Chyawanprash
Encyclopedia
Chyawanprash, also spelled chyavanaprasha, chyavanaprash, chyavanaprasam and chyawanaprash, is a jam-like mixture of spices and other ingredients from the Ayurvedic tradition. It is widely used in India
due to claimed health benefits. The market size of chyawanprash in 2010 was Rs 4 billion (about 80 million US dollars).
Rishi
was the first to prepare this tonic, hence the name chyawanprash. The first historically documented formula for chywanprash is found in Charaka
Samhita
, the ancient Ayurvedic treatise
or water. It can be used like any other jam, spread onto crackers or bread.
(445mg/100g),. About 20g of Amla contains the Dietary Reference Intake
of Vitamin C. Anti-aging benefits claimed due to chyawanprash can be due to the anti-oxidant effect of Vitamin C. Another claimed benefit is improved immunity
towards diseases like the common cold
, which may also be due to high Vitamin C content.
s used in preparation of the paste varies from 25 to 80, but the main ingredient of all Chyawanprash is amla
, also known as the Indian gooseberry
. Other chief ingredients are:
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
due to claimed health benefits. The market size of chyawanprash in 2010 was Rs 4 billion (about 80 million US dollars).
Origin
It is said that ChyawanChyavana
Chyavana was a maharshi in Hindu mythology. He was son of sage Bhrigu and known for his rejuvenation after penances for several years. According to the Mahabharata, he was powerful enough to oppose the Vajra of Indra and was responsible for the Ashvins getting their share of the sacrificial...
Rishi
Rishi
Rishi denotes the composers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic tradition, the rishi is a "seer" to whom the Vedas were "originally revealed" through states of higher consciousness. The rishis were prominent when Vedic Hinduism took shape, as far back as some three thousand years...
was the first to prepare this tonic, hence the name chyawanprash. The first historically documented formula for chywanprash is found in Charaka
Charaka
Charaka, sometimes spelled Caraka, born c. 300 BC was one of the principal contributors to the ancient art and science of Ayurveda, a system of medicine and lifestyle developed in Ancient India...
Samhita
Samhita
Samhita may refer to"*the basic metrical text of each of the Vedas**specifically, these texts with sandhi applied *post-Vedic texts known as Samhitas:** Ashtavakra Gita...
, the ancient Ayurvedic treatise
Appearance and use
It is a brown-colored, sticky paste with the consistency of jam and a sweet/sour/spicy taste. It can be eaten directly or mixed in warm milkMilk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
or water. It can be used like any other jam, spread onto crackers or bread.
Claimed benefits
The main ingredient is amla, which is one of the richest source of Vitamin CVitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
(445mg/100g),. About 20g of Amla contains the Dietary Reference Intake
Dietary Reference Intake
The Dietary Reference Intake is a system of nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. The DRI system is used by both the United States and Canada and is intended for the general public and health professionals...
of Vitamin C. Anti-aging benefits claimed due to chyawanprash can be due to the anti-oxidant effect of Vitamin C. Another claimed benefit is improved immunity
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
towards diseases like the common cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
, which may also be due to high Vitamin C content.
Composition
There is no exact recipe for chyawanprash. The number of herbHerb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s used in preparation of the paste varies from 25 to 80, but the main ingredient of all Chyawanprash is amla
Indian gooseberry
Phyllanthus emblica , the Indian gooseberry, or aamla, is a deciduous tree of the Phyllanthaceae family. It is known for its edible fruit of the same name.-Plant anatomy and harvesting:...
, also known as the Indian gooseberry
Indian gooseberry
Phyllanthus emblica , the Indian gooseberry, or aamla, is a deciduous tree of the Phyllanthaceae family. It is known for its edible fruit of the same name.-Plant anatomy and harvesting:...
. Other chief ingredients are:
- asparagusAsparagusAsparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...
- bamboo mannaTabasheerTabasheer or Banslochan is a translucent white substance, composed mainly of silica and water with traces of lime and potash, obtained from the nodal joints of some species of bamboo. It is part of the pharmacology of the traditional Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine of the Indian...
- blue Egyptian water lily
- cardamomCardamomCardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
- chebulic myrobalan
- Chinese cinnamon
- cinnamon bark
- cloveCloveCloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
- Indian rose chestnut
- country mallow
- feather foll plant (or Bhumiamalaki)
- gallGallGalls or cecidia are outgrowths on the surface of lifeforms caused by invasion by other lifeforms, such as parasites or bacterial infection. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites...
s - gheeGheeGhee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
- Giant potato (Ipomoea mauritiana or Kiribadu Ala)
- honeyHoneyHoney is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
- Indian kudzuPueraria tuberosa-Description:Pueraria tuberosa, commonly known as kudzu, Indian kudzu, or Nepalese kudzu, is a climber with woody tuberculated stem. It is a climbing, coiling and trailing vine with large tuberous roots. The tubers are globose or pot-like, about across and the insides are white, starchy and mildly...
- Irish root
- liquorice
- Long pepper (Piper longum)
- Malabar nutJusticia adhatodaJusticia adhatoda L. ; syn. Adhatoda vasica Nees, is a medicinal plant native to Asia.The plant grows wild in abundance all over Nepal, India, and the Pothohar region of Pakistan, particularly in the Pharwala...
(Seed of Adhatoda vasica) - nut grass
- Potassium sorbatePotassium sorbatePotassium sorbate is the potassium salt of sorbic acid, chemical formula C6H7KO2. Its primary use is as a food preservative . Potassium sorbate is effective in a variety of applications including food, wine, and personal care products....
- raisins
- Round zedoaryZedoaryZedoary is the name for a perennial herb and member of the genus Curcuma Linn., family Zingiberaceae. The plant is native to India and Indonesia...
- sandalwoodSandalwoodSandalwood is the name of a class of fragrant woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods they retain their fragrance for decades. As well as using the harvested and cut wood in-situ, essential oils are also extracted...
- sesame oilSesame oilSesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
- Spreading hogweedHogweedHeracleum is a genus of about 60 species of biennial and perennial herbs in the carrot family Apiaceae. They are found throughout the temperate northern hemisphere and in high mountains as far south as Ethiopia...
(Boerhavia diffussa) - Sugar
- Tiger's claw or Ice plant
- Wild black gram
- Wild green gram
- Winter cherryWinter cherryWinter cherry may refer to following plants, which are all Solanaceae, unrelated to actual cherries , and do not have edible fruit :* Physalis alkekengi * other species of Physalis...
(or Ashwaghanda)