CHYAWANPRASH

Herbal Honey

In the field of Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medicine of India, the ultimate tonic preparations are known as rasayana. These tonics are deemed beneficial for nearly all diseases, but especially for disorders of aging, when the ability to obtain adequate nutrition and maintain vigorous function declines. They are described in the principal Ayurvedic text, Charaka Samhita (ca. 100 A.D.): "From the administration of rasayana one obtains longevity of life, memory, understanding, health, youth, brightness, complexion, excellence of voice, great strength of body and the senses, power of making speech true, bows (from others), and comeliness of features." Rasayana are also said to dispel drowsiness and fatigue, preserve the harmony of the three doshas (wind, bile, phlegm), and prevent the flesh from becoming flabby. The most widely used rasayana today is called Chyawanprash [also spelled: Cyavanaprasa]. It is named for the Risi Chyawan (= Cyavana) who had become very old, but then once more became youthful through taking this preparation. Chyawan had become engaged, through chance meeting and customs of the time, to a young wife, the princess Sukanya. He realized that his aged and weakened body would be a burden to her and sought the help of celestial physicians. They undertook to make a young man of him, and prepared this medicine.

According to the Charaka Samhita, Chyawanprash is "the foremost of all rasayanas, especially good for alleviating cough and asthma; it nourishes the weak, the wounded, the old, and those that are of tender years as well." Through the use of this rasayana "a person acquires intelligence, memory, comeliness of body, freedom from disease, longevity, strength of the senses, great pleasure in the companionship with women, great increase in the strength of the digestive fire, improvement of the complexion, and the restoration of wind to its normal course."

Over time, various formulas for Chyawanprash have been developed from the ancient instructions. In all cases, amla (emblic myrobalans) is the principal constituent. Most of the herbs in the formula are boiled in water, and then the dried extract is combined with honey; a few aromatic herb powders are then added to the extract: cardamon, cinnamon, and clove. The finished product is a syrup-not unlike molasses-with a bright sour and spicy taste. The Chyawanprash formula is large, with 37 herbs; the main functions of the individual ingredients involve improving the derivation of metabolic energy from digestion and respiration, while calming nervous energy and improving mental function.

Chyawanprash is produced by Universal Medicaments of Nagpur, India and is one of the few versions available in the West. According to Husaini Ali of Medicinal Medicaments: "Over 50% of the total sales of Ayurvedic products in India is Chyawanprash." Robert Svoboda, one of America's leading experts in Ayurveda, confirms that almost all Ayurvedic manufacturers in India produce Chyawanprash. The product made by Universal differs only slightly from the traditional prescription: the use of oils in preparing the myrobalans was deleted to yield a fat-free product. The herb extracts (made as 10:1 extracts, except emblica, a 1:1 extract) and the small amount of herb powders, including the delicate saffron, are combined in pasteurized safflower honey, which makes up about 3/4 of the weight of the finished product. Chyawanprash is sometimes described as a fruit jam, with emblica and honey being the main components. The smooth Chyawanprash made of extracted herbs by Universal Medicaments contains the following ingredients (amounts for 100 grams of product):