Health Benefits Of Triphala For Cancer Patients

Have you or a friend or family member had cancer? If so, please familiarize yourself with Triphala. This elixir preparation dates back thousands of years and has been reported to have existed in India.

Today, let me describe how it can perhaps assist a cancer patient and what you would need to understand about it.

What is Triphala anyway?

Triphala is a powder blend of three common dry fruits found in India. These three dry fruit powders are mixed in a certain number of proportions (formulations). This unique blend is a great healing concoction.

What’s unique about Triphala for cancer patients?

Each one of the three fruits in Triphala contains helpful compounds. Here’s what makes each fruit special:

Amalaki or Indian Gooseberry:

Packed with Vitamin C (as much as 20 times that of an orange)
Antioxidant-potent
Rich in mineral content, especially iron and calcium
Abundant in natural immune-strengthening properties
It has a fiber content to promote digestive system health

Bibhitaki and Haritaki:

With the high antioxidant level
Comes with anti-inflammatory properties
High in fiber content
Assists in promoting digestion
Supports the proper performance of the liver

How could Triphala be helpful to a cancer patient during the treatment?

Any person undergoing cancer treatment is going to challenge their body. Triphala could be helpful in more than one way. First, it might alleviate diarrhea, a problem caused by chemotherapy and radiation. Often, patients have a difficult time eating or feel sick, and gentle digestion support with Triphala may calm them down.

Triphala is antioxidant-rich. These are like tiny soldiers in your body combating damage caused by free radicals, harmful molecules that move around and wreak havoc on healthy cells. When you are in cancer treatment, your body could produce some extra free radicals, so it’s good to have a bit of antioxidants on board.

Can Triphala address the side effects of cancer treatment?

It has many beneficial effects on most side effects of cancer treatments.

For example, it can reduce nausea and constipation caused by chemotherapy. Fiber from Triphala helps maintain a regular bowel movement; its gentle properties help settle an upset stomach.

In a few cases, patients even remark an increase in energy. This could be due to improving the body’s nutrient absorption and supporting the liver. If the body can better use the nutrients from food intake, it should have more energy.

Is Triphala safe during the treatment of cancer?

Despite Triphala’s safety profile, patients must consult their doctor before taking the remedy. For cancer treatment patients, this should be done immediately. Your doctor must know everything you take, including the natural supplement, so that it won’t conflict with your treatment.

Some individuals experience minor side effects when they first start on Triphala. Gentle changes in bowel or gut activity are treatable and may even be caused by the herbal remedy. A general guideline is, to begin with a small dose and add more each week or two as you adapt your body to these medications.

How should a cancer patient take Triphala?

If your doctor allows it, you can start out taking small amounts. It comes in powder, tablet, or liquid form; most people like it in powdered form with warm water. Traditionally, the best way is to take it on an empty stomach – first thing in the morning or before bed.

A standard starting dosage is half a teaspoon of powder mixed in warm water. You can increase this to one teaspoon if you can tolerate the taste. Triphala tastes very bitter and a little sour. If you do not like the taste, you may prefer tablets.

What other benefits might cancer patients get from Triphala?

Beyond helping with digestion and providing antioxidants, Triphala may have other applications. It may boost the immune system. This is important because a weakened immune system could also mean that one’s body will more likely give in to the foreign growths initiated by cancer. Some patients say they sleep better when taking Triphala, while others claim they feel more emotionally balanced.

The herb may also calm inflammation in the body. Cancer treatments are notorious for causing inflammation so that any plant-based anti-inflammatory may be helpful.

Is there a case when, being a cancer patient, one shouldn’t take Triphala?

Indeed, to enumerate, you will have to cease taking Triphala two weeks before the surgery. You must also be cautious with blood thinners and bleeding problems, as Triphala may provoke bleeding.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as people with severe digestive conditions, should avoid taking Triphala without consulting their doctor. Also, waiting until diarrhea or any other severe gastrointestinal condition has passed is advisable before taking Triphala.

How long does it take to have an effect?

Like all herbal medicines, Triphala takes time to work. Some people notice a significant improvement in digestion within two to three days, but other benefits may take weeks to be appreciated. All in all, you have to be patient if a healthcare worker agrees that you’re taking it.

Conclusion

Remember that Triphala is not a substitute for cancer treatment. It is an adjunct treatment that could perhaps help an individual feel better while receiving some form of cancer treatment. Always keep your medical team informed about what supplements you’re using; when there are unusual reactions, stop Triphala.

Then, knowing how to take Triphala safely and what to expect, you will be able to judge whether it may be of value to you in your journey with cancer. Remember, we are individuals, and something will work great for one person but not for another.