The short answer
Phala Ghrita is made with 768 g of cow's ghee, 3.072 litres of cow's milk, 18 herbal ingredients and sugar. The herbs include manjishtha, triphala, ashwagandha, shatavari, mulethi and hing. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it for vandhyatva (infertility), disorders of semen and of the female reproductive tract, disorders in pregnancy, children's diseases and emaciation.
The only study we found put it into the uterus of 30 women with infertility, with no comparison group and no pregnancy or live-birth figures in the abstract we reviewed. That says nothing about the ghee taken by mouth. Because the formulary lists it for pregnancy and for children, we hold back that advice until our medical board has reviewed it. Ask your vaidya and your obstetrician.
What is in it
The official recipe is in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 6:30, as Phala Ghrta (2003 printed edition, page 92).[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manjishtha | Rubia cordifolia | Root | 12 g |
| Kushtha | Saussurea lappa | Root | 12 g |
| Tagara | Valeriana wallichii | Root | 12 g |
| Haritaki (harad) | Terminalia chebula | Pericarp | 12 g |
| Bibhitaka (baheda) | Terminalia bellirica | Pericarp | 12 g |
| Amalaki (amla) | Emblica officinalis | Pericarp | 12 g |
| Sharkara (sugar) | - | - | 12 g |
| Vacha | Acorus calamus | Rhizome | 12 g |
| Haridra (haldi) | Curcuma longa | Rhizome | 12 g |
| Daruharidra | Berberis aristata | Stem | 12 g |
| Madhuka (yashti, mulethi) | Glycyrrhiza glabra | Root | 12 g |
| Meda | Polygonatum cirrhifolium | Root tuber | 12 g |
| Dipyaka (yavani, ajwain) | Trachyspermum ammi | Fruit | 12 g |
| Katurohini (katuka, kutki) | Picrorhiza kurroa | Rhizome or root | 12 g |
| Payasya (kshira vidari) | Ipomoea digitata | Root tuber | 12 g |
| Hingu (asafoetida) | Ferula foetida | Exudate | 12 g |
| Kakoli | Lilium polyphyllum; substitute Withania somnifera | Substitute root | 12 g |
| Vajigandha (ashvagandha) | Withania somnifera | Root | 12 g |
| Shatavari | Asparagus racemosus | Root tuber | 12 g |
| Ghrita (cow's ghee) | - | - | 768 g |
| Kshira (cow's milk) | - | - | 3.072 l |
Quantities for one batch, from the 2003 printed edition. Kakoli is printed as a substitute root; the formulary's appendix names ashvagandha as its substitute. Products on sale may differ, so check the label.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttarasthana, chapter 34, verses 63 to 64½. The verse opens with manjishtha, kushtha, tagara, triphala, sugar and vacha.[1]
What it is used for
- The formulary lists it for vandhyatva (infertility), shukra vikara (disorders of semen), yoni vikara (disorders of the female reproductive tract) and garbhini roga (disorders during pregnancy).[1]
- It also lists bala roga and bala graha (diseases of children) and karshya (emaciation).[1]
What the evidence says
Small clinical studySmall study in female infertility, 2002. Thirty women with infertility had Phala Ghrita placed in the uterus over three menstrual cycles. The abstract gives no comparison group and no figures for pregnancies or live births. The ghee was not taken by mouth, so the study cannot tell us about the usual way it is sold.[4]
Safety notes
- The formulary lists it for disorders in pregnancy and for children's diseases. Pregnancy and children's advice is withheld on this site until medical review, so ask your vaidya and, in pregnancy, your obstetrician before you take it.[1]
- Do not confuse it with Brihat Phala Ghrita (formulary entry 6:31), a larger recipe of 35 ingredients that includes danti. Danti is on Schedule E(1), India's list of poisonous substances in Ayurvedic medicines.[2]
- Danti-containing medicines must carry the label "Caution: to be taken under medical supervision". Check which of the two your pack is.[3]
- Contains ashvagandha, shatavari and yashtimadhu (mulethi), which have their own interaction pages. See Ashwagandha and thyroid medicines, Shatavari and hormone therapy, and Yashtimadhu and the contraceptive pill.
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Patanjali. 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 Phala Ghrita the same as Brihat Phala Ghrita?
No. They are separate formulary entries. Brihat Phala Ghrita, from the Sharngadhara Samhita, has 35 ingredients, including danti and more herbs, and the formulary lists it for infertility and disorders of semen and as a rasayana.[2]
Does Phala Ghrita help women get pregnant?
We do not know. The one study we found placed it in the uterus of 30 women, with no comparison group and no pregnancy or live-birth figures in the abstract we reviewed. If you are trying to conceive, talk to your gynaecologist and your vaidya together.[4]
Related
PCOS and PCOD: what Ayurveda offers
Curcumin improved blood sugar markers, and periods a little, in small trials. Most Ayurveda studies of PCOS are single case reports.
InteractionShatavari, the pill and hormone therapy
Not studied in people. Lab work suggests shatavari acts on the oestrogen receptor, but whether it changes how the pill or HRT works is unknown.
InteractionAshwagandha and thyroid medicines
Ashwagandha can raise thyroid hormone levels. That could add to levothyroxine, or work against antithyroid drugs.
FormulationLodhrasava
An asava of lodhra and 29 other herbs, fermented with honey, listed for meha, skin disease and obesity. It contains alcohol; the study we found was in a lab.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Phala Ghrta, 6:30, printed page 92.
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Brhat Phala Ghrta, 6:31, printed page 93.
- 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.
- Otta SP, Tripaty RN. Clinical trial of phalaghrita on female infertility. Ancient Sci Life. 2002;22:56-63. PMID 22557087.
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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