The hepatitis C virus causes hepatitis C, a liver disease that can involve inflammation of the liver, compromised liver function and, in severe cases, liver scarring and serious illness. Triphala is a traditional remedy containing three botanical preparations that may be beneficial for your liver, helping preserve liver function and reduce symptoms if you have hepatitis C. Talk to your doctor to discuss whether triphala is appropriate for your situation.
Symptoms, Transmission and Risk Factors
Hepatitis C sometimes causes no symptoms for up to 10 years after initial infection, according to the National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse. Eventually, after significant liver damage has occurred, you may experience yellowing of your skin and eyes, slow blood-clotting time, swelling in your abdomen, fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, diarrhea, fever or light-colored stools. The infection is generally transmitted from person to person through contact with infected bodily fluids or with contaminated needles. Your risk of contracting hepatitis C is increased if you have multiple sex partners, had a blood transfusion or organ transplantation before 1992, received blood products before 1987 or have used illegal drugs administered by injection. Some health-care workers are also at increased risk of contracting hepatitis C.
Triphala
Triphala is an herbal remedy that practitioners of Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine, have used for thousands of years. Triphala contains equal parts of three fruits: harada, or Termnalia chebula; amla, or Emblica officinalis; and bihara, or Terminalia bellerica. In addition to being good sources of nutrition and vitamin C, the fruits also contain several natural compounds that have significant biological activity and are responsible for triphala's medicinal value. These components include flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols and several volatile oils.
Actions
Several compounds in triphala, including the high level of vitamin C in amla, are potent antioxidants that help protect your cells from damage caused by metabolic byproducts and environmental toxins. Because your liver must clear many of these agents from your blood, triphala may lessen stress on your liver cells. This is supported by results of laboratory studies showing that amla protects liver cells from damaging effects of drugs and prevents liver scarring. In one of these, published in "Biological and Pharmacological Bulletin" in 2005, amla reversed toxin-induced liver scarring in laboratory animals fed an extract of the fruit. Harada and bihara in triphala are antiviral agents, reducing growth of several different viruses as shown by research summarized on the Nutrition Review website, and all three components of triphala may enhance function of your immune system.
Recommendations
Triphala is available as a supplement in capsules from health food stores or Indian groceries. it is generally considered a safe supplement, although it may cause mild gastric upset or diarrhea in some people, and its safety during pregnancy or breast-feeding has not been established. Consult your doctor before adding triphala to your routine.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Clearinghouse: What I Need to Know About Hepatitis C
- Nutrition Review; Triphala; J. English
- Drugs.com: Emblica
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Triphala
- Drugs.com: Terminalia
- "Biological and Phamacological Bulletin"; Reversal of Fibrogenic Events in Liver by Emblica Officinalis (Fruit), an Indian Natural Drug; S. Tasduq, et al.; July 2005
