Herbal remedy is shown to have anticancer effect

A popular herbal supplement used to aid digestion has been found to have powerful anticancer properties. Triphala, the most popular Ayurvedic remedy in India, is made from the dried and powdered fruit of three plants. It is a combination of equal parts of Emblica officinalis (amalaki), Terminalia belerica (bibhitaki) and Terminalia chebula (haritaki). It is traditionally used as a laxative, to stimulate the appetite and to treat intestinal disorders. Indian scientists have claimed for many years that Triphala has value as a detoxifying and anti-cancer agent. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute say they have shown that it can prevent or slow the growth of pancreatic cancer tumours implanted in mice. The latest findings, presented to the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research in Los Angeles in April, suggest the herbal preparation may have genuine anti-cancer action. Mice grafted with human pancreatic tumours were fed 1–2 mg of Triphala for 5 days a week. By the end of the study, their tumours were half the size of those in a control group of mice fed saline (salt solution) only.

The Independent, 18 April 2007, p. 19.