Planetary Formulas Triphala Internal Cleanser is a potent yet gentle formula, designed to support the body's natural cleansing process. Triphala uniquely cleanses and detoxifies at the deepest organic levels without depleting the body's reserves. This has been used to improves digestion, reduce cholesterol, improve circulation, reduce high blood pressure and improve liver function among other things. This makes it one of the most valuable herbal preparations in the world. Michael Tierra learned about Triphala while studying Ayurveda in India, and subsequently introduced it to the United States. It has been one of the most important formulas of Ayurvedic herbalism for thousands of years.
Benefits:
- Improves digestion,
- Reduces serum cholesterol,
- Improves circulation (potentiates adrenergic function),
- contains 31% linoleic acid,
- Exerts a marked cardio-protective effect,
- Reduces high blood pressure,
- Improves liver function,
- Has proven anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties,
- Expectorant, hypotensive.
How is Triphala different from other kinds of laxatives? There are two primary types of herbal laxatives. One is called a purgative and includes herbs such as senna, rhubarb, leptandra, buckthorne and cascara. These often contain bitter principles in the form of anthroquinones which work by stimulating the peristaltic action of the intestinal lining, either directly or by promoting the secretion of bile through the liver and gall bladder.
The second type of laxative is a lubricating bulk laxative, including demulcent herbs such as psyllium and flax seed. This is more nutritional and usually does not have any significant direct effect on either the liver or the gall bladder. Rather, these work like a sponge by swelling and absorbing fluid, thus acting as an intestinal broom.
Triphala combines both nutritional as well as blood and liver cleansing actions. It has little function as a demulcent or lubricating laxative, however. It possesses some anthroquinones which help stimulate bile flow and peristalsis. The nutritional aspect is more in the form of its high vitamin C content, the presence of linoleic oil and other important nutrients which it makes more of a tonic.
People who are in need of purgatives are those whose bowel irregularity is caused by liver and gall bladder congestion usually accompanied by some degree of blood toxins. Those in need of demulcent laxatives are those with intestinal dryness caused by a variety of metabolic factors including a nutritional deficiency as well as a condition of excess hypermetabolic energy.
Triphala will prove useful for all kinds of constipation except that caused by a lack of vital energy or chi. Even for the latter type, it will not further deplete such an individual and can be made to work well if it is combined with other chi, blood or yang-warming tonic herbs such as ginseng for chi tonification, tang kuei for blood tonification and prepared aconite for yang tonification.
Used as a household staple throughout India, Triphala is a balanced blend of three Indian herbal fruits: harada, amla, and behada. This formula is unique in that the astringent qualities of the fruits serve to tonify the colon, thereby promoting internal cleansing naturally.