From Ayurveda to an Immune India, via Chywanprash!

It was around November, 2007 when the feeling of missing an early morning flight made me sit up the entire night. While I sipped tea at regular interval so that I stay awake, then I realized that winter has set in. The nip in the air was a little more than pleasant. My fragile immune system, thanks to my unhealthy lifestyle, gave up its fight against cold too soon. The quilt that I wrapped around me was of little help as I felt the cold creep inside me. A methodical chaotic lifestyle has resulted weak defense in my body. I realized how important is to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Now, like a typical managerial straightjacket that I lived my life, I started to break it down – step by step. What is the problem? What is the source? What are the readily available solutions to address this? And, how do I employ counter measures to defend & strengthen my fragile immune system? The allopathic medication was good that gave a swift impact. The culprit was confused weather of not-so-warm-yet-not-so-cold. But, will it sustain your health with all the ills of the modern lifestyle?

I was all shook up. The first of all, I started to follow old treatise of “early to bed and early to rise”. The next in the scheme of thing was to do some kind of physical exercise regularly. Trust me! It works like a wonder. It may be a struggle at the beginning but if you make a start, it will show you benefits. The Lodhi Park is such a delight to jog in the morning as I look forward to this time of the day. The collateral benefit of jogging allowed you to make friends who are dead serious about living healthy. As conversation often stirs up in those long laps of short & heavy breaths, I stirred up the classic debate: new versus old.

As a contemporary corporate south Delhi-ite, I put up a stage for the modern energy drinks and advocated heavily for allopathic medication even for cold. A candid confrontation was put up by an elderly gentleman, who argued how age old traditional Ayurvedic herbal substances, with proven medicinal benefits, can help the body to regain strength and fortify its immune system. This is when I realized the power of our culture & decided to learn more about these medicines. I always heard about the benefits of Ayurveda from my elders but wondered if they will be easily available in urban India.

With this doubt in mind, I spoke to my cousin doctor. He laughed and gave me an answer in a name that I have heard since my childhood. He said, “Your answer is Dabur Chyawanprash. It is very good as preventive ayurvedic jam that helps in boosting immunity to prevent like cold, cough etc.” Amazed that I know about this brand but never realized that it is Ayurvedic. It is indeed a simple yet effective solution for an ayurvedic product with proven track record that is easily available. I tried to browse more on internet and found that Dabur’s chyawanprash actually is the market leader with almost 70% of the market. I was amazed at how such a health enriching product is available in my nearest cornershop but I never realized. When I studied more about it in www.daburchyawanprash.com, I realized that the Dabur Chyawanprash is enriched in Vitamin C. Often termed as ‘elixir of life’ in Ayurveda, it is rich with natural Ayurvedic items like Ashwagandha, Asparagus, Bamboo manna and many other important herbs that help in healthy metabolism. Its rich anti oxidant properties help your body to brace up for day to day health challenges. Known since the time of classic Ayurvedic treatise Chakra Samhita, this semi solid paste formulation has withstood innumerable challenges for thousands of years.

Today, we work late, party even later. Our atmosphere is polluted and we live amidst greater health risks as our bodies are exposed to flu & harmful bacteria. As the modern medical science is working hard to stem the new age diseases and health challenges, I think if we can reap the benefits through products like Dabur Chyawanprash that are easily available at any market in India at a reasonable price, then we can actually look at an Immune India.

Empowered with my new found knowledge about Chyawanprash, I bought my first Dabur Chyawanprash from neighborhood corner shop. The first benefit of this wonder is its beautiful and aromatic flavor. As foodie, I always cherished food but I think this is the first time that I cherished the taste of Chywanprash, a medicinal product. The good faith, which Dabur has earned over the years, was reinforced once again when I tasted Dabur Chyawanprash.

As their dedicated website says “Dabur Chyawanprash’s magnificent brew of Ayurvedic herbs strengthens the body’s natural defence mechanism by increasing your NK cells (Natural Killer Cells) three folds. NK cells assist in fighting with virus and bacteria in your body, thus giving us increased immunity from various infections.”  And, how I am impressed! The scientific studies have confirmed Dabur Chyawanprash’s immunomodulatory and anti allergic potential. As I started to have it regularly, I felt the difference in me. With a regular life of healthy home cooked meals, regular regime of physical activity and regular intake of Dabur Chywanprash, it has not only improved my immune system manifold that was reflected in my ability to withstand the sudden weather changes and corresponding virus, flu & infection. The After all this, I became the latest convert of Dabur Chyawanprash and since then it has been an integral part of my immunity.

The positioning of the Ayurvedic medicines has been a challenge to get a foothold in the huge young & urbane population market. As we evolve as a society, it is important that we package things with contemporary ideas. The marketing strategy of Dabur Chywanprash in this regard has been very innovative. By employing contemporary popular icons right from Madhuri Dixit to Amitabh Bachchan, from Indian Cricket Captain Mahinder Singh Dhoni to Bhojpuri starlet Ravi Kishen, it has not only tapped the different tiers of markets but also made Dabur Chywanprash as a contemporary medicinal product without any side effects.  The smart contemporary packaging of an age old time tested Chywanprash is the simple yet ideal mean to reach out to Common young people and provide us an Immune India.