A spoonful of chyawanprash could be your ticket to combating disease and beating age, says Roshni Bajaj

Chyawanprash has had two memorable poster boys in its long history of at least 2,000 years. The first was Chyawan Rishi who smacked his lips and endorsed it as a Viagra of yore so enthusiastically that the tonic took his name. And more recently, it was Amitabh Bachchan, who graciously snubbed gravity at Dabur's request and acrobatically endorsed its branded version with the vitality of a man half his age. Centuries apart, both men essentially had the same message: Eat chyawanprash, beat age.

A family of substance

Kanubhai Shah, 82, resident of Napean Sea Road, Mumbai, is not aware of either campaign but has the same opinion for anyone who cares to ask him about the black, gooey, jam-like substance he has each morning. "I have great energy. I have never been to the doctor; no health problems. I work more than 10 hours a day. I do all my work myself..." he is unstoppable on all that chyawanprash allows him to do. Like Canada's power sector, he faces only one unique problem today: what to do with all this extra energy?

It was 25 years ago that Shah first read about chyawanprash in a Gujarati periodical. Every winter since, Bina, his indulgent daughter-in-law, has been cooking the 49 ingredients of this complex recipe into a mini power meal. Some boxes are sealed and sent to her three daughters in the United States. Her husband and her father-in-law spoon off the rest each morning, continuing an ancient Indian household tradition that has remained a staple for centuries. Like generations of housewives before her, Bina is very clear on the benefits of chyawanprash, "It improves resistance and I like it for my family because it is a completely natural product with no preservatives."

Traditionally, it has been marketed as a men's tonic, especially for those above a certain age who still need to go out and work, but its magic is universal. Shraddha, Bina's youngest daughter, uses it to combat exam stress. "It helps me study late at nights. Last time, mom forgot to send it and so I had to call to remind her," she says.

Even doctors recommend chyawanprash as a tonic for both the young and the old, irrespective of health profiles. Dr Nageshwar Rao, assistant professor at the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, says, "Chyawanprash enhances the immune system, irrespective of age." And Dr Ratan Kumar, chief medical officer, Municipal Corporation of Delhi's Panchkarma Hospital, calls it "the ideal tonic for resistance-building and rejuvenation; something that keeps coughs and colds, acidity, fatigue, weakness and aches away". It's perfect for everyone, adds Kumar, except for diabetics - the quantity of sugar added makes it "a strict no-no" for them. Allopathy also gives a stamp of approval to chyawanprash. Dr Pradip Parikh, consulting general physician at Jaslok and Breach Candy hospitals, Mumbai, takes the tonic himself. "If you are feeling a little low, I would advise chyawanprash instead of a vitamin pill," he says.

The c of health

Today the market for chyawanprash is around Rs 250 crore and expanding rapidly. As a health tonic, it has proved itself ageless. Chyawanprash is Ayurveda's most famous rasayana, which literally means 'to move towards life's essence' but is loosely translated as 'ultimate tonic'. Such tonics are considered so vital in Ayurveda that rasayana is one of the system's eight branches and it specializes in maintaining vigour and vitality throughout life.

The key ingredient among the 49 plants, fruits, roots, herbs and minerals that go into chyawanprash is amla (Indian gooseberry) - now famous as the world's richest source of Vitamin C. Amla also has a generous helping of calcium, phosphorous, iron, carotene, carbohydrates, thiamine and riboflavin. In studies around the world, the fruit has proven useful in the treatment of anaemia, diabetes, chronic respiratory disorders, colds, flu, high blood pressure and cholesterol. It also stimulates the immune system of patients suffering from some kinds of cancer. Clinical research suggests that it enables cells to regenerate, and that it increases lean body mass. And its biggest attribute is that its nutrients don't get lost while cooking.

If a recipe is faithful to the original Charak Samhita, the bible, so to speak, of Ayurveda, amla should form at least 30 per cent of chyawanprash. In Vedic times, the ripest lemon-sized fruits were fried in ghee and made into a dark paste. This was combined with honey, boiled herbs like bel, bala, pippali as well as dried, fragrant powders like elaichi (cardamom), lavang (clove) and dalchini (cinnamon). The slightly granular, jammy, and delicious, tangy-spicy-sweet paste makes an unlikely looking elixir. But its wonders lie in the synergy of this mix.

Shades of black

As a health prop, chyawanprash is used to alleviate smoking-related problems and weak immunity. It also has a calming effect on nervous energy and stress. Today, many branded versions are sold as the ideal ancient rejuvenator for modern stresses. Vaids, or Ayurvedic physicians, however, profess more integrity to the original recipe because they make smaller batches. Larger batches may lead to the temptation of adding pumpkin or sweet potato as bulking agents.

There are also specialized versions of chyawanprash for specific needs which are not always easily available in a wider market. Dr Hansa Chandrashekar Thakkur comes from a family that been making and selling the tonic for 90 years in Kalbadevi, Mumbai. Looking a few decades younger than her 71 years, she says four varieties of the tonic are prepared at the Thakkurs' Sind Pharmacy. Their regular chyawanprash contains 64 ingredients, 49 from the Charak Samhita and 15 added from their extensive research.

Thakkur oversees the preparation of chyawanprash from scratch. At her pharmacy, pearls - a great mental tonic that keeps down the levels of tension - are soaked in rosewater for a month, as prescribed in Ayurveda. The other special ingredients that go into some, more expensive versions also include gold (great for lungs and the brain), silver (helps with joint problems) and saffron (good for the skin and aids fertility).

There is a lot more that chyawanprash can do than just keep away the common cold. If you are not on it, do some research, speak to your doctor and buy your first bottle of black magic. It can solve a lot of your problems. And as with Kanubhai Shah, perhaps, they will be replaced only by excess energy for which he now has the ideal solution: a 45-minute brisk power-walk every morning.

Shopping for health

Along with known brands such as Dabur, Zandu, Baidyanath and Himalaya, you can also buy chyawanprash at...