Best herbs for constipation? Currently looking at triphala

[Takingcharge]

Good day people,

 

ive been looking at ways to deal with chronic constipation that ive had for at least 20 years. I go about every 4 days or 5,  other periods maybe 3 so, thats really not good.  and have been looking at organic triphala supplement.

 

my food intake btw, lots of green veg, brown rice and some meat.

 

the first has ingredients: 500mg:

amalaki

bibhitaki

haritaki

500mg

the other one has:

amalaki

bibhitaki

haritaki

trivrut

makandika

indravaruni

draksha

also 500 mg

so my original questiom before i decided to lace this topic with extra questions:

 

are these ingredients i can take lifelong if need be?

 

i bought a triphala supplement from the guys over at pukka, but it had a big dosage of liqorice root in it, whitch as far as i know should not be used for long periods of time, even had a guy die from eating to much. And also lowers testosterone 

 

what do you think?

toughts?

other Advice and recommendations are very welcome  as well

 
WHAT IVE BEEN DOING SO FAR:

-ive  been taking lemon juice every morning on an empty stomach

-as well as 200mg magnesium citrate

-as well as vitamin c

-i eat alot of green veg

 

-eating yoghurt with oatmeal 3 times a day helped some to but i had to stop dairy and oats unfortunately

  

Other things im considering:

-Adding in physilium husk to see what it does

-maybe drinking chia or flax seeds with water for extra fiber but that wont win me the race.

-doing 800 mg of magnesium citrate -ive seen people report this as doing the trick, however im insure what this will do to your copper reserves over time, and your electrolytes.  Im kind of new to the nutritional game

-im also considering a cleanse but wouldnt know whitch to get stilll looking into it

At some point ideally id like to do a juice cleanse or something that allows me to clean my colon n body FRom a life of so so eating, with very poor detoxification.

n clean up my biofome

 

-ive also heard of cascara, sagrada, to use

 

-and researching a good probiotic but not sure how safe that is yet. And wether there are risks

 

any and all toughts, recommendations and advice are welcomed!

 

thanks for your time,

Edited December 15, 2020 by Takingcharge

[Maddie]

15 minutes ago, Takingcharge said:

Good day people,

 

ive been looking at ways to deal with chronic constipation that ive had for at least 20 years. I go about every 4 days or 5,  other periods maybe 3 so, thats really not good.  and have been looking at organic triphala supplement.

 

my food intake btw, lots of green veg, brown rice and some meat.

 

the first has ingredients: 500mg:

amalaki

bibhitaki

haritaki

500mg

the other one has:

amalaki

bibhitaki

haritaki

trivrut

makandika

indravaruni

draksha

also 500 mg

so my original questiom before i decided to lace this topic with extra questions:

 

are these ingredients i can take lifelong if need be?

 

i bought a triphala supplement from the guys over at pukka, but it had a big dosage of liqorice root in it, whitch as far as i know should not be used for long periods of time, even had a guy die from eating to much. And also lowers testosterone 

 

what do you think?

toughts?

other Advice and recommendations are very welcome  as well

 
WHAT IVE BEEN DOING SO FAR:

-ive  been taking lemon juice every morning on an empty stomach

-as well as 200mg magnesium citrate

-as well as vitamin c

-i eat alot of green veg

 

-eating yoghurt with oatmeal 3 times a day helped some to but i had to stop dairy and oats unfortunately

  

Other things im considering:

-Adding in physilium husk to see what it does

-maybe drinking chia or flax seeds with water for extra fiber but that wont win me the race.

-doing 800 mg of magnesium citrate -ive seen people report this as doing the trick, however im insure what this will do to your copper reserves over time, and your electrolytes.  Im kind of new to the nutritional game

-im also considering a cleanse but wouldnt know whitch to get stilll looking into it

At some point ideally id like to do a juice cleanse or something that allows me to clean my colon n body FRom a life of so so eating, with very poor detoxification.

n clean up my biofome

 

-ive also heard of cascara, sagrada, to use

 

-and researching a good probiotic but not sure how safe that is yet. And wether there are risks

 

any and all toughts, recommendations and advice are welcomed!

 

thanks for your time,

 

From a TCM POV there is no one remedy for everything. It would depend on why you are having constipation. It could be heat, deficiency of body fluids, blood, qi, dryness. In order to determine what is the cause you would need to see a TCM practitioner. 

[Takingcharge]

Id love to, consult with a great tcm doctor,     but my experiences have been pretty average im sorry to say.  Not the masters of herbs and diagnosis i was hoping for. Real nice people

 

But more a kind of painting with numbers, if this, then this... and results werent very impressive.

Edited December 15, 2020 by Takingcharge

[Maddie]

1 minute ago, Takingcharge said:

Id love to, consult with a great tcm doctor,     but my experiences have been pretty average im sorry to say.  Not the masters of herbs and diagnosis i was hoping for. Real nice people

 

But more a kind of painting with numbers, if this, then this... and results werent very impressive.

 

A quick tongue and pulse diagnosis should be able to easily determine the cause

[Maddie]

1 hour ago, Takingcharge said:

Id love to, consult with a great tcm doctor,     but my experiences have been pretty average im sorry to say.  Not the masters of herbs and diagnosis i was hoping for. Real nice people

 

But more a kind of painting with numbers, if this, then this... and results werent very impressive.

 

What's your energy level like? High? Low?

 

What is your skin like? dry? moist?

 

What is your stress level? low? high?

 

[old3bob]

Coffee makes "me run baby run" to the nearest bathroom...

[cheya]

For chronic constipation, consider getting your thyroid levels checked. If thyroid levels are low, liver will be sluggish and digestion will be slow. 

If you try more fiber with low thyroid, it may not help, as your digestion just doesn't have the oomph to push stuff through.  You might find iodine/seaweed supplementation is helpful to boost thyroid function.

 

I have used the 3 ingredient Trifala, and it was helpful. Getting my thyroid up to speed was the critical component for me.

[RobB]

You could try prunes. minimum 4 per day. Give it a couple of weeks and see if that helps.

[ilumairen]

20 hours ago, Takingcharge said:

 

any and all toughts, recommendations and advice are welcomed!

 

There are two key components I noticed weren’t mentioned in your post - hydration and activity levels. To what degree do you maintain these?

 

I would not recommend upping your magnesium citrate intake, as your body could develop a dependency.

[C T]

Will it sound silly if I say that stress over this will exacerbate the condition? 

 

I don't know what you do 'spiritually', but I know that if you've made progress spiritually, its only normal that metabolism slows, and with that, so will the frequency of needing clearance. I know of mature & seasoned practitioners who only need clearance once a week, and are in perfect health. Not just one, but a good few of them. But since you've had this for that length of time, the odds of it being related to cultivation practice slims. From the little I gleaned from your post, and just feeling it on an intuitive level : 

 

I sensed that the issue is sleep-related. Insomnia, sleep apnea, snoring, teeth grinding, restless legs, habitual worrier... ? 

A general feeling of loneliness, despair at times even. This puts pressure on your abdomen, and causes it to contract without you having control over it. You could try to increase awareness to this area as often as you can remember, and noticing whats the feeling there each time you direct attention to it. 

 

I'm not sure how helpful TCM will be for this case - perhaps what will really help is to do regular colon cleansing, like maybe once every 3 months or so. If you are able to work with a nutritionist at the same time, I think it will be beneficial. 

 

Regular yogurt hurts more than it helps. Try switching to goat's milk yogurt. 

 

Do an allergy test if you haven't already done one recently. It may surprise you. 

 

RobB mentioned prunes.... they're great if you can get organic ones. Medjool dates are as good, if not better.

Fresh figs... expensive, hard to procure, but if available, they're extremely efficient for the job. Damn nutritious too. 

 

You mentioned lemon juice in the morning? Hopefully you're not drinking that neat. Combining Warm water, a tablespoon of lemon juice + a teaspoon of manuka honey will be much kinder to your system. Its already in shock, and you don't want to make it worse. 

 

Ever tried kombucha? 

Kimchi? Sauerkraut? Easy to make at home (avoid commercial produce).

Extremely good for gut health. 

 

Don't add ice to anything you drink, please. 

 

Try to sleep before 11pm. 10, if possible. 

 

This link could be useful?  

https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by C T

[Vajra Fist]

I took triphala for a while. Didn't feel it did much for getting regular. Haritaki on its own though is super good. 

 

Weird as its a key ingredient in triphala. Could be something to do with dosage.

[Takingcharge]

On 15-12-2020 at 11:54 PM, dmattwads said:

 

What's your energy level like? High? Low?

 

What is your skin like? dry? moist?

 

What is your stress level? low? high?

 

getting better,  but ive had some energy and fatigue issues

 

skin is dry

 

recently very high, due to panic attacks

before that medium because of some life stress

now im gradually becoming better

 

constipation wouldnt be due to any recent events however

 

 

[Bhathen]

 A teacher once informed our group that Haritaki and Triphala were high vibration herbs and should be taken once in a while.

You can try one of them daily for a week and see which is suitable and then switch to once a week basis. (Mix with either honey or warm water). An ayurvedic doctor might be able to help you better.

'Banyan Botanicals' seller in amazon has pure Haritaki and Triphala powder, if available in your region.

 

Tri-phala (only has Tri - 3 ingredients)

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by Bhathen
Edited 'powder'

[thelerner]

Not exactly herbal but take Metamucil aka crushed psyllium seed for a few days, starting with a small dose.  Seeing how you handle it, and the 4rth day taking 2 doses.  That w/ lots of water, the bulk fiber of it tends to help, though in an extreme case, keeping the amount small might be better. 

 

While I never had much a problem with constipation, the 4 day regiment was recommended to me to do the last 4 days of each month.  When I did I felt better, like it was a internal cleansing.  By the end I barely needed to use toilet paper (I know too much info..)

[Bhathen]

From the "Yoga of herbs" by David Frawley

 

Quote

Powders are not taken by themselves, but with a medium (see anuyanas). When ghee, oil, honey or raw sugar are used, they should be twice the amount of the powder. When milk or water is the vehicle, it should be four times the amount of powder. Bitter powders are usually taken in capsules or with honey. Powders usually have quick but short term action. They work mainly on the gastrointestinal tract and rasa dhatu or plasma. Some rejuvenative herbs, like ashwagandha, fiffali and triphala, which work on all dhatus, can be taken as powders.

 

Quote

RHUBARB is one of the best purgative herbs. It is stronger than flaxseeds or triphala but milder than senna. It has an astringent aftereffect that protects the tone of the colon. It is good for all manner of constipation and for febrile or damp-heat diarrhea. On weaker or older patients, where there is much dryness in the colon, it can be combined with licorice and sweet, bulk laxatives, like psyllium or flaxseeds. As it tends to cause griping, it should be used with a carminative herb like ginger or fennel seeds in a ratio of about 4 parts rhubarb to 1 part ginger, for example. Rhubarb purges the body of Pitta, bile, Ama, stagnant food and stagnant blood. It helps reduce weight and remove fat. It is mildly nauseating and so is easier taken in capsules. Rhubarb is a safe and effective remedy for children because it seldom causes irritation in the right dosage. Its action is made stronger by combining it with epsom salts.

 

[Takingcharge]

On 16-12-2020 at 3:00 PM, cheya said:

For chronic constipation, consider getting your thyroid levels checked. If thyroid levels are low, liver will be sluggish and digestion will be slow. 

If you try more fiber with low thyroid, it may not help, as your digestion just doesn't have the oomph to push stuff through.  You might find iodine/seaweed supplementation is helpful to boost thyroid function.

 

I have used the 3 ingredient Trifala, and it was helpful. Getting my thyroid up to speed was the critical component for me.

 

checking thyroid to be sure, but doubt thats an issue,   Together with other bloodwork,    Just need to be able to stop eating at 11 and sleep well enough to do the bloodwork next morning without eating
 

i most likely have a motility issue

but i will improve it regardless

 

On 16-12-2020 at 5:37 PM, ilumairen said:

There are two key components I noticed weren’t mentioned in your post - hydration and activity levels. To what degree do you maintain these?

 

I would not recommend upping your magnesium citrate intake, as your body could develop a dependency.

 

water intake could be better.  Whats the revommended dosage these days?

 

activity is okish , i go for walks

 

i most likely have a motility issue

 

 

On 21-12-2020 at 6:36 PM, Bhathen said:

A teacher once informed our group that Haritaki and Triphala were high vibration herbs and should be taken once in a while.

You can try one of them daily for a week and see which is suitable and then switch to once a week basis. (Mix with either honey or warm water). An ayurvedic doctor might be able to help you better.

'Banyan Botanicals' seller in amazon has pure Haritaki and Triphala powder, if available in your region.

 

Tri-phala (only has Tri - 3 ingredients)

 

 

once a week wont be very helpfull i think, im lookong for a permanent solution

 

i dont think once a week will do much for my bowells

 

also looking at physillium husk powder though the lead found in the one i saw the lab rapport for was pretty high

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by Takingcharge

[Paradoxal]

Have you tried sugar-free gummy bears? 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Free-Gummy-Bears-5LBS/product-reviews/B00CMS97YS

 

 

[rainbowvein]

Some ideas for the OP

• super important: drink more water consistently - if you don't like plain water, then drink flavored sparkling water. suggestion: make a chart and cross off each 8-oz. glass of water you consume, up to the recommended dose linked above.
  [note: each human has an inborn preference for liquid intake. I know some that don't drink hardly at all. they experience chronic constipation and even eventually have been hospitalized for dehydration. I know others who can't drink enough, are constantly thirsty, due to large body mass or health/medicine issues.]
• walk regularly
• apples, pears and other helpful foods
• senna tisane (full cup for stronger job; half a cup for mild job)

Edited January 7, 2021 by rainbowvein

[Owledge]

I am curious: Please check these couple of videos and tell me whether they are of help to you:

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/DrEricBergDC/search?query=constipation

 

That information source kinda blew my mind recently, for many topics, not just constipation.

I would say it emphasizes that there is no shortcut to understanding how things work, to putting in the enlightenment work for self-empowerment.

 

UPDATE: From info that channel conveyed recently:

Bile prevents water from being absorbed in the guts. Thus too much bile can cause diarrhea. Bile is produced to digest fat, so if the diet is low-fat, the body might be choronically low on bile, so that might be encouraging reabsorption. Also, protein binds water. And carbs turn into sugar and bind a lot of water early-on, so when consuming carbs, sufficient hydration is very important, and when paired with lots of protein but little fat, probably even more.

It all boils down to the 'same old' healthy-keto recommendation the channel is making a lot: Lots of fat, moderate protein, little carb. (Plus few meals and no snacking to give the body time to recover from the stress/effort that digestion is.)

OP's diet sounds like high carb, high protein, low fat.

Edited July 29, 2021 by Owledge

[Awen]

Sounds like liver invading spleen (though can't say that for certain without running the full diagnostic gamut)- if so, there are herbs and acupuncture points that can help, but not unless you also start tackling the root cause.

[Andy_W]

Cut dairy out of the diet for a month as that can slow elimination down. Drink a very large thick green smoothie  and be have beans or lentils as part of a meal every day.

If this is not working do above and take a magnesium supplement (oxide/chloride or sulphate, start small and increase dose until it works!) Plus 1g of vit C,  can increase dose with this too. All very safe...

[MuadDib]

On 12/16/2020 at 7:21 PM, RobB said:

You could try prunes. minimum 4 per day. Give it a couple of weeks and see if that helps.

 

Yes. I recommend sun - dried apricots if you can find them, and raisins. A handful of dried fruits a day should get you a long way.

 

Drink lots of water for a while, as it helps the stuff move down your system.

[Owledge]

BTW, I just noticed: Unless the list automatically excludes OPs, the OP isn't following this thread anymore.

[Takingcharge]

On 15-8-2021 at 9:40 PM, Owledge said:

BTW, I just noticed: Unless the list automatically excludes OPs, the OP isn't following this thread anymore.

I definatly didnt receive the updates

[Owledge]

11 hours ago, Takingcharge said:

I definatly didnt receive the updates

Then how are you suddenly back shortly after I said that? 🤔

 

Also, any updates on the situation or feedback to new comments?