FROM THE LAB – CA – NOV 14
- Posted by CERC India
- Posted in Uncategorized
Chyawanprash: Tall claims distract from high sugar content
Chyawanprash, India’s popular health food is supposedly packed with ayurvedic benefits. But can consuming it really make a significant improvement in your well-being? And, are the nutritional benefits worth the huge volume of sugar you consume with each serving?
What we did
We lab-tested eight brands of chyawanprash to find out how much sugar and vitamin C each contained. The brands were Dabur Chyawanprash, Dabur Chyawanprash Mixed Fruit Flavour, Dabur Chyawanprakash Sugar Free, Baidyanath Chyawanprash Special, Baidyanath Kesari Kalp Royal Chyawanprash, Zandu Sona Chandi Chyawanprash Plus, Zandu Kesari Jivan and Organic India Chyawanprash. Two of the products, Zandu Kesari Jivan and Dabur Chyawanprakash Sugar Free, were not labelled as chyawanprash but were included as they have similar characteristics.
Why vitamin C is important
Chyawanprash traditionally contains amla as the prime ingredient, along with other medicinal herbs. It is said that amla, rich in vitamin C, is the basis for many of the claimed benefits such as anti-aging and immunity-boosting.
A major USP of this health spread is the vitamin C content. We found that this varied hugely between brands – from a mere 33.4 mg per 100 g in Zandu Kesari Jivan to 83.2 mg in Zandu Sona Chandi Chyawanprash Plus. Fruits like oranges, amla and guava are good sources of vitamin C.
The brands made varied claims such as increasing immunity, resistance and metabolic activity, improving memory and concentration and rejuvenating the consumer. Allopathic experts say chyawanprash may be a useful supplement for young children who do not eat well and for old, ill and convalescing persons who do not have an appetite for regular food.
We found the nutritional labels confusing to read. They make it difficult for consumers to find out how much sugar they’ll be consuming.
