Triphala is an Ayurvedic preparation of three dried fruits in equal proportions: amalaki or amla (Phyllanthus emblica, also written Emblica officinalis), haritaki (Terminalia chebula) and bibhitaki (Terminalia bellerica). Its main constituents are tannins and the related gallic, ellagic and chebulinic acids, and a decoction of it is one of the traditional liquids used to purify raw shilajit. Triphala is taken for health reasons and the human trials are small and short, so follow your doctor's advice before using it or any product made with it.
At a glance
- A 2017 review in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine describes triphala as the dried fruits of three species "generally in equal proportions"; a 2018 review in Chinese Medicine gives the ratio as 1:1:1.
- The 2018 review puts tannins at 30 to 40 per cent of haritaki fruit and vitamin C in amla at up to 445 mg per 100 g, and names gallic acid the major constituent of all three fruits.
- A 2021 systematic review in the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine found 12 randomised trials of triphala with 749 participants in total, lasting from 25 days to 12 months.
- A 2012 phase I study gave triphala to 20 healthy volunteers for two weeks with no placebo group, and reported no adverse effects.
- A 2024 study in the International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research made its triphala decoction with about 16 times the fruits' weight in water, boiled down to a quarter, to purify raw shilajit.
What is triphala made of?
Triphala, from the Sanskrit tri, three, and phala, fruits, is the dried fruits of three trees, amalaki, haritaki and bibhitaki, in equal amounts. The fruits are powdered, or boiled in water for a decoction, the form used in shilajit purification.
The 2017 review by Peterson, Denniston and Chopra describes the formula as "consisting of dried fruits of the three plant species" Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellerica and Terminalia chebula, "generally in equal proportions". The 2018 review by Tarasiuk, Mosińska and Fichna says the same, "dried fruits from three herbal plants in equal proportions", and its table gives the ratio as 1:1:1. Amla appears under two botanical names in these papers, Emblica officinalis and Phyllanthus emblica; bibhitaki is also spelled bellirica, though the sources we read spell it bellerica.
| Fruit | Botanical name | Part used | Constituents named in the sources | Quality (guna) in the 2017 review | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amalaki (amla, Indian gooseberry) | Phyllanthus emblica (Emblica officinalis) | Dried fruit | Vitamin C up to 445 mg per 100 g; gallic acid and other polyphenols | Heavy and dry | Tarasiuk 2018; Peterson 2017 |
| Haritaki (harad, black myrobalan) | Terminalia chebula | Dried fruit | Tannins 30 to 40 per cent, including chebulic, chebulinic and neochebulinic acid; gallic acid | Light and dry | Tarasiuk 2018; Peterson 2017 |
| Bibhitaki (baheda, bastard myrobalan) | Terminalia bellerica | Dried fruit | Gallic acid, tannic acid and ellagic acid, listed in the review's table | Light and dry | Tarasiuk 2018; Peterson 2017 |
What does each fruit contain?
All three fruits are rich in tannins and related phenolic acids, and gallic acid is the one compound common to all of them. Amla adds vitamin C in unusual quantity. The 2018 review states that "the major phytoconstituent of T. bellerica, T. chebula and P. emblica fruits is gallic acid". For haritaki it says the fruits "are a rich source of tannins (30–40%)"; for amla, that the fruits "are high in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), reaching up to 445 mg per 100 g"; for bibhitaki its table lists gallic, tannic and ellagic acid, with no tannin figure in the prose. The 2017 review takes the formula as a whole: "the major constituents of the formula are the tannins, gallic acid, ellagic acid, and chebulinic acid".
Where does triphala appear in the Ayurvedic texts?
In both foundational texts. The 2017 review cites the Charaka Samhita, where triphala with honey and ghee is described as a rasayana, and the Sushruta Samhita, where it is indicated for ulcers and wounds. Both are claims of tradition, not of evidence.
The review also gives the formula's classification within Ayurveda: a "tridoshic rasayana", held in the system's own terms to suit all three doshas; a taste (rasa) that is "sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent"; and qualities (gunas) that differ by fruit, amalaki "heavy and dry", haritaki and bibhitaki "light and dry". These are the tradition's descriptions; no trial has tested the dosha framework.
How is triphala decoction used to purify shilajit?
Raw shilajit comes off the rock mixed with stone and soil, so Ayurveda requires shodhana, a purification step, before use. Triphala decoction is one of the traditional liquids for it: the raw material is soaked in the decoction, the solids settle, and the liquid is drawn off and dried.
The 2024 study by Keshwar and colleagues, from an Ayurvedic research company, puts the reason plainly: because shilajit is exposed to soil and rock as it seeps out, it "is highly susceptible to be incorporated with the adulterants and toxic elements like rock pieces, heavy metal ions, vegetable compounds, reactive free radicals, toxins and soil particles". Without purification, the authors say, its use "may lead to adverse health effects", which is why "the Ayurvedic texts emphasize the use of purified, or Shodhit, Shilajit". They describe the traditional method as decocting shilajit with triphala in water, and made their decoction this way:
- Dry the three fruits, awala (amla), hirda (haritaki) and baheda (bibhitaki), clean them and pulverise them.
- Weigh equal amounts of each into a container.
- Add purified water, about 16 times the weight of the fruit.
- Heat until a quarter of the volume remains.
- Cool and filter. The filtrate is the triphala decoction.
Cleaned raw shilajit then soaked in the decoction for 24 hours; stones and soil settled, and the liquid above was decanted and evaporated to a paste. What that did to the batch's ash and fulvic acid figures is in how shilajit is collected and purified; in short, total ash fell by more than half.
Triphala's particular role in the study was as a marker. Gallic acid, which the authors call the "marker compound of Triphala decoction", was detected by thin-layer chromatography in the decoction, in each of the three fruits and in the shilajit purified with it, which the authors read as the triphala constituents passing into the purified shilajit. A shilajit bought on the market and labelled as purified showed no gallic acid band, which they took to mean it had not been through triphala shodhana. That is one sample, but it shows what the decoction leaves behind: a chemical fingerprint of the fruits.
Purification with triphala is a processing step, not a heavy-metal test; a product that says "shodhit" still needs a batch certificate, and what one should show is in shilajit heavy metal testing. Himdhara's Shilajit Gold Resin is purified with triphala, and its batch certificate, the manufacturer's own, is on the lab reports page.
What human trials exist for triphala itself?
More than for shilajit, but still small, short and uneven. One systematic review found 12 randomised trials. The rest is single studies without placebo groups, dental mouthwash comparisons, and reviews that admit the evidence on the gut is unclear.
The 2021 systematic review by Phimarn, Sungthong and Itabe looked at lipid, glucose and body-measurement outcomes. It included 12 randomised controlled trials with 749 participants, lasting from 25 days to 12 months; nine trials (551 participants) reported lipids and six (357 participants, all with obesity) reported weight or waist measurements, the longest of those running three months. Eight of the twelve were rated low risk of bias, but most did not say whether they used an extract or a powder. No serious adverse event was reported. The authors' conclusion is that "large well-designed RCTs are required to confirm this conclusion".
The 2012 phase I study by Phetkate and colleagues gave triphala capsules to 20 healthy volunteers, 10 men and 10 women aged 20 to 45, for two weeks, and followed them for four. It reported rises in cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells from the first week and no adverse effects. The paper describes no placebo group; the comparisons are against each volunteer's own starting values, so it cannot show an effect on health.
The 2017 review lists several trials of triphala mouthwash against chlorhexidine, from 48 hours to nine months, with similar reductions in plaque and gingival scores, but gives no participant numbers. On the gut, the 2018 review is candid: "Literature data does not provide any clear evidence showing the effect of TLP on the human digestive tract", and "currently, there are no clinical trials assessing the effects of herbal formulations of TLP on clinical course of IBS".
Does triphala on a label tell you anything about the product?
Only that triphala was used, not the fruit quality, the decoction strength, how long the soak was, or whether the batch was tested afterwards. In the 2024 study, the in-house batch carried the triphala fingerprint while a marketed "purified" sample carried none: the same word on two labels, two different processes. Read the batch certificate before the ingredient list, whether for the Shilajit Gold Resin or any other brand.
The short version
Triphala is three dried fruits, amla, haritaki and bibhitaki, in equal parts, rich in tannins and gallic acid, with amla contributing vitamin C. A decoction of it is one of the traditional liquids for purifying raw shilajit, and one 2024 laboratory batch showed the decoction's gallic acid passing into the purified shilajit. The human evidence for triphala itself is 12 short randomised trials, a 20-person phase I study and some dental comparisons, with the gut claim untested. Purification is a process, not a safety test. Follow your doctor's advice before taking triphala or any shilajit product.
Sources
Further reading behind the figures above. Himdhara's own numbers — yields, batch results — come from our production records and the batch reports on the lab reports page.
- Peterson CT, Denniston K, Chopra D (2017). Therapeutic Uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic Medicine. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
- Tarasiuk A, Mosińska P, Fichna J (2018). Triphala: current applications and new perspectives on the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Chinese Medicine.
- Phimarn W, Sungthong B, Itabe H (2021). Effects of Triphala on Lipid and Glucose Profiles and Anthropometric Parameters: A Systematic Review. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine.
- Phetkate P, Kummalue T, U-pratya Y, Kietinun S (2012). Significant Increase in Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes and Natural Killer Cells by Triphala: A Clinical Phase I Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
- Keshwar U, Matey D, Padole M, Dhurde S, Shrikhande BK (2024). Assessing the Effect of Shodhana (Purification) Process by Triphala Decoction on Shilajit Using High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography. International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research.