The short answer
Triphala Guggulu is a tablet of purified guggulu gum pounded with the three triphala fruits and pippali (long pepper). Guggulu is more than half of it by weight. The formulary lists it for swelling (shotha), fistula-in-ano (bhagandara), piles (arsha) and abdominal lumps (gulma). In one Indian study of 129 people with bleeding piles, 55 had marked relief, but they also had a medicated enema and there was no comparison group.
Guggulu has its own interaction pages; in one small study a guggulu extract lowered blood levels of propranolol and diltiazem. Isolated piperine, a compound in pepper, raised phenytoin levels in another small study; this formulation was not tested. One US-made sample tested in 2008 contained lead, mercury and arsenic, though the recipe has no metal. If you take heart, blood pressure, epilepsy or blood-thinning medicine, tell your doctor before you start it.
What is in it
The official recipe is in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, formulation 5:5 (printed page 68).[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haritaki (harad) | Terminalia chebula | Fruit rind | 48 g |
| Bibhitaka (baheda) | Terminalia bellirica | Fruit rind | 48 g |
| Amalaki (amla) | Emblica officinalis | Fruit rind | 48 g |
| Krishna (pippali, long pepper) | Piper longum | Pericarp [sic] | 48 g |
| Guggulu, purified | Commiphora wightii | Gum (exudate) | 240 g |
From the 2003 printed edition, which labels the pippali part P. (pericarp), probably a misprint for fruit, and the guggulu part as exudate (the e-book copy says oleoresin). The 2023 amendment does not change this entry. These are batch amounts, not doses.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Sharngadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda 7.82-82½ in the 2003 print (the e-book copy gives 82-83). The verse asks for three palas of triphala powder, one pala of krishna (pippali) and five palas of guggulu, pounded together into pills.[1]
What it is used for
- The formulary lists it for shotha (swelling), bhagandara (fistula-in-ano), arsha (piles) and gulma (abdominal lump).[1]
What the evidence says
Small clinical study129 people with bleeding piles were treated with an enema of Apamarga kshara (apamarga alkali) and Triphala Guggulu, and 55 had marked relief. Everyone got both treatments, and there was no group without them, so the study cannot show what the tablet did on its own.[2]
In vitroIn lab tests on purified enzymes, extracts of Triphala Guggulu blocked hyaluronidase and collagenase, two enzymes that break down cartilage. They were 50 and 4 times stronger than an intermediate guggulu product. Findings in a test tube show a possible route of action. They do not show the tablet protects joints in people.[3]
Safety notes
- In a small study of healthy men, one dose of gugulipid, a guggulu extract, lowered blood levels of propranolol and diltiazem, which could weaken them. That tested the extract, not this tablet. See Guggulu with propranolol or diltiazem.[5]
- Contains pippali. In a small study of people with epilepsy, a single dose of piperine, a compound in pippali and black pepper, raised blood levels of phenytoin. That study used isolated piperine, not this tablet. See Pippali and phenytoin.[6]
- Guggulu also has pages on blood thinners, thyroid medicine, statins and birth control pills.
- In a 2008 US study, one Trifala Guggulu sold by Bazaar of India and made by By the Planet (USA) contained lead 20.5, mercury 25.5 and arsenic 27.0 micrograms per gram. That is one historical sample from one maker, not a finding about every Triphala Guggulu. The formulary recipe itself has no metal ingredient.[4]
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Baidyanath, Patanjali (Divya), Dhootapapeshwar. We list names so you can match your bottle to this page. We do not recommend or sell any brand.
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Is Triphala Guggulu the same as Triphala Churna?
No. Triphala Churna is the three fruit rinds alone. Triphala Guggulu adds pippali and a large amount of guggulu gum, which makes up more than half the tablet by weight.[1]
Related
Triphala Churna
Three fruits in one powder, best known as a laxative. Human trials are few and small; most research is in the lab or in animals.
InteractionGuggulu with propranolol or diltiazem
In a small study of healthy men, one dose of gugulipid lowered blood levels of propranolol and of diltiazem. That could weaken their effect.
InteractionGuggulu and blood thinners (warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel)
Lab studies suggest guggul speeds up a liver enzyme that helps clear warfarin. Which way the INR would move is not known, and no study tested the pair.
InteractionPippali, black pepper and phenytoin
Piperine, the compound in pippali and black pepper, raised phenytoin blood levels in two small Indian studies. Phenytoin has a narrow safe range.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Triphala Guggulu, 5:5, printed page 68.
- Mehra R, Makhija R, Vyas N. A clinical study on the role of Ksara Vasti and Triphala Guggulu in Raktarsha (bleeding piles). Ayu. 2011;32(2):192-195. PMID 22408301.
- Sumantran VN, Kulkarni AA, Harsulkar A, et al. Hyaluronidase and collagenase inhibitory activities of the herbal formulation Triphala guggulu. J Biosci. 2007;32(4):755-761. PMID 17762148.
- Saper RB, Phillips RS, Sehgal A, et al. Lead, mercury, and arsenic in US- and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines sold via the Internet. JAMA. 2008;300(8):915-23. PMID 18728265.
- Dalvi SS, Nayak VK, Pohujani SM, Desai NK, Kshirsagar NA, Gupta KC. Effect of gugulipid on bioavailability of diltiazem and propranolol. J Assoc Physicians India. 1994;42:454-455. PMID 7852226.
- Pattanaik S, Hota D, Prabhakar S, Kharbanda P, Pandhi P. Effect of piperine on the steady-state pharmacokinetics of phenytoin in patients with epilepsy. Phytother Res. 2006;20(8):683-686. PMID 16767797.
Updated 4 November 2026
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