The short answer
Chyawanprash is a jam-like rasayana. In the official recipe, 500 fresh amlas are boiled with a decoction of 36 herbs, the pulp is fried in ghee and sesame oil, and the mix is cooked down with sugar, then finished with honey and spices. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it for cough, breathlessness, hoarseness, wasting, heart disease, weak digestion and old age, and as a rasayana for the mind and memory. Each batch uses 2.4 kg of sugar and 288 g of honey, which matters if you have diabetes.
We assessed a 2024 review of five Indian trials of Chyawanprash to prevent COVID-19. The pooled result was uncertain, and the trials disagreed with each other. Reported side effects did not differ between groups.
What is in it
The official recipe is in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I (2003), entry 3:11 Cyavanaprasa, printed pages 37 and 38.[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilva (bael) | Aegle marmelos | Root or stem bark | 48 g |
| Agnimantha | Premna integrifolia | Root or stem bark | 48 g |
| Shyonaka | Oroxylum indicum | Root or stem bark | 48 g |
| Kashmari (gambhari) | Gmelina arborea | Root or stem bark | 48 g |
| Patali (patala) | Stereospermum suaveolens | Root or stem bark | 48 g |
| Bala | Sida cordifolia | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Shalaparni | Desmodium gangeticum | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Prishniparni | Uraria picta | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Mudgaparni | Phaseolus trilobus | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Mashaparni | Teramnus labialis | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Pippali (long pepper) | Piper longum | Fruit | 48 g |
| Svadamshtra (gokshura) | Tribulus terrestris | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Brihati | Solanum indicum | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Kantakari | Solanum xanthocarpum | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Shringi (karkatashringi) | Pistacia integerrima | Gall | 48 g |
| Tamalaki | Phyllanthus niruri | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Draksha (raisin) | Vitis vinifera | Dried fruit | 48 g |
| Jivanti | Leptadenia reticulata | Root | 48 g |
| Pushkara | Inula racemosa | Root | 48 g |
| Agaru | Aquilaria agallocha | Heartwood | 48 g |
| Abhaya (haritaki) | Terminalia chebula | Pericarp | 48 g |
| Amrita (guduchi, giloy) | Tinospora cordifolia | Stem | 48 g |
| Riddhi | - | Root tuber | 48 g |
| Jivaka | - | Root tuber | 48 g |
| Rishabhaka | - | Root tuber | 48 g |
| Shati | Hedychium spicatum | Rhizome | 48 g |
| Musta | Cyperus rotundus | Rhizome | 48 g |
| Punarnava (rakta punarnava) | Boerhavia diffusa | Whole plant | 48 g |
| Meda | - | Root tuber | 48 g |
| Ela (small cardamom) | Elettaria cardamomum | Seed | 48 g |
| Candana (white sandalwood) | Santalum album | Heartwood | 48 g |
| Utpala (blue water lily) | Nymphaea stellata | Flower | 48 g |
| Vidari | Pueraria tuberosa | Root tuber | 48 g |
| Vrishamula (vasa) | Adhatoda vasica | Root | 48 g |
| Kakoli | - | Root | 48 g |
| Kakanasika | Martynia annua | Fruit | 48 g |
| Amalaka (amla) | Emblica officinalis | Fresh fruit | 500 in number |
| Water for decoction | - | - | 12.288 l, reduced to 3.072 l |
| Ghrita (ghee) | - | - | 288 g |
| Taila (sesame oil) | Sesamum indicum | Oil | 288 g |
| Matsyandika (sugar) | - | - | 2.400 kg |
| Madhu (honey) | - | - | 288 g |
| Tugakshiri (vamsha, bamboo manna) | Bambusa bambos | Siliceous concretion | 192 g |
| Pippali (long pepper) | Piper longum | Fruit | 96 g |
| Tvak (cinnamon) | Cinnamomum zeylanicum | Stem bark | 48 g |
| Ela (small cardamom) | Elettaria cardamomum | Seed | 48 g |
| Patra (tejapatra, bay leaf) | Cinnamomum tamala | Leaf | 48 g |
| Keshara (nagakeshara) | Mesua ferrea | Stamen | 48 g |
Quantities are for one batch, from the printed 2003 edition. Riddhi, jivaka, rishabhaka, meda and kakoli are rare plants for which the formulary's appendix gives alternative or substitute sources, so we leave their botanical names out. The appendix prints Kakanasika as 'Maritima annua', which we read as Martynia annua. Makers' recipes can differ, so check the label.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana, chapter 1 (part 1), verses 62 to 69, where it closes by calling Chyawanprash the foremost rasayana.[1]
What it is used for
- The formulary lists it for kasa (cough), shvasa (breathlessness), kshatakshina (wasting after chest injury), svarabheda (hoarseness), kshaya (wasting disease) and uroroga (chest disease).[1]
- It also lists hridroga (heart disease), agnimandya (weak digestion), vatarakta (gout), pipasa (thirst), mutraroga (urinary disease), shukradosha (disorders of semen) and jara (old age).[1]
- It is used as a rasayana, and as medhya and smritiprada, meaning good for the intellect and the memory.[1]
What the evidence says
Systematic reviewReview of trials to prevent COVID-19, 2024. Five randomised trials in India, with 153,343 participants in total, were pooled. The odds of testing positive came out at 0.45 with Chyawanprash, but the range of plausible values ran from 0.06 to 3.08, so no clear effect was shown, and the trials differed a lot (I² 80%). Adverse events were similar with and without it (odds ratio 0.94). The authors call for more research because of the differences between trials and their risk of bias.[2]
Safety notes
- Each batch is cooked with 2.4 kg of sugar and finished with 288 g of honey. This matters if you have diabetes. A product sold as sugar-free has a changed recipe, so read its label.[1]
- Amla, the base, has its own interaction pages. See Amla and blood thinners, and Amla and metformin. Giloy and pippali, also in the recipe, have their own pages.
- Our search for side-effect reports and regulator alerts on this product is not complete. Finding none so far is not a sign that it is harmless.
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Jiva Ayurveda. We list names so you can match your bottle to this page. We do not recommend or sell any brand.
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Does Chyawanprash boost immunity?
The review we assessed tested COVID-19 prevention, not general immunity, and the pooled result was uncertain. They do not show that it prevents colds or other infections.[2]
Can people with diabetes eat Chyawanprash?
Ask your doctor first. The formulary recipe is cooked with sugar and finished with honey, so a spoonful carries sugar along with the herbs.[1]
Can children have Chyawanprash?
We do not give advice on children until our vaidya has reviewed this page. Ask your child's doctor or the vaidya who suggested it.
Related
Amla and metformin
Amla lowered blood sugar further alongside metformin in one small rat study. Nobody has tested the two together in people.
InteractionAmla and blood thinners
Amla extract slowed platelet clumping in small human studies, alone and with aspirin or clopidogrel. Warfarin has not been tested.
ConditionType 2 diabetes (sugar): what Ayurveda offers
Some herbs, such as methi and karela, lowered HbA1c a little in trials. Taken with diabetes medicines, they can add to the risk of low sugar.
FormulationAmalaki Rasayana
A rasayana of amla soaked in its own juice, with honey, ghee, pippali and sugar. One trial we reviewed measured DNA repair.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Cyavanaprasa, 3:11, printed pages 37-38.
- Sharma S, Sethuraman G, Kumari K. Safety and efficacy of Chyawanprash as a prophylaxis treatment for COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials. Cureus. 2024;16(10):e71532. PMID 39544586.
Updated 4 November 2026
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