Devendra Ayurved Ashram — authentic Ayurvedic medicines since 1971

Arjunarishta

A classical Ayurvedic heart tonic, matured from Arjuna bark

Arjuna bark, raisins and time: a slowly fermented tonic that Ayurveda has given for the heart for centuries.

200 mL: ₹75 · 450 mL: ₹145

Arjunarishta — also called Parthadyarishta — is a classical Arishta from the Bhaishajya Ratnavali: a decoction of Arjuna bark, raisins (Draksha) and Mahua flowers, slowly fermented with Dhataki flowers and jaggery. Fermentation draws the herbs' active compounds into a mild, self-generated alcohol, which also preserves the tonic.

Ayurveda counts it among the Hridya medicines — those that nourish and steady the heart — and the classical text also credits it with strengthening the lungs and building strength and vitality (Bala-Virya).

Used for

  • Heart health (Hridya)
  • Lungs (Phupphusa)
  • Strength & vitality (Bala-Virya)

Why the heart needs looking after

Your heart beats around a hundred thousand times a day. Years of stress, little exercise, rich food and smoking slowly stiffen the arteries and push up blood pressure and cholesterol, so the heart has to work harder for every beat.

Ayurveda describes the heart (Hridaya) as the seat of Ojas, of Sadhaka Pitta and of Vyana Vayu, which drives circulation. Diet, worry and exhaustion can disturb Vata, Pitta and Kapha there, giving rise to Hridroga, with palpitations (Hrid-drava), breathlessness and chest discomfort. Hridya drugs such as Arjuna are given to nourish and steady it. In modern terms, Arjuna research centres on oxidative stress, blood lipids and myocardial ischaemia.

Arjunarishta supports the heart in 4 ways

  • Cardioprotective & Anti-ischaemic (Hridya) — Arjuna bark's triterpenoids (arjunolic and arjunic acids, arjunetin) and flavonoids are anti-ischaemic and antioxidant in experimental studies, and small clinical studies in angina and heart failure have been encouraging.
  • Lipid-lowering & Anti-atherogenic (Medohara) — Arjuna has lowered blood lipids in studies, and Arjunarishta itself reduced blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure in rats on a high-fat diet.
  • Antioxidant (Rasayana) — Arjuna's polyphenols, with the resveratrol of raisins and the flavonoids of Mahua flowers, counter the oxidative stress implicated in damage to blood vessels.
  • Classical fermentation (Sandhana) — Dhataki flowers bring alcohol-producing yeasts and an invertase enzyme that start the fermentation; the mild alcohol it forms extracts the herbs' compounds and preserves the tonic.

Key ingredients

  • Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna, stem bark) — 4.8 kg / batch. The bark Ayurveda has used for the heart for centuries. Its triterpenoids and flavonoids are anti-ischaemic, antioxidant and lipid-lowering in studies; clinical trials in angina, mild hypertension and heart failure are promising but small, and need confirming in larger, standardised studies.
  • Draksha (Raisins) (Vitis vinifera, dried fruit) — 2.4 kg / batch. Raisins add natural sugars for the fermentation and grape polyphenols such as resveratrol, which raise the body's antioxidant defences in experimental studies. Ayurveda considers Draksha cooling and nourishing.
  • Madhuka (Mahua) (Madhuca longifolia, flower) — 960 g / batch. Sugar-rich Mahua flowers feed the fermentation and contribute flavonoids such as rutin and quercetin. Traditionally a tonic, they have shown antioxidant activity in the laboratory; research on them is still limited.
  • Dhataki (Woodfordia fruticosa, flower) — 960 g / batch. The classical starter for Asava-Arishtas. Its flowers carry alcohol-producing yeasts (including Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and an invertase enzyme that splits sugar into fermentable glucose and fructose, raising the alcohol yield.
  • Guda (Jaggery) (Saccharum officinarum) — 4.8 kg / batch. Unrefined cane jaggery is the sugar the yeasts ferment into the tonic's self-generated alcohol, which extracts and preserves the herbs.

Full ingredient list

Decoction of

  • Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna, stem bark) — 4.8 kg
  • Draksha (Vitis vinifera, dried fruit) — 2.4 kg
  • Madhuka (Madhuca indica, flower) — 960 g
  • Water — 49.152 L, reduced to 12.288 L

Fermented with

  • Dhataki (Woodfordia fruticosa, flower) — 960 g
  • Guda (jaggery) — 4.8 kg

How to use

Dose: As directed on the pack or by your physician.

  • Measure your dose — Use the dose on your pack, or the one your physician gives you.
  • Add equal water — Arishtas are traditionally taken mixed with an equal amount of water.
  • After meals — Take it after meals, usually twice a day.

Safety & suitability

  • Who it's for: Adults
  • Pregnancy & nursing: Not advised — contains self-generated alcohol
  • On heart or BP medicines?: Ask your physician; don't stop prescribed medicines
  • Other medicines: Tell your physician what you take
  • Diabetic?: Contains jaggery sugars — ask your physician
  • Storage: Cool, dry place; close the cap tightly

Cautions

  • Contains self-generated alcohol (5–12 % v/v): not for children, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for anyone who must avoid alcohol.
  • Chest pain, breathlessness, fainting or a racing heart need urgent medical care — do not self-treat.
  • If you take medicines for the heart, blood pressure, diabetes or blood thinning, check with your physician before adding Arjunarishta.

More information

  • Net content: 200 mL · 450 mL
  • Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Close the cap tightly after use.
  • Country of origin: India
  • Manufacturer: Devendra Ayurved Ashram Pvt. Ltd., A-12, Industrial Estate, Sujroo, Muzaffarnagar (U.P.) – 251003. Mfg. Lic. No. A-50/77/94 · GMP-certified company.

References

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