Are Triphala and Prakrit Necessary?

“Dear Vaidya, hope you are doing good. Thank you for all the good information, I would like to ask a question about Triphala if I may. I follow a diet of grains, vegetables, and paneer, which I make with lime; I eat yogurt at my lunch meal for which I also follow your directions and add water to it. I also eat a lot of fruit through out my day and my drink of choice is warm water. I have been taking Triphala 2 times a day and at night I add Prakrit. My question is with this kind of diet why do my bowels not work with out the use of these things?
Thank you, Respectfully – Jim K., Bethlehem,
Pa.”

“Dear Jim: The Charak Samhita explains that there are 3 types of innate bowel tendencies in an individual:

1. Krur kosthi tendency which means an individual is by birth prone to constipation regardless of what kind of diet they keep;
2. Madhya kosthi which is a bowel tendency that is neither loose nor constipated;
3. Mridhu kosthi – bowels that tend to be always on the soft loose side. Everybody is born with one of these kosti prakriti-s or innate natural bowel tendencies. It seems that you belong to the first group, that you are “krur kosthi,” that is why you need to support your physiology by taking the supplements. But remember, both the Triphala as well as the Prakrit tablets are derived from fruits, so you are in fact just adding more fruits to your diet. Fruits that do not have any side effects. These fruits have a short and immediate as well as long term benefits.
   In the short term, you are supporting your bowel movement to be regular and optimal; but in the long term, these fruit tablets act as a “rasayana.” Rasayana means: that which can slow down aging, or give optimal graceful aging, as well as support your immune system. The fruits that Triphala – literally formed by the words “tri” for three and “phala” for fruit – is made up of, as well as the fruit that Prakrit is made up of are renowned for their health supporting properties and are helping connect your colon to your mind, so that your bowel movement occurs daily and regularly. Plus they create a very good environment for friendly bacteria to thrive in. And you know that a gut populated by friendly bacteria is the key to optimal health as they facilitate not only elimination but absorption of nutrients as well.
   Having at least one good daily bowel movement through which one evacuates toxins from the physiology on a daily basis can be the ultimate secret for a long and healthy life…