Chyawanprash (Ayurvedic Jam)

Chyawanprash is a complex polyherbal formulation with variable nutritional content depending on manufacturer, but key components are well-characterized. Per 1 tablespoon (approximately 12g serving): Calories: 40-50 kcal; Carbohydrates: 8-10g (primarily from sugar/jaggery base and honey); Protein: 0.2-0.5g; Fat: 0.5-1g (from ghee and sesame oil base); Fiber: 0.3-0.8g. Primary bioactive micronutrient is Vitamin C from Amla (Emblica officinalis), contributing approximately 30-60mg per serving, though some studies report Amla fruit itself contains 600-900mg/100g — bioavailability is enhanced by tannins (emblicanin A and B) which stabilize ascorbic acid, making it more heat-stable than synthetic Vitamin C. Key bioactive compounds include: Tannins (emblicanin A, emblicanin B, punigluconin, pedunculagin) at 5-10% of Amla dry weight; Polyphenols and flavonoids from constituent herbs including quercetin, rutin, and kaempferol; Saponins from Ashwagandha (withanolides 0.5-1.5% in root extract); Piperine from long pepper (Pippali) enhancing bioavailability of other compounds by up to 20%; Tinosporine and berberine alkaloids from Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia); Sesame lignans (sesamin, sesamolin) from the oil base contributing antioxidant activity; Iron and calcium in trace amounts from multiple herb sources (~1-2mg iron and 20-30mg calcium per serving); Zinc from herbal constituents (~0.3-0.5mg per serving). The honey and ghee base enhances fat-soluble compound absorption (Anupana effect in Ayurveda). Bioavailability is notably influenced by the synergistic formulation — piperine significantly enhances absorption of curcuminoids and other polyphenols; ghee improves uptake of fat-soluble constituents. Antioxidant activity measured by DPPH assay is high, with ORAC values estimated at 3,000-5,000 µmol TE per serving due to the concentrated polyphenolic load.