Haritaki

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What Is Haritaki?

Haritaki (Chebulic myrobalan), also called Indian walnut or Indian hog plum, is a fruit that’s cultivated from the seeds of Terminalia chebula trees. The rind of the fruit is most often made into haritaki powder that has a number of medicinal uses, considering it acts as a natural laxative, has astringent properties and contains antioxidants.
Haritaki trees belong to the Combretaceae plant family and grow in tropical and subtropical regions, mostly throughout India, Nepal, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Vietnam.
The fruit itself is drupe-shaped, has a hard green exterior and has ridges along its surface. Inside the flesh ranges from a yellow to orangish-brown color.
In addition to the fruit being valuable, different parts of the tree are also used for therapeutic purposes, including the roots, stems, barks, branches and leaves.

Names: Amalak, Amla, Dhatri, Emblica officinalis
Part Used: Fruit
Guna: Light, dry
Rasa: All except salty, mainly astringent
Vipaka: Sweet
Virya: Usna (Heating)
Effect on Dosha: Balances the tridoshas (mainly vata )
Main Action: Rejuvenative, laxative, anthelmintic, expectorant.
Popular Products: Triphala
Anupānas: It can be used in the spring with honey, in the summer with ghee and in the winter with raw sugar
Form Used: Powder, decoction paste
Contraindications: Physical weakness, pregnancy, dehydration, after severe exhaustion, after Pañcakarma
Hara: Eliminates, removes; One which removes malas, aggravated doshas and disease.

Locally: The paste is used to alleviate swelling, painful parts of the body. Decoctions are
used to cleanse wounds and for gargling
One of the main benefits of harītakī is in balancing vāta. It is useful in instances of
weakness in the nervous system and brain.
Works on all dhātus by removing blockages in all of the channels.
Digestive: Useful in instances of agnimāndya, pain in the abdomen, constipation, parasites, hemorrhoids, gas and/or bloating, ascites, enlargement of the abdomen.
Beneficial when treating kaphaja hemorrhoids: harītakī, viḍaṅga, kuṭaja, citraka with buttermilk.
Beneficial when treating amlapitta: harītakī, pippalī, and jaggery digest sāma pitta and
reduce burning in the chest.
Works to strengthen māṃsa and meda dhātus by absorbing excess kleda and strengthening
dhātuagni. Used to treat kaphaja skin diseases and prameha (diabetes).
Stimulates intelligence and strengthens the sense organs by decreasing excess kapha and meda dhātu.
Excellent for treating eye issues: Wash the eyes with harītakī tea. Triphalā, Licorice ghee,
and honey strengthen the eyes.
Useful for treating kidney stones and painful urination. Harītakī, gokṣura and pāṣāṇabheda
tea with honey reduces burning and help break kidney stones and flush them out of the
body.
Finely powdered harītakī is used as a tooth powder that strengthens the gums.
Used for respiratory rhinitis, cough, hoarseness of voice, hiccups, and asthma.
Useful in leucorrhoea. Acts as a uterine tonic
Prevents the accumulation of pus in the skin.
Works as a rasāyana to open the channels, remove malas from the dhātus, and cleanse all
of the dhātus. Works as an antiaging agent.
Pathyā: Removes blockage of srotas and channels.
Abhayā: Makes a person fearless.
Consumed with food mitigates kapha and vāta. Removes the bad effect of food and drinks
when used after food

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