Chyavanprash is famous in Ayurveda and India as a longevity medicine, used in the treatment of immunodeficiency and support lung health. It is considered to be very safe, and is traditionally consumed in India by the young and aged alike to improve general health.

This Chyavanprash is hand made in small batches prescribed by the classical method of preparation by traditional Ayurveda practitioners in Nepal, with one exception: this product is sugar-free. Traditionally, Chyavanprash is made as a "lehya", which means "to lick", and this category of medicine is made as a herbal confection, of which Chyavanprash is the most famous. While in ancient India sugar was viewed as a medicinal food, the fact that modern humans are over-exposed to refined sugars means that this ingredient has lost much of its functionality, and moreover, makes the product contraindicated for many of the issues for which Chyavanprash was originally used. Thus, this version of Chyavanprash means this product is entirely suitable for anyone worried about sugar intake or otherwise expresses some degree of carbohydrate intolerance, such as diabetes and hypoglycemia, and can be taken by anyone on a carb-restricted diet. During preparation the last stage of adding the sugar and honey are omitted, and the resultant preparation is gently dried under glass in the spring Nepali sun before being reduced to a powder.

Please note that this remedy does contain some ghee (clarified butter), used during the extraction/preparation process, and hence is not vegan. Although it is a powder, the product does tend to clump up a little bit depending on humidity, but does not have any flowing agents like silicon dioxide that are common in other powdered Ayurveda preparations, and can cause issues in sensitive people.

The primary herb in this formula is amla fruit (Phyllanthus emblica), which is an exceptionally useful herb with a strong sour taste that has many medicinal properties. It is a potent antioxidant, loaded with diterpenes, triterpenes, flavonoids, and polyphenols, and naturally contains very high levels of ascorbate (vitamin C) in a uniquely heat-stable form. Amla is traditionally used to support digestion (dīpanapācana), resolve fever (jvaraghna) and burning sensations (raktaprasādana), to treat cough (kāsahara) and asthma (svāsahara), to benefit the heart (hṛdaya), strengthen the eyes (cakṣuṣya) and hair (romasañjanana), to enhance longevity (rasāyana), improve fertility (vṛṣya), support cognition (medhya), and restore homeostatic balance (tridoṣaghna). In addition to amla, Chyavanprash contains over 40 other herbs in smaller amounts, augmenting the traditional indications of amla while providing many others.

While it’s not too difficult to find Chyavanprash in the marketplace, most sources cannot be trusted. There are too many monied interests involved, and much of what is called Chyavanprash is a pale replica, usually with too much sugar, fillers like potato starch, or is a simplified replica that doesn’t even come close to the original formula. I am in somewhat of a unique position with my personal and professional relationships in Nepal, where I have cultivated a 20 year relationship with a group of hereditary physicians in Kathmandu, that adhere to the principles and practices of traditional Ayurveda. As such, it is a real treat to offer this product to discerning customers, and with continued interest, we hope to stock this product on a regular basis, and thereby support our devoted colleagues in Nepal.

Given that the product is free of sugar and honey, the functional dose is smaller than the original lehya, between 5-10g taken once to twice daily. It can be mixed with and easily dissolves in a little hot water, and can also be taken mixed with a little wildflower honey and licked off the spoon.