Chyavanprash?

“Namaste SVA Support Person
I have a request for Vaidya Mishra : Please could he discuss Chyavanprash. Is it always good for everybody of all ages or should it be avoided in ama conditions like, low jatharagni, heavy phlegm, flu, sore joints, white coating on tongue etc, because it is a rasayan and therefore heavy to digest? I would like clarification because some vaidyas  say to avoid if there is ama and some say it is good anyway, especially for coughs and colds or boosting immunity. I have been reading Vaidya Mishra’s newsletters for the past 2 years and I take his word as the last definitive word on any topic. He has such depth of knowledge and such clarity in imparting the wisdom of Ayurveda.
Thank you.
Kind regards
Gita K.
Melbourne Australia”

Dear Gita: the Shastras say that all the “avaleha”s (semi-liquid pastes almost always made with sugar and ghee) including chyavanprash should only be taken when/if “jatharagni” (also known as “pachakagni” or the metabolic fire in the stomach) is sharp and optimal; otherwise consuming chayavanprash results in ama or toxins. There is no doubt that chyavanprash is a great rasayana, a rejuvenating blend of herbs and spices, an ancient effective formula; however, in the case of the flu, phlegm, congestion, etc, it is best to first address those with other ayurvedic means before resuming the use of chyavanprash.

But your question incites me to addressan important point in this context: you should be aware of using the chyavanprash available on the market, for many reasons. For one, many of the ingredients in the original classical formula are very hard to procure. It contains more than 45 original ingredients, and many of these ingredients are not easily available. The cost of gathering those ingredients is increasing. Many commercial chyavanprash brands are competing against eachother lowering their price. It makes me wonder how any company can manage to put together a pure and original chyavanprash formula but selling it at extremely low prices. In addition, one of the primary ingredients, the amla berry, is not even used in the form it should be: nobody makes chyavanprash with wild harvested amla, but rather with hybridized, and probably genetically modified, amla because wild amla has less yield and more fiber including larger seeds. Wild harvested amla is not a commercially viable product, specially since chyawanprash is in such high demand as a natural herbal product good for boosting immunity health from 6 to 66 years old! Yet another problem in the commercial manufacturing of chyavanprash nowadays is the use of refined white sugar crystals, as well as ghee derived from milk butter instead of yogurt butter. Last but not least, almost all brands of commercially available chyavanprash are packaged in plastic jars. Amla, its primary ingredient, being acidic in nature, will interact with the container leaching plastic molecules into the “prash” or mixture making it highly toxic. In addition, you should check the label, as sometimes they add preservatives. The original formula, when made right, has what it takes to preserve itself. However, when it is not done right with the right ingredients, a preservative is needed to make sure it can be stored on shelves for extended periods of time.