Chyawanprash is often utilized in the fall, winter, and spring seasons, but many people question whether it can be taken in summer. Chyawanprash is actually useful in all seasons because it’s a tridoshic supplement. In Ayurveda, each season is matched to a dosha (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), so any substance that is effective at balancing all three doshas can be useful in any of the seasons.
Specifically, Chyawanprash contains a number of Pitta-balancing ingredients that help to bring about balance and stability in the fiery summer months.
Chyawanprash Ingredients for Summer
The following ingredients are included in many authentic Chyawanprash formulations and are especially useful for balancing Pitta.
Amla for Balancing Pitta
Amla berry, also known as amalaki, is the major ingredient in Chyawanprash. Although amla is tridoshic, it’s particularly useful for balancing pitta. Amla acts as a body coolant to cleanse excess Pitta from the digestive tract. It does this by:
- Improving metabolism and digestion without heating the body
- Supporting the functions of the liver to aid in expelling toxins from the body
- Pacifying Apana Vata and helping with the downward flow of energy in the body to support regular and effective elimination.
Pitta-Balancing Herbs in Chyawanprash
In addition to Amla berry, there are a number of other herbs which are Pitta balancing, making Chyawanprash suitable for summer:
- Shatavari is a cooling, soothing and nourishing herb that helps to balance vata and pitta.
- Red Sandalwood, also known as Red Saunders, is a bittersweet herb that helps to pacify pitta.
- Phyllanthus is especially balancing for both pitta and kapha.
- Cardamom is a cooling and delicious tridoshic herb.
- Chebulic Myrobalan, also known as haritaki, is tridoshic.
- Lotus seed is particularly useful for balancing both pitta and kapha.
- Tribulus, a herb revered for its ability to promote sexual health and vigor, is also a useful tridoshic herb. It excels at balancing vata but can also be useful for balancing pitta.
- Nutgrass is particularly effective at balancing kapha and pitta.
- Cow ghee, is a tridoshic supplement that functions as an anupan, bringing the other herbs in chyawanprash deep into the body.
Chyawanprash & the Six Tastes
It’s also important to note that authentic Chyawanprash is tridoshic because it contains all six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, astringent, pungent and bitter. Each of the dosha types are pacified by three tastes of these six tastes. For Pitta, the tastes of sweet, astringent and bitter are pacifying. This is another way Chyawnaprash helps balance the doshas in the body.
Ultimately, Chyawanprash is balancing for each dosha, making it suitable for any time of the year, including summer.
Reviewed by Dr. Jayant Lokhande, MD (Botanical Drugs), MBA (Biotechnology)
