The world is running on various faiths, customs, and
beliefs. Regarding Ayurveda also there are many beliefs of which few are true,
few are half-true, and many are very wrong. Regarding the Ayurvedic medicine
people believes that they have no expiry date and as time goes the efficacy
just increases. However, is that true? Before you know that, you have to
jump in the past to know what our ancient Acharyas told us regarding the
different preparations.
In Ayurveda, there are many types of formulations that are used by the people
of the Asian subcontinent since long back. According to Ayurveda, all those
formulations are having some definite time regarding the efficacy of the drugs.
The list is so far as bellow,
Type Of
Formulation
(Mentioned In
Ayurvedic Classics)
|
Time Of Efficacy
(With Proper
Packing As Available In Market)
|
Churna (Powders Given For Oral medication)
|
2-4
months
|
Guggulu
Preparation (like Kaishore Guggulu)
|
Up to 5
Years (With Preservative)
|
Vati / Gutika / Tablets (Like Khadiradhi
Vati)
|
2 years
(With Preservative)
|
Avaleha (Like Chavanprash)
|
3 Years
(With Preservative)
|
Asava (Like Chandanasav)
|
Efficacy
increases with time (With Out Preservative)
|
Arista
(Like Dashmoolarista)
|
Efficacy
increases with time (With Out Preservative)
|
Rasa Aushadhi (Like Rasasindur)/Mineral
Based
|
Efficacy
increases with time (With Out Preservative)
|
Ghrita/Ghee
Preparation
|
Efficacy
increases with time (Depends upon type)
|
Oil
Preparations
|
3-4
Years
|
External
Paste Or Leaps Or Cream
|
1 day to
3 Years (Depends upon type & preservative)
|
Salt
& Kshara Preparation
|
4-5
Years
|
Therefore, you can see the truth that most of the Ayurvedic
medicines having expiry date and whatever mentioned above is the modern
type of packing and preservation, whereas in classics the durations are very
specific without any preservative. Only Asava, Arista, Ghee Preparation (Not All),
& Rasa Aushadhi having no expiry date and the efficacy increases with time
without any preservative. The interesting thing is that Asava and Arista are
alcoholic base drugs, which does not need any preservative, and we all know the
old wine is best wine. Regarding the Ghrita/Ghee preparation in classics use of hundred
year’s old ghee is also described in certain diseases.
It is a very easy thing to understand that the herbal products are made of veg
substances, and that can easily lose its potency it kept in damp and wet
weather. So always, keep your drugs in cold and dry places. Moreover, always
remember ‘’Ayurvedic Drugs Having No Expiry’’ is a half-truth.
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