The purpose of an Ayurvedic dosage form is to convert natural raw herbs into medicines.To convert raw herbs into medicines, Kwath / Kashayam dosage form is very best. It contains the active medicinal principles of the herbs in the water medium. Plants are made up of a 90 % water component. The water-soluble components are easily absorbed by the human stomach and intestines. Hence, Kashayam is a very good and fast-acting dosage form.
The problems with Kwath dosage form are mainly two -
- Low shelf life: The freshly prepared Kwath needs to be consumed within 24 hours
- Not so great to taste: Some Kwaths are highly bitter and astringent in taste
- It contains only the water-soluble components
To solve these Kwath problems, ancient Ayurvedic masters designed fermented liquid dosage form, called Arishtams. It contains self-generated natural alcohol in them. They contain sweet substances such as jaggery, natural sugar, grapes, etc. Arishtam carries both water-soluble and alcohol-soluble active principles of the herbs. Hence, the potency of Arishtam is very high.
Why is an Arishtam more potent- Arishtam contains water and alcohol soluble medicinal principles of the herbs, hence more potent.
- Due to water and alcohol media, the Arishtam are very swift to get absorbed and distributed to all parts of the body. This swift distribution action is explained as Vyavayi in Ayurveda.
- Due to the sweetening agent, the taste of Arishtam is sweet-spicy. The sweetening substances mask the bitter and astringent tastes of herbs.
- Due to fermentation, Arishtams can be stored for a very long period of time.
- Arishtams also contain spicy herbs in them, which help to boost digestion and metabolism strength in the patients.
Source - https://www.keralaayurveda.biz/blog/detail/arishtams-the-herbal-wines-of-ayurveda
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