Assemblingcyavanaprāsh, Ayurveda's best-selling medicine

Abstract

The paper discusses the many forms and representations of cyavanaprāsh, Ayurveda's best-selling medicine, already mentioned in Caraka's Compendium (c. 200 CE). The medicine's compositions, applications, and meanings, change over time and from locality to locality. Cyavanaprāsh is, for example, a patriotic formula, a booster of the immune system, a modern geriatric drug, and one of the elements in canonical Ayurvedic treatments. In the beginning of the 19th century cyavanaprāsh was a patriotic formula for fortifying Indian bodies and the nascent Indian nation. Nowadays the medicine is a Fast Moving Consumer Good (FMCG) and a money maker for Dabur India Ltd., the world largest Ayurvedic manufacturer. Instead of vitalising the nation its consumption now promises to make urban middle class consumers effectively modern. Branding and modern science must make Dabur Chyawanprash attractive in the eyes of these consumers. Ayurveda and cyavanaprāsh are also part of a global counter culture marked by neo-Orientalism and Ayurvedic medicines as facilitators of spirituality. The marketing of cyavanaprāsh by India's largest Ayurvedic manufacturer is used as a case study for discussing the proliferation of Ayurvedic brands and its critics. The imaging of Ayurvedic brands such as Dabur Chyawanprash threatens to obscure the fact that Ayurveda represents a unique way of looking upon health, disease and the human body. The proliferation of brands also makes Ayurvedic medicines more expensive and puts pressure on the natural environment as the main supplier of Ayurvedic ingredients.

Evaluation of Cyavanaprāśa on health and immunity related parameters in healthy children: A two arm, randomized, open labeled, prospective, multicenter, clinical study

“…Efficacy of CP in term of anti-allergic property, activity of Natural Killer (NK) cells and phagocytic activity, level of Tumor Necrosis Factor- alpha (TNF-a), IL- 1-b and MIP-1- a secreted by Dendritic Cells (DC,[ 14 ] improvement of quality of life in patient with recurrent cough and cold and health benefits under seasonal variations has been established. [ 8 9 18 19 20 ]…”

“…[ 7 ] Beneficial effects of CP have been observed in nasal allergies and viral infections and seasonal influences. [ 7 8 9 ] There exists enough evidence suggesting its multifaceted biological activity in favor of positive health. Till now CP has been studied in diverse population and there is scarcity of documented data regarding its use in children, specially, school going children.…”

Quality Assessment of Five Different Brands of Chyawanprash Marketed in Nepal

“…Additionally, it is useful as a tonic, rejuvenator, anabolic, memory enhancer, and an immunomodulatory agent. Phytoconstituents of Chyawanprash exhibited a wide range of pharmaceutical activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulatory activities, and several beneficial effects on the digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, reproductive, and nervous systems, respectively [4][5][6][7].…”

How healthy are we? Narratives of experiential health from a village of Western Nepal

“…The local knowledge transmission has been slowed down because of various reasons. The folk or indigenous health practices have also been affected and there are concerns over preserving locally available medicinal plants, protecting indigenous health practices, promoting of indigenous knowledge systems and revitalizing local health traditions (Bode & Hariramamurthi, 2012;Budhathoki & BC, 2008).…”