Why chyawanprash survives on tradition not on scientific evidence?

Credit u/Boring_Researcher803

Chyawanprash is the ultimate “Grandma said so” miracle. It has survived for 2,000 years not because it passed a double-blind clinical trial, but because it’s a cultural heirloom. Calling it “medicine” in a scientific community is a bold move when it’s basically Herbal Nutella.

The Sugar Trap

If you look at the back of the jar, the first or second ingredient is usually Sugar (Sarkara) or Honey. Most commercial brands are 60-70% sugar so basically you’re taking it to “stay healthy,” but you’re essentially starting your day with a massive glucose spike. Science says excess sugar causes inflammation, which is the exact opposite of what an “anti-inflammatory” supplement should do.

The Bioavailability Mess

Chyawanprash contains 40 to 50 herbs. In modern pharmacology, we call this a lack of standardization. When you mix 50 different bio-active compounds, no one actually knows the Bioavailability of the final mess. There is zero rigorous evidence on how these 50 things interact. It’s the scientific equivalent of “trust me, bro.”

The Lindy Effect

It survives because of the Lindy Effect: the idea that if a “hack” has lasted for centuries, it must be legit.
Most “studies” showing it works are small-scale, often industry-funded, and lack proper control groups.
Peer-reviewed science demands reproducibility, which is hard when every batch of herbs varies by season and soil.
Research on Thermal Processing shows how high heat nukes the very antioxidants people are paying for.
The NCBI report on Polyherbalism admits that while individual herbs like Ashwagandha are great, the synergy in complex mixtures like Chyawanprash lacks “pharmacokinetic evidence.”

Conclusion

So what is the conclusion?
It’s a delicious, nostalgic, herbal jam. It might give you a placebo boost and some mild antioxidant perks, but it’s surviving on marketing and memories, not molecules.