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Triphala Guggulu

Triphala Guggulu is a classical Ayurvedic guggulu, a resin-based preparation. Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I; monographed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); individual Triphala components listed in WHO selected medicinal plants monographs. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 5:5) lists 5 ingredients: Haritaki 48 g, Bibhitaka 48 g, Amalaki 48 g, Krsna (pippali) 48 g and Guggulu-suddha 240 g.

Key facts
Also known asTriphala Guggulu, TriphalaGuggulu
Pharmacopoeia statusListed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I; monographed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); individual Triphala components listed in WHO selected medicinal plants monographs

Composition

As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 5:5 (TRIPHALA GUGGULU), which cites Sarmgadharasamhita Madhyamakhanda Adhyaya 7;82-82½) — as OCR'd: "(Sarmgadharasamhita Madhyamakhanda Adhyaya 7;82-82%)". Names, parts and quantities are transcribed as printed and checked row by row against the book. Manufacturers' versions of a classical formulation can differ from the formulary.

#IngredientPartQuantity
1Haritakipericarp48 g.
2Bibhitakapericarp48 g.
3Amalaki *pericarp48 g.
4Krsna (pippali) (pippali (printed in the entry itself as "Krsna(pippali)")) *pericarp48 g.
5Guggulu-suddhaexudate240 g.

* The scanned text was damaged at this row and the name was read from the entry's own Sanskrit verse.

The Formulary gives the dose as 3 g, with anupana, the vehicle it is taken with, of Warm water. This is what the Formulary records for the classical preparation. It is not a dose for any product, and not advice to take anything.

Source scan of the formulary

The evidence at a glance

7papers on this site for this drug, published 2007 to 2024, every one with a DOI.

  • 1Randomised controlled trials
  • 6Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishTriphala Guggulu

Where is it described in the classical texts?

Sharangdhara Samhita (Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 7); also described in Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam

How does it work?

  • Adipogenesis inhibition: Triphala polyphenols suppress the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and downregulate PPARG and C/EBPalpha transcription factors, inhibiting fat cell differentiation and proliferation
  • Lipid metabolism regulation: Guggulsterones act as FXR antagonists promoting bile acid synthesis and cholesterol excretion; some studies have reported effects of Triphala components on lipid levels, though the placebo-controlled trial listed below found no significant effect on total or LDL cholesterol
  • Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant: Gallic acid, ellagic acid, and chebulagic acid from Triphala reduce IL-6, CRP, and MDA levels while enhancing SOD and adiponectin
  • Gut microbiome modulation: Triphala promotes growth of beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus) while inhibiting pathogenic bacteria, improving metabolic function
  • Neurotransmitter regulation: Animal studies show increased serotonin and dopamine levels, suggesting regulation of appetite and mood pathways relevant to obesity

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.

  • A systematic review and meta-analysis reported anti-obesity effects. Mechanism studies reported modulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.
  • Evidence on lipids is mixed: the placebo-controlled randomized trial listed below found no statistically superior effect versus placebo on total and LDL cholesterol after three months.
  • Traditionally used for digestive regulation and Ama elimination. Studies have reported prebiotic effects on the gut microbiome and laxative action.
  • In the context of metabolic syndrome, animal studies have reported effects on glucose, leptin, adiponectin, and inflammatory markers.

What do recent studies show?

Only studies that could be traced to a published paper are listed here. Classical formulations are researched largely in journals that PubMed does not index, so an absence here reflects the reach of the index rather than the state of the evidence.

Recent safety updates

  • No serious adverse events reported across clinical trials; mild GI symptoms (loose stools) may occur due to laxative effect of Triphala; avoid in pregnancy, lactation, and severe dehydration
  • Large well-designed RCTs still required to confirm long-term efficacy and safety; guggulu component may interact with anticoagulant and thyroid medications; discontinue 2 weeks before surgery

What is it made of?

The Ayurvedic Formulary of India recipe, every ingredient with its part and quantity, is in the composition table near the top of this page.

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Vati (pill/tablet), Capsule

Standard Dosage: 3 g, as given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 5:5. 2 tablets twice daily. The page’s tablet count and this weight relate only through the mass of a tablet, which the formulary does not state. The formulary’s anupana: Warm water.

Optimal Timing: After meals, twice daily

Storage: Airtight container, cool dry place; guggulu preparations are hygroscopic

Marker Compounds: Guggulsterone, Gallic acid, Piperine

Vehicle (Anupana): Warm water

Synergistic Combinations

  • Key herbs: Triphala, Guggulu, Pippali; guggulu potentiates anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic actions

What manufacturers publish about this preparation

Disclosure first. This site is published by Age Ayurveda, which sells Ayurvedic products, though not this preparation. Every cell states what that company's own product page carried when it was read, not our judgement of it. There is no score, no rank and no winner here, and the table is in alphabetical order for that reason.

The formulary entry above fixes the ingredients and the quantity of each. Whether you can check a particular product against it depends on what its manufacturer publishes. Of the 3 companies surveyed that sell a product under this name, this is what their pages carried when they were read on 8 October 2026.

CompanyWhat its product page publishes
Maharishi AyurvedaNeither an ingredient list nor quantities
Patanjali AyurvedAn ingredient list, without quantities
Shree DhootapapeshwarIngredients and the quantity of each

This measures what each company publishes, not the quality of anything it makes. A company that publishes nothing here may make an excellent preparation, and the label in the box is a separate, regulated surface that is not what was read. What disclosure changes is whether a reader, a pharmacist or an answer engine can check a product against the formulary entry it claims.

Method, the full counts across every company surveyed, and what this measurement got wrong the first time: which manufacturers publish what is in the bottle. The URL of every page read is recorded in brand-disclosure.json. If a row here is wrong, including where the correction favours a company other than ours, tell us and we will fix it and say that we did. How the same companies' stated doses compare with the formulary dose, preparation by preparation: Ayurvedic company doses against the Ayurvedic Formulary of India.

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Randomised controlled trials1

  1. Donato F, Raffetti E, Toninelli G and others. 2021. Guggulu and Triphala for the Treatment of Hypercholesterolaemia: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Randomised TrialComplementary medicine research. PMID 33242870 · doi:10.1159/000510985

Laboratory and animal studies6

  1. Inpan R, Sakuludomkan C, Na Takuathung M and others. 2024. Network Pharmacology Revealing the Therapeutic Potential of Bioactive Components of Triphala and Their Molecular Mechanisms against ObesityInternational journal of molecular sciences. PMID 39409084 · doi:10.3390/ijms251910755
  2. Sumantran VN, Kulkarni AA, Harsulkar A and others. 2007. Hyaluronidase and collagenase inhibitory activities of the herbal formulation Triphala gugguluJournal of biosciences. PMID 17762148 · doi:10.1007/s12038-007-0075-3
  3. Nema A, Gupta SK, Dudhamal T and others. 2020. Efficacy of Guggulu and Shallaki based Ksharasutra with Triphala Guggulu orally in the management of Bhagandara w.s.r. to fistula-in-ano: A open labelled randomized comparative clinical studyAyu. PMID 35813359 · doi:10.4103/ayu.AYU_156_16
  4. Muguli G, Gowda VD, Dutta V and others. 2015. A contemporary approach on design, development, and evaluation of Ayurvedic formulation - Triphala GugguluAyu. PMID 27313420 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.182748
  5. Muguli G, Vadaparthi PR, Ramesh B and others. 2015. A novel high-performance liquid chromatography-electron spray ionization-mass spectrometry method for simultaneous determination of guggulsterones, piperine and gallic acid in Triphala gugguluPharmacognosy magazine. PMID 26109777 · doi:10.4103/0973-1296.157696
  6. Mehra R, Makhija R, Vyas N. 2011. A clinical study on the role of Ksara Vasti and Triphala Guggulu in Raktarsha (Bleeding piles)Ayu. PMID 22408301 · doi:10.4103/0974-8520.92572

Reference lists that include it

Gallic acid, Piperine

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.