A Course In Miracles Bookstore: In the West we use colon cleansing herbs like slippery elm bark, marshmallow, rhubarb and licorice root, peppermint leave, fennel and flax seed. In the East, in India Ayurvedic medicine uses just one: triphala.

Ayurveda means life science or the science of life (Ayur means life and Veda means science). Many thousands of years ago ayurvedic medicine was written down in Sanskrit (the ancient language of India). In fact not only did this include detailed descriptions and their use of hundreds of herbs but even how to perform various surgeries such as cesarean section and cosmetic surgery! The now famous Indian doctor, Deepak Chopra has done much to promote Ayurvedic medicine in North America.

Ayurveda treats the individual and then the symptom. In ayurvedic medicine, there are three main body types, vata, pitta and kapha. You can be one type or a combination of two of these types. If you have a cough, for example, your body type will be taken into consideration and then the type of cough.

This ancient Indian healing system (which is still alive and well today!) also addresses colon cleansing and their herb of choice is Triphala which is actually a combination of three dried fruits (bibhitaki, haritaki and amalaki).

These colon cleansing herbs not only strengthen and tone the peristalsis (the muscle of the colon), but helps remove excess toxins from the colon by enlivening and supporting the whole digestive process.