Chyawanprash

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

1. Amla - Phyllanthus emblica - 500 number (each fruit having a weight of around 15–20 g, total weight: 6.5 kg)
2. Bilva - Aegle marmelos
3. Agnimantha - Premna mucronata
4.  Kashmarya- Gmelina arborea
5.  Shyonaka - Oroxylum indicum
6. Patali - Stereospermum suaveolens
7. Bala - Country mallow- Sida cordifolia
8. Shalaparni - Desmodium gangeticum
9. Prishniparni - Uraria picta
10. Mashaparni - Teramnus labialis
11. Mudgaparni - Phaseolus trilobus
12. Pippali - Long pepper
13. Brihati - Solanum indicum
14. Kantakari - Solanum surattense
15. Shringi - Pistacia chinensis
16. Tamalaki - Phyllanthus niruri
17. Draksha - Vitis vinifera
18. Jivanti - Leptadenia reticulata
19. Pushkara - Inula racemosa
20. Agaru - Aquilaria agallocha
21. Abhaya - Terminalia chebula
22. Riddhi - Habenaria intermedia
23. Jivaka- Malaxis acuminata
24. Rishabhaka - Manilkara hexandra
25. Shati - Hedychium spicatum/Curcuma zedoaria
26. Musta - Cyperus rotundus
27. Punarnava - Boerhavia diffusa
28. Meda - Polygonatum cirrhifolium
29. Ela - Cardamom
30. Gokshura (small caltrops) - Tribulus terrestris
31. Lal Chandan (Red Sandalwood) -  Pterocarpus santalinus
32. Chandan (White Sandalwood) - Santalum album
33. Guduchi (Giloy or Heartleaf moonseed) - Tinospora Cordifolia
34. Utpala - water lily
35. Vidari - Pureria tuberosa
36. Vrusha - Adhatoda vasica
37. Kakoli - Fritillaria roylei
38. Kakanasika - Martynia annua
    Ingredients 2 to 38 - 50 gm each
39. Sita - unprocessed/non chemical sugar or jaggery - 2.5 kg 
40. Cow ghee  - 500 gm
41. Sesame oil  - 500 gm
42.  Vanshlochan - Bambusa bambos - 150 gm
43. Pippali - Long pepper/Piper longum - 100 gm
44.  Ela - Cardamom 
45. Nagakesara - Mesua ferrea
46. Tamal patra - Cinnamomum Tamala
47. Twak - Tamal patra 
    Ingredient 44 to 47 , 10 gm each
48. 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

1. Check all the ingredients. Above mentioned ingredients are based on classical reference
2. Avoid the product containing artificial sweeteners like sucralose, sorbitol etc.
3. Prefer original chyawanprash over any of its variants (Variants eg. flavoured with mixed fruit, mango or chocolate)
4. General simple formulation of Chyawanprash will be best and you should not go for Special Chyawanprash preparations
5. Better to avoid chyawanprash containing preservatives (Sodium benzoate 0.1% can be used as a preservative)