Chyavanprash

Chyavanprash (Sanskrit: च्यवनप्राश, romanized: Cyavanaprāśa),^[1] originally Chayavanaprasham,^[2]^[3] is a cooked mixture of sugar, honey, ghee, Indian gooseberry (amla) jam, sesame oil, berries and various herbs and spices.^[4] It is prepared as per the instructions suggested in Ayurvedic texts. Chyavanprash is widely sold and consumed in India as a dietary supplement.

Origin

Chyavanprash is an ancient formulation and product.^[5] Various ancient Indian texts like Mahabharata, Puranas etc., relate that Ashvin twins, who were Raja Vaidya (Royal Physicians) to Devas during Vedic times, first prepared this formulation for Chyavana Rishi at his Ashram on Dhosi Hill near Narnaul, Haryana, India, hence the name Chyavanprash.^[6] The first historically documented formula for chyavanprash appears in the Charaka Samhita, the ancient Ayurvedic treatise^[7] from the early first millennium BCE.

Taste and appearance

Chyavanaprash tastes sweet and sour at the same time. The taste is dominated by the flavors of honey, ghee (clarified butter) and amla, and the smell by ghee and other spices including sandalwood, cinnamon and cardamom.

Consumption

Chyavanaprash is usually consumed directly. It can also be consumed along with warm water.

Composition

The recipe of chyavanprash is mentioned in manuscripts written for ayurvedic method of treatment viz. Ashtangahridayam, Charakasamhita, Sangandharasamhita. The number of herbs used may vary from 25 to 80 but the main ingredient of all chyavanprash is amla.^[8] Other chief ingredients are:

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera or Winter cherry)
Shatavari (Asparagus racemosa)
Amla
Bamboo manna
Blue Egyptian water lily (Makhana)
Cardamom
Chebulic myrobalan
Chinese cinnamon
Cinnamon bark
Clove
Indian rose chestnut
Country mallow
Feather foil plant (Phyllanthus niruri or Bhumiamalaki)
Galls
Ghee
Giant potato (Ipomoea mauritiana or Kiribadu Ala)
Giloy (Guduchi) (Tinospora cordifolia)
Honey
Indian kudzu
Irish root
Liquorice
Long pepper (Piper longum)
Malabar nut (Seed of Adhatoda vasica)
Nut grass
Potassium sorbate
Raisins
Round zedoary
Sandalwood
Sesame oil
Spreading hogweed (Boerhavia diffusa)
Sugar
Tiger's claw or Ice plant (Erythrina variegata)
Wild black gram
Wild green gram

All of the major brands of chyavanprash were determined to be safe with respect to heavy metal content as of 2011 by Consumer Voice.^[9]

References

^ www.wisdomlib.org (2020-04-06). "Cyavanaprasha, Cyavanaprāśa, Cyavana-prasha: 5 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Archived from the original on 2022-10-31. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
^ www.wisdomlib.org (2021-08-06). "Section 35 [Ashtanga-hridaya-samhita, Sanskrit text]". www.wisdomlib.org. Archived from the original on 2022-10-31. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
^ Sivarajan, V. V.; Balachandran, Indira (1994). Ayurvedic Drugs and Their Plant Sources. International Science Publisher. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-881570-21-9. Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
^ Vora MS (2015). Rasayana: The Fountain of Life. Partridge Publishing India. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-4828-4315-6. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
^ Gupta SK (2001). Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the New Millennium. Springer Netherlands. p. 332. ISBN 978-0-7923-7059-8. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
^ Panda, H; Handbook On Ayurvedic Medicines With Formulae, Processes And Their Uses, 2004, p10 ISBN 978-81-86623-63-3
^ Bates, D, Knowledge and the Scholarly Medical Traditions Cambridge University Press 1995, p325 ISBN 978-0-521-49975-0
^ Johnston R (2004). The politics of healing : histories of alternative medicine in twentieth-century North America. New York: Routledge. p. 226. ISBN 0-415-93338-2.
^ Sharma R, Martins N, Kuca K, Chaudhary A, Kabra A, Rao MM, Prajapati PK (April 2019). "Chyawanprash: A Traditional Indian Bioactive Health Supplement". Biomolecules. 9 (5): 161. doi:10.3390/biom9050161. PMC 6571565. PMID 31035513.

[1] www.wisdomlib.org (2020-04-06). "Cyavanaprasha, Cyavanaprāśa, Cyavana-prasha: 5 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Archived from the original on 2022-10-31. Retrieved 2022-10-31.

[2] www.wisdomlib.org (2021-08-06). "Section 35 [Ashtanga-hridaya-samhita, Sanskrit text]". www.wisdomlib.org. Archived from the original on 2022-10-31. Retrieved 2022-10-31.

[3] Sivarajan, V. V.; Balachandran, Indira (1994). Ayurvedic Drugs and Their Plant Sources. International Science Publisher. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-881570-21-9. Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-01-29.

[4] Vora MS (2015). Rasayana: The Fountain of Life. Partridge Publishing India. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-4828-4315-6. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2017.

[5] Gupta SK (2001). Pharmacology and Therapeutics in the New Millennium. Springer Netherlands. p. 332. ISBN 978-0-7923-7059-8. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2017.

[6] Panda, H; Handbook On Ayurvedic Medicines With Formulae, Processes And Their Uses, 2004, p10 ISBN 978-81-86623-63-3

[7] Bates, D, Knowledge and the Scholarly Medical Traditions Cambridge University Press 1995, p325 ISBN 978-0-521-49975-0

[Johnston_2004_p._226-8] Johnston R (2004). The politics of healing : histories of alternative medicine in twentieth-century North America. New York: Routledge. p. 226. ISBN 0-415-93338-2.

[9] Sharma R, Martins N, Kuca K, Chaudhary A, Kabra A, Rao MM, Prajapati PK (April 2019). "Chyawanprash: A Traditional Indian Bioactive Health Supplement". Biomolecules. 9 (5): 161. doi:10.3390/biom9050161. PMC 6571565. PMID 31035513.

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