tract, cleansing the liver, gallbladder and kidneys and purifying the bloodstream.
As a precaution, it should not be used by pregnant women and consult your GP first if taking prescriptions. On the whole though, triphala churna in an excellent detoxification supplement well worth taking regularly.
Here’s how to use triphala powder to enhance digestion, reduce intestinal problems and improve general wellness. Also ahead is how to make it up to take and dosage recommendations for best results.
Recommended Dosage
Suggested starting dose for triphala powder is a level teaspoon (around 4 grams), stirred vigorously into a glass of very hot but not quite boiling water. I use this popular organic powder.
You leave this mixture to settle for at least 20 minutes, though it is often recommended of several hours, or even all day.
Then drink the whole glass in one sitting, leaving the sediment at the bottom. After this, refill the glass with very hot water, mix it well and leave it to use again for a second time.
Some people ask if triphala can be taken with milk. It’s possible but not recommended as it can curdle and will not taste any better.
How and When to Take It
The best time to take this triphala tea is in the evening, a couple of hours after dinner and just before bed. Follow it again first thing in the morning with a second dose made from the same powder left in the glass.
Here’s how I take triphala:
- Stir in a teaspoon of the powder into a glass of very hot water in the morning.
- Cover it and leave it for the rest of the day.
- Just before bed drink the tea right down to the sediment.
- Refill the glass with hot water, stir it well and cover it ready for the morning.
- After drinking the second tea in the morning, discard the sediment and stir up a new mixture for the evening.
Triphala churna is considered safe to take for longer periods if you are feeling beneficial effects from it. That said, it’s good practice to take regular breaks from any herbal supplement to maintain its effectiveness.
A commonly recommended timetable for using triphala is to take it for a month and then take at least a week off.
Larger Doses for Constipation
At the recommended dose of a teaspoon, triphala is considered more of an internal cleanser and bowel tonic. You will still be heading to the bathroom soon after you get up in the morning, but this should be a normal and easy bowel movement.
If stools are too loose you could try not taking it for a day and then starting again at half the dose and monitoring the effects.
If you do not feel the need to visit the bathroom soon after waking, the amount you take in the evening could be slowly increased by a gram or so each day until the desired result is achieved.
At doses of 8 grams (around two teaspoons) and above for constipation, triphala should have a stronger effect for most people.
It is best used at these higher doses for constipation for shorter periods only, perhaps just a day or two if needed.
Triphala Tablets Before Meals
A simpler way to take triphala is as a digestive aid before meals up to 3 times a day. This is a good way to take the tablets or capsules.
Dosages are usually lower, 1 gram or 2 capsules half an hour before a meal, with a large glass of water. At this amount its rejuvenating and balancing properties are usually noticed more than with the larger powder dose.
This is a gentler method for taking and would be suitable for people who didn’t want to drink the triphala tea due to the taste.
It may however take longer to show obvious beneficial effects as it’s cleansing actions would be less pronounced with the lower dosages in tablets or capsules.
If you’d prefer to use triphala tablets then these organic ones are good value and highly rated.
How Does It Taste?
With all the tannins and other nutritional compounds in amalaki, haritaki and bibhitaki, powdered triphala isn’t the best tasting preparation you’ll ever try.
Ayurvedic tradition says it has a combination of 5 of the 6 known tastes — bitter, sour, sweet, pungent and astringent with only salty missing.
When I first tried it the taste was definitely more in favor of the first 2 of these I’ll admit. But I knew the benefits of triphala and took the strong taste as proof of its potency.
Over time the taste has become more balanced to me with a combination of flavors and now I have no problem drinking my triphala tea daily.
If you feel the taste may put you off then capsules are an easy option for regular use. For larger dosages, for internal cleansing and as an occasional help with constipation, powdered preparations are much better value.
Have you tried using triphala churna before? I’d appreciate hearing about how you took it and what kind of effect it had for you personally.