Chyawanprash is an Ayurvedic health supplement which is made up of a super-concentrated blend of nutrient-rich herbs. Beneficial for alleviating cough, asthma and other respiratory ailments; it nourishes the weak and degenerating tissues, promotes vigour, vitality and is anti-ageing. As per ancient classics, regular intake of this tonic helps to attain intellect, memory, immunity, free from disease, endurance, improved functioning of the senses, great sexual strength and stamina, improved digestive processes, improvised skin-tone and glow, and restores/maintains the normal biological elements.
Its formula and dosage form has been determined and sealed by ancient Ayurvedic scholars, many years ago.
Ingredients
- Amla - Phyllanthus emblica - 500 number (each fruit having a weight of around 15–20 g, total weight: 6.5 kg)
- Bilva - Aegle marmelos
- Agnimantha - Premna mucronata
- Kashmarya- Gmelina arborea
- Shyonaka - Oroxylum indicum
- Patali - Stereospermum suaveolens
- Bala - Country mallow- Sida cordifolia
- Shalaparni - Desmodium gangeticum
- Prishniparni - Uraria picta
- Mashaparni - Teramnus labialis
- Mudgaparni - Phaseolus trilobus
- Pippali - Long pepper
- Brihati - Solanum indicum
- Kantakari - Solanum surattense
- Shringi - Pistacia chinensis
- Tamalaki - Phyllanthus niruri
- Draksha - Vitis vinifera
- Jivanti - Leptadenia reticulata
- Pushkara - Inula racemosa
- Agaru - Aquilaria agallocha
- Abhaya - Terminalia chebula
- Riddhi - Habenaria intermedia
- Jivaka- Malaxis acuminata
- Rishabhaka - Manilkara hexandra
- Shati - Hedychium spicatum/Curcuma zedoaria
- Musta - Cyperus rotundus
- Punarnava - Boerhavia diffusa
- Meda - Polygonatum cirrhifolium
- Ela - Cardamom
- Gokshura (small caltrops) - Tribulus terrestris
- Lal Chandan (Red Sandalwood) - Pterocarpus santalinus
- Chandan (White Sandalwood) - Santalum album
- Guduchi (Giloy or Heartleaf moonseed) - Tinospora Cordifolia
- Utpala - water lily
- Vidari - Pureria tuberosa
- Vrusha - Adhatoda vasica
- Kakoli - Fritillaria roylei
- Kakanasika - Martynia annua
Ingredients 2 to 38 - 50 gm each - Sita - unprocessed/non chemical sugar or jaggery - 2.5 kg
- Cow ghee - 500 gm
- Sesame oil - 500 gm
- Vanshlochan - Bambusa bambos - 150 gm
- Pippali - Long pepper/Piper longum - 100 gm
- Ela - Cardamom
- Nagakesara - Mesua ferrea
- Tamal patra - Cinnamomum Tamala
- Twak - Tamal patra
Ingredient 44 to 47 , 10 gm each - Honey - 250 gm
Preparation
- Ingredients 2 to 38, are suspended in 16 L potable water
- 500 Amla fruits are wrapped in clean cotton cloth to form a bale (pottali) and submerged into the previously mentioned combination of herbs
- The mixture is boiled until decoction is reduced to 1/4th
- After taking off the pottali, seeds are removed from Amla; the remaining pulpy portion is rubbed on a clean muslin cloth, Amla fibers are separated, and the wet paste of the Amla pulp is collected
- Decoction is then strained, and residual is discarded.
- After this, the pulp is mixed with cow ghee and sesame oil mixture (500g each), in an iron container and fried until it gets brownish-red and the ghee oil mixture starts separating
- Sugar syrup is then prepared by adding sugar in the herbal decoction.
- Fried amla pulp is added to this decoction syrup and heated until attainment of sticky consistency of two strings when tested between fingers
- Then, when the heating is stopped, herbal powders of Vanshalochan, Pippali, Nagkesar, Elaichi, Tamalpatra, Dalchini, are added and stirred until a homogeneous mixture is obtained
- After cooling the mixture, 250 g of honey (old, natural and pure) is uniformly mixed, and the finished product is obtained and packed in airtight sterile containers
- Finally, the prepared chyawanprash is of a dark brown color, having wet paste like appearance and consistency.
Dosage
12gm for children (3 yr onwards) and 28 gm for adults.
The Ayurvedic ancient text has not explained any adjuvant for taking Chyawanprash. They just recommend eating it on an empty stomach in the amount that you can digest easily.
The correct method of taking Chyawanprash is eating it by licking without milk or any other adjuvant.
If you want to drink milk after taking Chyawanprash, then it should be best if it is taken after half an hour.
How to choose a good brand
- Check all the ingredients. Above mentioned ingredients are based on classical reference
- Avoid the product containing artificial sweeteners like sucralose, sorbitol etc.
- Prefer original chyawanprash over any of its variants (Variants eg. flavoured with mixed fruit, mango or chocolate)
- General simple formulation of Chyawanprash will be best and you should not go for Special Chyawanprash preparations
- Better to avoid chyawanprash containing preservatives (Sodium benzoate 0.1% can be used as a preservative)