What Is Haritaki? The Health Benefits And Uses

What Is Haritaki? The Health Benefits And Uses

Haritaki is a dried fruit derived from a tree commonly found in India and southern Asia and it has found its way into the Ayurveda medicine.

It is one of the three dried fruits that forms the Ayurvedic formula of Triphala.

Haritaki can be found as either a powder or dietary supplement, and it has a bitter taste. However, many people use it for the numerous benefits it provides.

The herb is rich in Vitamin C and comprised of several components that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

This substance is often used to help with healing for a number of conditions from allergies to sore throats. Haritaki is also beneficial for several digestive issues, like indigestion and constipation.

The benefits of haritaki can be broken into two categories: physical benefits and spiritual/mental benefits.

Physical Benefits Of Haritaki

The physical advantages stem from promoting a healthier stomach and intestinal tract.

Haritaki sends toxin-free substances to the organs, like the liver and kidneys, for them to cleanse with. This will then send blood with nutritional value throughout the body.

Some of those physical benefits include:

  1. Reduces constipation.
  2. Detoxification and cleansing of the digestive system.
  3. Cleanses the urinary tract, which reduces the risk of infections.
  4. Weight loss through absorption of minerals.
  5. Speeds up metabolism and thus reduces body fat content.
  6. Aids in diabetes treatment through the presence of chebulic acid, which leads to the production of insulin in the pancreas gland and lowers blood sugar in the body.
  7. Acts as a skin cleanser by clearing acne and rejuvenating the skin.
  8. It can even work on rashes, eczema, and sunburn.
  9. Increases blood purity, which strengthens the heart muscles and can help with heart conditions.
  10. Clean blood leads to preventing the build-up of fat in the coronary artery.
  11. It helps reduce the risk of developing hepatitis or jaundice for those at a higher risk or with enlarged livers.

Mental Benefits Of Haritaki

In addition to improving various bodily functions and health, haritaki can help with mental awareness and cognitive functions.

This superfood is able to stimulate different parts of the brain that help with various functions like:

  1. Increased calmness from the frontal lobe.
  2. Improved memory from the hippocampus.
  3. Increases intuition from the caudate nucleus.
  4. Targets the brain stem to reduce fight or flight response.
  5. Development of new neural pathways through neurogenesis.
  6. Increases cerebral blood flow and reverses stress shrinkage.
  7. Increases neuroplasticity which allows the brain to reshape and restructures the brain.

Where’s The Proof?

When committing to a supplement and incorporating it into any routine, facts help. As of right now, the clinical trials testing the benefits of haritaki are still in the early stages. Most of the preliminary studies have had positive results, mostly in animals.

Some of those preliminary findings include the reduction of cholesterol in mice as well as a reduction in triglycerides (a blood fat that leads to increased risk for heart disease).

Other studies in rats have shown the effect of haritaki on battling oxidative stress and boosting antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

As mentioned before, haritaki is a core component of Ayurveda. This is a traditional Hindu medicinal system that balances the body through diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing. It is an ancient medicinal art with many positive effects.

Even if science is still proving the effects of haritaki, its use in Ayurveda attests to its ability to help with various physical and mental functions.

Where To Find It?

These supplements are available easily online on sites such as Amazon.

Haritaki is also in stock at many natural-food stores or stores that specialize in dietary supplements.

The first returns on research results show there are numerous benefits to using haritaki.

At this time, the research findings are not substantive enough to use haritaki as a replacement for the treatment of any medical condition.

But if the goal is to enhance metabolism and increase gut health and functions, haritaki is a great supplement with many benefits.

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