Trikatu Churna is a simple mixture of three Indian spices. Trikatu Churna is in powder form. It is widely used in Ayurvedic treatments and in Indian household. Trikatu Churna falls both under medicinal herbs and dietary herbs. Trikatu churna is also known as trikatu choornam, Trikatu choorna, katutraya churna, kadutraya churna etc.
Chruna is a Sanskrit term meaning powder. Trikatu – Tri – means three, katu – herbs that are hot and pungent. - overall, Triaktu powder is a fine powder mix of three spices.
What is Trikatu churna? Trikatu powder contains three spices in equal proportions. Black pepper – Piper nigrum Long pepper fruit – Piper longum Ginger – Zingiber officinalis. If these spices are available, the Trikatu powder can be made at home, under hygienic condtiions, using a mixer.
Trikatu benefits - Trikatu is hot in potency. Trikatu is stimulative in nature, good for liver, spleen and pancreas. Trikatu choornam stimulates stomach to produce enzymes. Hence it helps in digestion. Trikatu is also good for respiratory system.
Trikatu Ayurveda - Trikatu is a unqiue herbal combination. When used along with other herbs, Trikatu enhances the bio-availability of active constituents of the co-herbs in the target are of disease. Trikatu is used as ingredient in many Ayurvedic medicines such as Kanchnar Guggul, Navayasa Lahua, Dashamoolakatutraya kashaya, Ashwagandharishta, Cofavin syrup, Cofavin DM syrup etc.
Trikatu Churna dose - 500 mg to 3 grams in divided doses in a day, preferably after food. Trikatu Churna can be taken along with honey or water. If it is too spicy to taste as such, it can also be added to food and taken along with the food.
Trikatu Side Effects - Due to hot potency, Trikatu may worsen gastritis. May cause burning sensation in higher doses.
Research articles on Trikatu - Trikatu churna – action against intestinal worms (anthelminthic activity) – read here Anti bacterial effect of Trikatu churna – read here Liver protective activity of Trikatu churna – read here
Ayurvedic products with Trikatu Churna as ingredient -
Herbal jams -
Tablets:
Herbal ghee -
Hello Dr. Hebbar, I would like to know your thoughts on taking trikatu before meals. Also can this be taken with some guggul for a synergistic effect.
Trikatu before food may cause burning sensation. At the best it can be taken just 5 minutes before food.
Trikatu with guggulu can be taken after food as an anti inflammatory medicine. But again, it is not indicated for people with sensitive stomach.
Thank you for your response. I make my own trikatu in a coffee grinder. Since, I am a student in the USA, long pepper was hard (and expensive) to procure. For those reading this, I would like to suggest Banyan botanicals as a source for powdered long pepper (Pippali). Dried ginger (sonth) is easily available at Indian grocery stores, else you can dehydrate your own. Black pepper is easily available, thankfully.
Thanks. Hope the resource info helps many.
I also appreciate people making their own Ayurvedic products, in stead of buying readymade ones from the market. We never can know if they contain all the true ingredients.
I currently have some pitta issues (itching on skin) which according to my doctor is “Pitta being pushed around by Vata”. Since my digestion/absorption is weak, my doctor has recommended that I continue taking Trikatu before meals (at least before lunch). In light of this, can you please suggest the best way of taking Trikatu to reduce the ‘heating’ effect while still keeping up the helping-digestion-and-absorption-effect? With ghee would be okay? Or any other suggestions? How many minutes before meals? I don’t have any burning in stomach or GI tract.
Thank you,
Just a minute before food, Trikatu with ghee is best. if you feel any burning sensation, take quarter a cup of milk, after taking Trikatu with ghee. Then have food.
Is it treat Hay Fever?
Yes. Along with honey, after food. But in some, it may cause gastric irritation.