What is the story & science behind Chyavanprasha?
Do you remember having this black jelly in the morning as a kid? Do you know the history and science behind Chyavanprash?
Here’s the tea.
The legend tells us the story of Chyavana, an elderly rishi who had grown weak with age. Impressed by his wife Sukanya's devotion to taking care of him, he was gifted a complex jam by the Ashwini Kumaras, the twin doctors of the Gods. After having it, he felt completely energetic, and so it was named after him.
But scientifically, Chyavanprasha is mentioned in our Ayurveda's Charaka Samhita from over 2000 years ago, as a Rasayana or tonic specifically meant to nourish the body, improve immunity, enhance digestion, support our lungs and reproductive system, and delay aging.
Its base is Amalaki, the Indian gooseberry or amla fruit, which is extremely high in Vitamin C and acts as the primary antioxidant to combat cellular damage and oxidative stress. We then have 40 to 50 medicinal herbs like Ashwagandha, Shatavari, Brahmi, and Pippali.
Then we add fats like pure cow's ghee and sesame oil to extract the full fat-soluble nutritional value of the herbs.
More importantly, Chyavanprasha is criticized for having a lot of sugar, which is correct, and so diabetics should usually avoid it. But the raw honey and unrefined sugar in it are critical for preserving the jam and preventing it from spoiling, not to mention they act as physiological carriers that drive the herbs deep into our body's tissues.
It was traditionally had in the mornings on an empty stomach, and since many of the herbs increase our Pitta or heat, people followed it up with a glass of warm milk.
Unfortunately, many modern-day packaged brands that sell this Ayurvedic powerhouse dump it with refined sugar, or worse, remove the sugar entirely with artificial sweeteners to appeal to diabetics, defeating the pharmacological mechanism of the medicine.
With our sedentary lifestyle today, blindly having this without proper exercise to burn the sugar might cause glucose spikes that cause you more harm than good.
Remember that just because something is labeled Ayurvedic, it does not automatically make it healthy.
But on the flip side, we should not dismiss or mock our own traditional recipes without understanding the history and science behind them.
So the best way forward is to read the label carefully, consult your doctor, and do your research.