Triphala (Hindi: त्रिफला; Sanskrit: त्रिफला, triphalā, “three fruits”) is a fruit drink[1] or infusion produced from chebulic myrobalan (Sanskrit: हरीतकी, harītakī; Hindi: हरीतकी, haritaki), beleric myrobalan (Sanskrit: विभीतकी, vibhītakī; Hindi: बिभीतकी, bibhitaki), and emblic myrobalan (Sanskrit: आमलकी, āmalakī; Hindi: आँवला, ā̃vlā). Containing vitamin C, it is considered an Ayurvedic rasayana formula when the dried and powdered fruit are prepared in a 1:1:1[2] or 1:2:3 ratio.[3] It is one of the most common Ayurvedic treatments in the world.[2] Less prominently, as sanlejiang, the drink has a 1200-year history as a kind of fruit wine in China[4] with the non-alcoholic form now being marketed there as a traditional herbal remedy.[5]
History
The Charaka Samhita[6] as we know today is from 1st century CE finds earliest records of Triphala. According to Charak, taking the Triphala Rasayana (Triphala with honey and ghee) daily has the potential to make a person live for one hundred years devoid of old age and diseases.[7] Sushruta Samhita[7] from 12-13th century CE and Bhavaprakasha Nighantu from 16th CE[8] also mention triphala repeatedly.
The earliest record of triphala in China is Li Zhao‘s c. 820 Supplement to the Book of Tang (Tangguoshi Bu), which lists it in a section on domestic and foreign alcohol available in the Tang capital Chang’an.[4] It states the Chinese formulation was based on a recipe from Persia.[4] One such recipe is included in Han E‘s mid- or late-Tang Summary of the Four Seasons (《四時纂要》, Sì Shí Zuǎnyào), first published in 996: pulverize 3 liang (about 120 grams or 4 ounces) of the pits of each of the 3 fruits to a sesame seed consistency; thoroughly mix 1 dou (about 2 liters or 0.5 U.S. gallons) of clear honey with 2 dou of fresh clear water before adding the pulverized seeds; seal tightly with clean paper; open, stir, remove internal condensation, and reseal to allow fermentation to proceed; and reopen and consume after thirty days.[9] Han praised the sweet resulting wine as a digestif, deflatulent, and mild laxative.[10] The Ming-era encyclopedist Gao Lian copied much of this in his Eight Treatises on Nurturing Life (《遵生八笺》, Zūnshēng Bā Jiān) but emended the recipe to use 3 liang total in the mixture.[10] Commenters varied as to whether preparation in the 8th or 9th lunar month (normally September or October) produced the best results.[11]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ Chen (2021), p. 1.
- ^ a b O’Mathuna (2011).
- ^ Parveen & al. (2018).
- ^ a b c Chen (2021), p. 3.
- ^ Chen (2021), p. 2.
- ^ Bairwa, Vinay Kumar (2025). “Triphala’s characteristics and potential therapeutic uses in modern health” (PDF). International Journal of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Pharmacology. 17 (2): 19–36. doi:10.62347/OBSS5026. PMC 12089839. PMID 40401115.
- ^ a b Peterson, Christine Tara; Denniston, Kate; Chopra, Deepak (August 2017). “Therapeutic Uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic Medicine”. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (New York, N.Y.). 23 (8): 607–614. doi:10.1089/acm.2017.0083. ISSN 1557-7708. PMC 5567597. PMID 28696777.
- ^ Rajagopala, Manjusha; B K, Dhanisha (31 January 2023). “A narrative review of Triphala (fruits of three myrobalans) in ophthalmology” (PDF). Annals of Ayurvedic Medicine. 12 (1): 56–68.
- ^ Chen (2021), pp. 4–5.
- ^ a b Chen (2021), p. 5.
- ^ Chen (2021), p. 6.
Bibliography
- Ming Chen (2021), “‘Method from Persia’: Study of the Origins of the ‘Three Myrobalan Decoction’“ (PDF), Hualin International Journal of Buddhist Studies, vol. 4, pp. 1–78.
- O’Mathuna, Donal (12 April 2011), “Does It Work? Can Triphala Act as an Antimicrobial?”, Irish Times
- Parveen, Romana; et al. (March 2018), “Phytochemical Analysis and In-Vitro Biochemical Characterization of Aqueous and Methanolic Extract of Triphala, a Conventional Herbal Remedy”, Biotechnology Reports, vol. 17, Elsevier, pp. 126–136, doi:10.1016/j.btre.2018.02.003, PMC 5881245, PMID 29619331.