Living healthy is the prime motto of this era but increased use of antibiotics and immuno- suppressive drugs, sedentary life, the quality of life get affected. Many kalpas have been described in Rasashastra for the conservation of immunity, physical and pshycological state of the body. In the field Rasayana, Gandhaka holds top after Parada. It possess ‘Katu’ rasa, ‘Ushna’ virya and Pachaka karma. Sudha Gandhaka when consume for many days with suitable adjuvant will provide good eye sight and improves jataragni. It is a good Rasyana also. Acharya Charaka has described Rasayana as a means to promote vigor and health which is mainly virilific and promotive of vitality. In the eighth chapter of Rasatarangini mentions 10 Gandhaka Kalpas. By judicious use of these kalpas, the person attains divyadrishti (sharp eye sight), suvarna kaya (golden radiance in the body), virya (high virility) and shaurya (physical strength) even in aged persons, vajra kaya (sturdy body), cures vali and palita roga (hair fall and hair greying), and also cures many of the chronic Kaphaja, Vataja and Pittaja rogas.

1. Neutraceuticals and Rasayana
Chikitsa in Ayurveda
Dr. Prajeesh Nath E N, BAMS, MD(Ay)
Assistant Professor & Research officer
Amrita School of Ayurveda
Kollam, Kerala

2. Introduction
• Ancient civilizations that have used food as
medicine.
• “Let food be thy medicine.” Hippocrates
• The modern nutraceutical market began to
develop in Japan during the 1980s

3. Definition
• Nutraceutical the term coined from
"Nutrition" and "Pharmaceutical”
• Neutraceutical -“A food or a part of food that
provides medical or health benefits including
the prevention and treatment of a disease”.
• The “Dietary supplements” are those products
which are intended to supplement the diet
like the vitamins, minerals etc. in the form of a
pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid form.’’

4. Neutraceuticals over Pharmaceuticals
• The belief among consumers -“food like
substances” are either harmless or least toxic
as compared to conventional pharmaceuticals.
• Nutraceutical are gaining popularity as people
are relying on them for safeguarding their
health and avoiding side effects associated
with drugs as well long history of use and
better patient tolerance as well as public
acceptance.

5. Neutraceuticals over Pharmaceuticals

6. Categories of neutraceuticals
• Dietary supplements - Probiotics, Prebiotics,
Antioxidants, Enzymes etc.
• Herbal/ phytochemicals - Herbs or Botanical
products.
• Nutrients - Vitamins, Minerals, Amino Acids,
Fatty acids etc.

7. Ayurveda and Neutraceuticals
• Ayurvedic principles, Dietetics, nutrition,
pharmaceutical preparations can also correlate
with nutraceutics in present scenario.
• This includes antioxidants, digestive stimulants,
probiotics etc which are very important in the
present scenario of socio economic status.
• Through Ayurveda we can fill the gap between
food and medicines.

8. • But Concept of Ahara in Ayurveda is not at all
similar to modern view.
• The pathya-apathya, hitha-ahitha, sathmya –
asathmya varies individual to individual.
• Principles of both are complementary to each
other and work together would yield better
result especially in present era.

9. Ayurveda plays a great emphasis on the quality
of nutritious food for
• Preventing the degenerative changes caused
by ageing (Rasayana)
• Post illness nutrition (Balya)
• Enhancing the immunity (Vyadhi kshamatva)
• Maintaining the vitality (Vajikarana).

10. Pathya Kalpana and Neutraceuticals
• Ayurveda prescribes specific diet patterns in
healthy & diseased conditions which are
known as Pathya.
• Most of the formulations in Pathya kalpana
have nutritional as well as therapeutic
qualities. So it can be considered in the
category of Nutraceuticals.

11. • In modern dietetics, the nature of food is analyzed by
the dominance of one of the following 3 broad types
of the basic contents of the food as - Carbohydrates,
Fats & Proteins.
Peya More liquid+rice in small
unit
Less carbohydrates
Vilepi More rice+less liquid More carbohydrates
Akrita yusha Pulse without salt and fat Protein(vegetable source)
Krita yusha Pulse with salt and fat Protein with fat
Akrita mamsa rasa Fat present in
mamsa+animal protein
Protein with fat
Krita mamsa rasa Fat+animal
protein+supplement fat and
salt
More protein and fat

12. Neutraceuticals and Rasayana chikitsa
• The concept of Rasayana has much relevance
in the field of Nutraceuticals.
• Concept of Rasayana is the most advanced
form of preventive application specific to
disease, age, climate etc which is similar to
current nutraceutic practice.

13. • दीर्घमायुः स्मृत िं मेधामारोग्यिं रुणिं वयुः |
प्रभावणघस्वरौदायं देहेन्द्रियबलिं ररम ||७||
वान्द्सिद्धिं प्रणत िं कान्द्र िं लभ े ना रिायना
| लाभोरायो हह शस् ानािं रिादीनािं रिायनम
||८||
(Charka Samhita, Chikitsasthanam I/7-8)
• Rasayana helps to improve metabolic
processes, which results in best possible
biotransformation to form the best quality
tissues (dhatus) & helps to prevent senility &
other diseases of old age.

14. Rasayana drugs are divided in to 3 categories.
• 1) Kamya (for vitality, intellect etc.),
• 2) Naimmitika (for specific disorders)
• 3) Aajasrika (general)
• The concept of Aajasrika Rasayana deals with
food products that can be consumed daily for
improving the quality of life & to rejuvenate the
body.
• Many of the rasayana drugs and Ayurvedic
preparations have nutraceutical action.
• Action of Rasayana prayoga is more on Dhatu
level.

15. Chyavanprasham
(AH Ut)
(for general health and prevention of
respiratory disorders)
Brahma Rasayan
(AH Ut)
(for protection from mental stress,
Vatika Hridroga)
Narasimha Rasayana
(AH Ut)
(vigor and vitality, Oligospermia)
Phala Ghrita (AH) (for reproductive health)
Pippali Rasayana 15/19days (Tamaka swasa)
Bhallataka Rasayana(AH) 49days (Malignancy, Vatasonita)
Triphala rasayana
Lasuna Rasayana 1-2 months (Various Neurolofical disorders)

16. Shilajatu rasayanam 7/21/49
days
(for Prameha)- 1karsha/Half
pala/1Pala
Bhrami ghritam (AH) Memory
Arjuna Ksheerpaka (for cardioprotection)
Rasona Ksheerpaka (for cardioprotection, GI Disorders)
Agastyarasyanam (AH) (for Prameha)
Amalaki Rasayana (AH Ut) 3-4 weeks
Chitraka Rasayanam 15-30
days
Krichrasadya vata rogas, switra,
sopha, soola
Tuvaraka rasayana Psoriasis

17. The use of Nutraceuticals in Ayurveda can be classified
according to
• The age of individual: eg: Brahmi + vacha along with
honey is given to new borns to pacify the increased Kapha
dosha & to improve the memory of the child.
• Season of consumption: eg: Ritu haritaki-
Haritaki with Saindhava in varsha ritu,
with sarkara in sarat ritu,
with sunti in hemanta,
with pippali in sisira,
with madhu in vasanta
with guda in grishma.
Another example of use of nutraceuticals as per season is
of Bhallataka Rasayana which should not be consumed in
summer season.

18. • Time of consumption: eg: Triphala rasayana-
haritaki is consumed after digestion of food,
vibhitaki is consumed before food &
Amalaki after food.
• Physiological: eg: Shatavari ghrita in lactating
mother.
• Target organ: eg: Chyavanaprasham & Pippali
rasayana in respiratory disorders, Triphala
churna along with ghee/Honey improves eye
sight .

19. • For specific tissues, certain herbs and foods
functions as Rasayanas.
Plasma(Rasa) Draksha, Shatavari, Kharjura
Blood (Rakta) Amalaki, lauha, Bhringaraja, Suvarnamakshika Bhasma
Muscle (Mamsa) Masha, Ashwagandha, Bala, Nux vomica, Rajata bhasma
Fat (Meda) Guggulu, Shilajit, Haritaki, Guduchi, Garlic
Bone (Asthi) Shukti bhasma, Kukkutanda twak bhasma, Vamshalochana,
Nerve (Majja)
Vacha, Shankhapushpi, Loha bhasma, Gold bhasma,
Makaradhwaja
Reproductive (Shukra)
Kapikachu, Vidarikanda, Shatavari, Ashwagandha,swarna
bhasma, Ghee and Cow milk.

20. • Rasayana according to constitution:
• Rasayana according to Doshas:
Vata Bala, Ashwagandha
Pitta Amalaki, Shatavari, Guduchi
Kapha Bhallataka, Guggulu, Pippali, Lasuna
Vata Kaphaja Lasuna Rasayana, Chitraka Rasayana
Kapha Pradhana Bhallataka Rasayana, Pippali Rasayana
Kapha Pitta Avartita Guduchi(Guduchi )
Pitta vata Chyavanaprasha, Ksheerabala

21. Future of Neutraceuticals in Ayurveda –
Ayurceuticals
• Still not explored in Ayurveda.
• Hence focusing more on nutraceutical applications will
be beneficial for the growth of Ayurveda.
• With better understanding of various metabolic
processes and disease causation coupled with the
Ayurvda and modern health science and modern
nutritional science, it is possible to develop new
products.
• It will lead us to understand and formulate a
conceptual basis for Ayurceuticals of traditionally used
products for better health outcomes.

22. Ayurceuticals
• Introduction of Classical formulations
in new dosage forms.

23. Ayurceuticals

24. Conclusion
• Preventing or retarding the onset of diseases has
become a more attractive and cost effective
strategy in the medical arena.
• Ayurveda rasayana formulations can do
neutraceutical qualities, both as preventive and
curative.
• It is not always possible to find out the active
phyto-constituent and the rationality of a
particular combination of herbs in terms of
modern scientific methods.

25. Conclusion
• But all that which is beyond the reach of
scientific proof is not irrational and non-existing,
as rightly depicted by Acharya Charaka
“Pratyaksham hi alpam,
analpam apratyaksham”
(i.e. what is visible to human beings is only a
small fraction of this universe and what we can
not perceive is much more than that, which
doesn’t make that non-existent).

26. Reference
• Bargale sushant s, shashirekha h k, Baragi umapati / journal of
Ayurveda and Holistic Medicine (2) 1, Jan 2014.
• Sharma PV, Dravya guna vijnana vol 1, chaukambha bharati
academy, varanasi, reprint 2007, p no: 360.
• Journal of ayurveda-Dr. Rakhi Mehera,Vol.6 ,No.-04 Oct-Dec 2012
Pg. No.123.
• http://www.ujconline.net/Dr.Remya A
• http://www.nuffoodsspectrum.in