by Sheela Rani Chunkath
I find many people have a plateful of vitamins and supplements which they take along with their breakfast. While these may or may not be useful most of them have not been specifically formulated for rejuvenation or for tackling stress.
I had already written about one such formulation - Dasamoola Arishtam which is available in liquid form. An old aunt of mine was very fond of this Arishtam and no wonder as it had a substantial amount of alcohol!
Brahma Rasayana is not a fermented beverage but a kind of semi-solid jam. It is a fantastic rejuvenator as it has many of the herbal ingredients which work on cell-mediated immunity and aging.
Shankupushpa - the creeper with beautiful blue or white flowers is an important ingredient of this lehyam along with Acorus calamus (vasambu in Tamil). By now many readers can perhaps anticipate the other anti-aging ingredients. Yes, these are Terminalia chebula (Kadukkai in Tamil), Emblica officinalis (amla on Hindi), Curcuma longa (turmeric) and Piper longum (pippali). Many of these herbs are versatile in their action and will help balance the doshas and provide the much needed pick up for stressed out individuals.
This jam contains almost all the ingredients of Dasamoola Arishtam such as Oroxylum indicum, Gmelina arborea, Stereospermum suaveolens, Aegle marmelos and Premna corymbosa (these five herbs constitute the Brhat or greater pancha moolam). The formulation also contains the lesser pancha moolam herbs, namely Solanum indicum, Solanum xanthocarpum, Desmodium gangeticum, Uraria picta and Tribulus terrestris.
Thus Brahma Rasayana includes the ingredients in Dasamoola Arishtam and takes it one step further by including another 30 ingredients or so, each of which contributes to rejuvenating various tissues in the body. Jivanti - Leptodenia reticulata for example is specific for improving eyesight and preventing cancers. Shatavari is great for improving sexual prowess and is an excellent galactagogue too. Mashaparani nourishes the dhatus. Ricinus communis is an excellent colon cleanser as are the three triphala herbs. The fragrant herbs such as cinnamon and cardamom improve digestion and appetite. Cow's ghee which is a chief ingredient will ensure that the herbal principles are taken to the various tissues of the body and nourish them.
A friend of mine was prescribed this but since she is a borderline diabetic it was thought that this would not be the ideal rejuvenator for her. Brahma Rasayana contains both sugar and cane juice and is best avoided by people who are diabetic or have diabetic tendencies. So my friend would like to know as to the kind of ayurvedic rejuvenation formulations suitable for diabetics. My next article will cover rejuvenation therapy suitable for diabetics who are desirous of looking at herbal rejuvenators which do not contain sugar.
--- The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/