The short answer
Kutajarishta is a fermented decoction (an arishta) of kutaja bark with raisins, mahua flowers and gambhari bark, sweetened with jaggery. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it for fever, grahani (a long-standing digestive disorder), diarrhoea with blood, and weak digestion.
Like every arishta, it contains alcohol made during fermentation, and the jaggery matters if you have diabetes. We found no clinical trial of Kutajarishta in 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 1:11 (2003 printed edition, page 10).[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kutaja (kutajamula) | Holarrhena antidysenterica | Stem bark | 4.800 kg |
| Mridvika (draksha, raisins) | Vitis vinifera | Dried fruit | 2.400 kg |
| Madhuka pushpa (mahua flower) | Madhuca indica | Flower | 480 g |
| Kashmari (gambhari) | Gmelina arborea | Stem bark | 480 g |
| Water for decoction | - | - | 49.152 l, reduced to 12.288 l |
| Guda (jaggery) | - | - | 4.800 kg |
| Dhataki (added at the end) | Woodfordia fruticosa | Flower | 960 g |
Quantities for one batch, from the 2003 printed edition. The formulary names the first ingredient kutajamula (kutaja root) but gives the part as stem bark. Products on sale may differ, so check the label.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Bhaishajya Ratnavali, Atisaradhikara (the chapter on diarrhoea), verses 97 to 98½. The verse opens with a tula of kutaja and half a tula of raisins.[1]
What it is used for
- The formulary lists it for jvara (fever), grahani (a long-standing digestive disorder), raktatisara (diarrhoea with blood) and agnimandya (weak digestion).[1]
What the evidence says
From the classical textsWe found no clinical trial of Kutajarishta in people. Its listed uses come from the formulary and the Bhaishajya Ratnavali, not from modern testing.[1]
Safety notes
- 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 Kutajarishta itself. Twelve samples of three other arishtas made in Sri Lanka measured between 5.80 and 8.35% alcohol by volume.[3]
- Each batch uses 4.8 kg of jaggery as well as 2.4 kg of raisins. This matters if you have diabetes.[1]
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Baidyanath, Dhootapapeshwar. We list names so you can match your bottle to this page. We do not recommend or sell any brand.
Withheld until review
Related
IBS (irritable bowel syndrome): what Ayurveda offers
The one placebo-controlled trial of an Ayurvedic herbal mix in IBS found no benefit. A whole-system programme beat a single powder in another.
EvidenceDo Ayurvedic herbs help IBS with diarrhoea?
A small placebo-controlled trial of curry leaf, pomegranate and turmeric found no benefit over placebo for diarrhoea-predominant IBS.
FormulationLavan Bhaskar Churna
A digestive powder of four salts and spices. By weight it is about 41% salt, which matters for high blood pressure, heart and kidney disease.
FormulationHingvashtak Churna
Eight spices in equal parts, including hing and rock salt, for gas and weak digestion. Clinical evidence has not been fully reviewed; one US-sold sample held mercury.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Kutajarista, 1:11, printed page 10.
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Section 1, Asava and Arista, Definition, printed page 3.
- 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.
Updated 4 November 2026
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