Triphala

Triphala Churna

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Plaque and gingivitis¹ Lower gastrointestinal symptoms² Lipid profile³ Body weight and waist circumference^{3, 4} Fasting glucose in diabetes³ Immune function⁵	Drugs cleared by cytochrome P450 3A4⁵ Drugs cleared by cytochrome P450 2D6⁵

Triphala is an Ayurvedic formulation of the dried fruits of Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, and Terminalia bellirica⁵. Its activity is attributed to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects plus a mild laxative action in the colon². It is used as a mouth rinse for plaque and gingivitis, by patients seeking an alternative to chlorhexidine¹. It is also used for lipid, glucose, and body weight parameters, for lower gastrointestinal symptoms including constipation², and for immune function, where the trials are few.

Randomized mouth rinse trials, pooled in a meta-analysis, found efficacy equal to chlorhexidine for plaque-induced gingivitis, though heterogeneity was high. A pediatric meta-analysis found no significant difference between the two rinses⁶. A systematic review of randomized trials found improved lipids, body weight, and waist circumference under certain conditions, with lower fasting glucose only in diabetic patients³. In a 2025 in vitro and computational study, Triphala fractions inhibited pancreatic lipase, and no trial has tested that mechanism in people. Products listing Triphala number 576 and come as capsules, tablets, and tea bags; see Form comparison.

The most consequential caution is metabolic: per Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Triphala inhibits cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 and 2D6, which can raise exposure to medications cleared by those enzymes⁵. Short-term trials in healthy volunteers and in patients after coronavirus disease 2019 reported good tolerability.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

55 sources, 40 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources