The short answer
Kanakasava is a fermented herbal liquid (an asava). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it for cough, breathlessness (shvasa), rajayakshma (a wasting disease) and weakness after a chest injury. Its first ingredient, kanaka, is dhattura (Datura), the whole plant. Datura is on India's official list of poisonous substances in Ayurvedic medicines, so packs must say it is to be taken under medical supervision.
Fermentation also makes alcohol in the bottle, and the recipe is heavy in sugar and honey, which matters if you have diabetes. The only study we found was in rats, not people. Tell your doctor you take it, especially if you take a medicine that should not be mixed with alcohol.
What is in it
The official recipe is in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 1:9 (2003 printed edition, page 10).[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanaka (dhattura) | Datura metel | Whole plant | 192 g |
| Vasa (vrishamula tvak) | Adhatoda vasica | Root | 192 g |
| Madhuka (yashti, mulethi) | Glycyrrhiza glabra | Root | 96 g |
| Magadhi (pippali, long pepper) | Piper longum | Fruit | 96 g |
| Vyaghri (kantakari) | Solanum xanthocarpum | Whole plant | 96 g |
| Keshara (nagakeshara) | Mesua ferrea | Stamen | 96 g |
| Vishvabheshaja (shunthi, dry ginger) | Zingiber officinale | Rhizome | 96 g |
| Bharngi | Clerodendrum serratum | Root | 96 g |
| Talishapatra (talisa) | Abies webbiana | Leaf | 96 g |
| Dhataki | Woodfordia fruticosa | Flower | 768 g |
| Draksha (raisins) | Vitis vinifera | Dried fruit | 960 g |
| Water | - | - | 24.576 l |
| Sharkara (sugar) | - | - | 4.800 kg |
| Kshaudra (honey) | - | - | 2.400 kg |
Quantities for one batch, from the 2003 printed edition. Products on sale may differ, so check the label.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Bhaishajya Ratnavali, Hikkashvasadhikara (the chapter on hiccup and breathlessness), verses 98 to 101. The verse opens with kanaka crushed together with its branches, roots, leaves and fruit.[1]
What it is used for
- The formulary lists it for kasa (cough), shvasa (breathlessness), rajayakshma (a wasting disease) and kshata kshina (weakness after a chest injury).[1]
What the evidence says
AnimalStudy in rats, 2017. Rats were made allergic to egg protein (ovalbumin) to mimic asthma, then given Kanakasava by mouth at 1.23 or 2.46 ml per kg for 28 days and compared with rats given dexamethasone, a steroid. Markers of airway inflammation and lung function improved. The abstract does not give group sizes, and a rat model does not show benefit or harm in people.[4]
Safety notes
- Contains dhattura (Datura), 192 g of the whole plant per batch. Dhattura is on Schedule E(1), India's list of poisonous substances in Ayurvedic medicines, and a medicine for internal use made with it must carry the label "Caution: to be taken under medical supervision".[3]
- Contains alcohol. The formulary says asavas and arishtas ferment to generate alcohol, which also preserves them. This matters if you avoid alcohol or have liver disease. Tell your doctor about any other medicines you take. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your vaidya and your doctor before taking it.[2]
- We found no measurement of the alcohol in Kanakasava itself. Twelve samples of three other arishtas made in Sri Lanka measured between 5.80 and 8.35% alcohol by volume.[5]
- Each batch uses 4.8 kg of sugar and 2.4 kg of honey, more than twice the weight of all the herbs together. This matters if you have diabetes.[1]
- It also contains pippali and yashtimadhu (mulethi), which have their own interaction pages. See Pippali and phenytoin, and Yashtimadhu and blood pressure medicines.
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Dhootapapeshwar, Baidyanath. 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
Is Kanakasava a cough syrup?
It is a classical fermented asava, not a modern cough syrup. It contains Datura and alcohol made during fermentation, and Indian law requires packs to say it is to be taken under medical supervision.[3][2]
Does Kanakasava help asthma?
We found no trial in people. One rat study found less airway inflammation in an asthma model, which is a reason to study it further, not evidence that it helps people with asthma.[4]
Related
Vasavaleha
A vasaka leaf jam for cough and breathlessness, mostly sugar and honey. One small trial compared it only with its own granules.
FormulationSitopaladi Churna
A classical cough powder, about half sugar by weight. It contains pippali; piperine, a pepper compound, raised phenytoin levels in a small study.
FormulationTalisadi Churna
A classical cough and digestion powder, two-thirds sugar by weight, with pippali and black pepper. We have not found a study of it in people.
InteractionMulethi (licorice) and blood pressure medicines
Glycyrrhizin in mulethi raises blood pressure and lowers potassium. It can work against blood pressure medicines, as a regulator and a case report show.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Kanakasava, 1:9, printed page 10.
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Section 1, Asava and Arista, Definition, printed page 3.
- Drugs Rules, 1945, Rule 161(2) and Schedule E(1), list of poisonous substances under the Ayurvedic (including Siddha) and Unani systems. Central Drugs Standard Control Organization compilation, 2022, pp. 184 and 344-345.
- Arora P, Ansari SH, Anjum V, Mathur R, Ahmad S. Investigation of anti-asthmatic potential of Kanakasava in ovalbumin-induced bronchial asthma and airway inflammation in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2017;197:242-249. PMID 27502540.
- Fernando N, Pigera S, Rashani N, et al. Screening for performance enhancing substances and quantification of ethanol in different Arishta manufactured in Sri Lanka. Ceylon Med J. 2020;65(4):112-117. PMID 34825559.
Awaiting review by The Good Vaidya Medical Board. Prepared from the sources below and checked against each one.
Published 4 November 2026 · Last updated 4 November 2026
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