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Ayurvedic Perspective
Biocharacteristics & Herbal Actions
Similar foods and herbs
Impact: On tongue, nerves, elimination, etc.
Indications / Benefits
Contraindications / Aggravates
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Trikatu Herbal Powder (Ayurvedic Formula )Classic Ayurvedic digestive formula. Trikatu supports metabolism of fat and reduces toxins. It is the preferred digestive for Kapha body type, although Vata individuals may use it as well. |
Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.
Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.
Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.
The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).
Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.
Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.
The reports shared below are part of an educational assignment completed by students at the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda. These represent subjective experiences intended to help students explore principles of Ayurveda through personal observation. In each report below, students from the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda ate the selected food for 3 days and self-reported these effects. See other food & herb reports at Joyful Belly.
How did Trikatu affect your temperature?
| 0 |
0 |
8 |
23 |
7 |
| Much colder | Slightly colder | Same | Slightly warmer | Much warmer |
How did Trikatu affect your ear temperature?
| 14 |
23 |
1 |
| Hotter | No Change | Cooler |
How did Trikatu affect your sweat quantity?
| 0 |
2 |
19 |
15 |
2 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect the color of your skin?
| 0 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
21 |
| Yellower/Greener | Paler | Redder | Grayer | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect the color of your tongue body?
| 1 |
25 |
0 |
12 |
| Paler | Redder | Bluer | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect the swelling of your tongue body?
| 11 |
4 |
23 |
| More Swelling | Less Swelling | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect your appetite/hunger?
| 0 |
2 |
14 |
18 |
4 |
| Much less hungry | Slightly less hungry | Same | Slightly hungrier | Much hungrier |
How did Trikatu affect your digestion speed?
| 3 |
22 |
9 |
3 |
1 |
| Much faster | Slightly faster | Same | Slightly slower | Much slower |
How did Trikatu affect the amount of gas & bloating?
| 3 |
11 |
20 |
4 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your stool smell?
| 2 |
4 |
23 |
7 |
2 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
Tongue: How did Trikatu affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
| 3 |
23 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
| Much smaller | Slightly less | Same | Slightly larger coating | Much larger |
How did Trikatu affect the color of your tongue coating?
| 3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
28 |
| Yellower | Browner | Grayer | Whiter | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect your throat soreness?
| 6 |
30 |
2 |
| More sore | No Change | Less sore |
How did Trikatu affect your urine smell?
| 0 |
0 |
32 |
6 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
| 0 |
1 |
34 |
3 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Many more |
How did Trikatu affect your sweat smell?
| 0 |
3 |
20 |
14 |
1 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your acne?
| 3 |
33 |
2 |
| More acne | No Change | Less acne |
How did Trikatu affect your freckles/moles?
| 1 |
37 |
0 |
| Darker | No Change | Lighter |
How did Trikatu affect the color of your sclera (white part of eye)?
| 8 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Redder/Bloodshot | Yellower | Grayer | Browner | Whiter |
| 25 | ||||
| No Change |
How did Trikatu affect the color of the lower eye lid?
| 0 |
0 |
37 |
1 |
| More green/dark green | More purple | No Change | Less green/purple |
How did Trikatu affect your urine frequency/quantity?
| 1 |
4 |
24 |
9 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect the dryness of your skin?
| 16 |
0 |
22 |
| Drier | Oilier | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect the puffiness of lower eye lid?
| 2 |
30 |
6 |
| Puffier | No Change | Less Puffy |
How did Trikatu affect the cracks on your tongue?
| 1 |
11 |
24 |
2 |
0 |
| Larger/longer/more cracks | Slightly more | Same | Slightly less/smaller/shorter | Much less |
How did Trikatu affect your ear pressure?
| 3 |
29 |
6 |
| More pressure | No Change | Less pressure |
How did Trikatu affect your congestion?
| 1 |
19 |
18 |
| More congestion | No Change | Less congestion |
How did Trikatu affect the thickness of your mucous congestion?
| 1 |
21 |
16 |
| More thick | No Change | Less thick |
How did Trikatu affect your energy levels?
| 1 |
5 |
17 |
11 |
4 |
| Much less energy | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more energy | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your muscle tension?
| 0 |
10 |
19 |
8 |
1 |
| Much less tension | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more tension | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your anxiety?
| 1 |
4 |
22 |
11 |
0 |
| Much less anxiety | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more anxiety | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect the stillness of your tongue?
| 2 |
24 |
12 |
| More still | No Change | More Trembling / Jittery |
How did Trikatu affect the amount of gas & bloating?
| 3 |
11 |
20 |
4 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect burning sensations in digestive tract (do not include acid reflux)?
| 0 |
1 |
15 |
16 |
6 |
| Much relief | Slight relief | Same | Slightly more burning | Much more burning |
How did Trikatu affect your appetite/hunger?
| 0 |
2 |
14 |
18 |
4 |
| Much less hungry | Slightly less hungry | Same | Slightly hungrier | Much hungrier |
How did Trikatu affect your digestion speed?
| 3 |
22 |
9 |
3 |
1 |
| Much faster | Slightly faster | Same | Slightly slower | Much slower |
How did Trikatu affect the cracks on your tongue?
| 1 |
11 |
24 |
2 |
0 |
| Larger/longer/more cracks | Slightly more | Same | Slightly less/smaller/shorter | Much less |
Tongue: How did Trikatu affect the thickness & size of your tongue coating?
| 3 |
23 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
| Much smaller | Slightly less | Same | Slightly larger coating | Much larger |
How did Trikatu affect the swelling of your tongue body?
| 11 |
4 |
23 |
| More Swelling | Less Swelling | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect the color of your tongue body?
| 1 |
25 |
0 |
12 |
| Paler | Redder | Bluer | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect the stillness of your tongue?
| 2 |
24 |
12 |
| More still | No Change | More Trembling / Jittery |
How did Trikatu affect the color of your tongue coating?
| 3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
28 |
| Yellower | Browner | Grayer | Whiter | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect your stool smell?
| 2 |
4 |
23 |
7 |
2 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your stool consistency?
| 9 |
12 |
14 |
2 |
1 |
| Much softer | Slightly softer | Same | Slightly harder | Much harder |
How did Trikatu affect your stool frequency/quantity?
| 1 |
2 |
13 |
18 |
4 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your stool color?
| 9 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
24 |
| More yellow | More gray | More green | More orange | Same |
How did Trikatu affect your stool lightness?
| 3 |
8 |
24 |
3 |
0 |
| Much lighter | Slightly lighter | Same | Slightly darker | Much darker |
How did Trikatu affect your urine smell?
| 0 |
0 |
32 |
6 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your urine lightness?
| 1 |
5 |
25 |
7 |
0 |
| Much lighter | Slightly lighter | Same | Slightly Darker | Much Darker |
How did Trikatu affect your urine frequency/quantity?
| 1 |
4 |
24 |
9 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect the amount of bubbles in your urine?
| 0 |
1 |
34 |
3 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Many more |
How did Trikatu affect your urine clarity?
| 1 |
30 |
7 |
| More cloudy | Same | More clear |
How did Trikatu affect your sweat smell?
| 0 |
3 |
20 |
14 |
1 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your sweat quantity?
| 0 |
2 |
19 |
15 |
2 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect the dryness of your skin?
| 16 |
0 |
22 |
| Drier | Oilier | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect the color of your skin?
| 0 |
0 |
17 |
0 |
21 |
| Yellower/Greener | Paler | Redder | Grayer | No Change |
How did Trikatu affect your freckles/moles?
| 1 |
37 |
0 |
| Darker | No Change | Lighter |
How did Trikatu affect your acne?
| 3 |
33 |
2 |
| More acne | No Change | Less acne |
How did Trikatu affect the puffiness of lower eye lid?
| 2 |
30 |
6 |
| Puffier | No Change | Less Puffy |
How did Trikatu affect the color of your sclera (white part of eye)?
| 8 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Redder/Bloodshot | Yellower | Grayer | Browner | Whiter |
| 25 | ||||
| No Change |
How did Trikatu affect the color of the lower eye lid?
| 0 |
0 |
37 |
1 |
| More green/dark green | More purple | No Change | Less green/purple |
How did Trikatu affect your ear pressure?
| 3 |
29 |
6 |
| More pressure | No Change | Less pressure |
How did Trikatu affect your throat soreness?
| 6 |
30 |
2 |
| More sore | No Change | Less sore |
How did Trikatu affect the thickness of your mucous congestion?
| 1 |
21 |
16 |
| More thick | No Change | Less thick |
How did Trikatu affect your ear temperature?
| 14 |
23 |
1 |
| Hotter | No Change | Cooler |
How did Trikatu affect your congestion?
| 1 |
19 |
18 |
| More congestion | No Change | Less congestion |
How did Trikatu affect your heart rate?
| 0 |
1 |
21 |
12 |
4 |
| Much slower | Slightly slower | Same | Slightly faster | Much faster |
How did Trikatu affect your heart rhythm?
| 5 |
33 |
0 |
| More palpitations | Same | Less palpitations |
How did Trikatu affect your heart pain/pressure/cramping?
| 0 |
1 |
33 |
4 |
0 |
| Much less | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your muscle tension?
| 0 |
10 |
19 |
8 |
1 |
| Much less tension | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more tension | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your anxiety?
| 1 |
4 |
22 |
11 |
0 |
| Much less anxiety | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more anxiety | Much more |
How did Trikatu affect your temperature?
| 0 |
0 |
8 |
23 |
7 |
| Much colder | Slightly colder | Same | Slightly warmer | Much warmer |
How did Trikatu affect your energy levels?
| 1 |
5 |
17 |
11 |
4 |
| Much less energy | Slightly less | Same | Slightly more energy | Much more |
Note: These exercises are not part of an FDA-regulated study, and were not designed or conducted under a clinical research protocol. They are neither investigational in nature nor scientific findings. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. They are experiential assignments rooted in traditional Ayurvedic education, intended solely for instructional use. No conclusions should be drawn regarding the therapeutic effects of any food, herb, or dietary substance based on these student reflections.
The dosage of Trikatu can vary depending on the form in which it is consumed (powder, capsules, or as part of an Ayurvedic formulation).
Trikatu Powder:
Trikatu Capsules/Tablets:
 |
See guidelines for herbs?
Follow these guidelines |
Trikatu may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any herb supplement for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.
Trikatu may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms. Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications. Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.
Trikatu is an herbal formulation made up of three ingredients: black pepper (Piper nigrum), long pepper (Piper longum), and ginger (Zingiber officinale). It is primarily used to support digestion and metabolism. While it offers benefits, there are certain contraindications or precautions to consider:Pregnancy: Trikatu should be avoided during pregnancy as it may cause uterine contractions.
Gastrointestinal Conditions: Trikatu can be irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, so individuals with ulcers, gastritis, or other digestive disorders should avoid it or use it under the supervision of a practitioner.
Acid Reflux: Since Trikatu stimulates the production of digestive acids, it might exacerbate symptoms of acid reflux, GERD, or heartburn.
High Blood Pressure: Both black pepper and long pepper can have a stimulating effect on the body, which may increase blood pressure. People with hypertension should be cautious when using Trikatu.
Kidney Issues: The ingredients in Trikatu, particularly black pepper and ginger, are known to increase metabolism. This can result in an increased production of metabolic waste products that need to be filtered and excreted by the kidneys. For people with kidney problems, this added workload on the kidneys can potentially exacerbate existing issues, such as poor kidney function or an inability to filter toxins effectively. The stimulating properties of Trikatu may be harmful to individuals with kidney disease, especially if used in large quantities.
Blood Thinners: Ginger, a key ingredient in Trikatu, can have a mild blood-thinning effect, so if you are on anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, you should consult a healthcare provider before using it.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
