Why Ayurvedic Drugs Having No Expiry Date...?

  

          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.