Antioxidants: They are not as new as you think!

By Dr. Ajit

Now days everyone talks about the need to take antioxidants to keep themselves going as they struggle to cope due to the type of lifestyle they live and the diet they take. As a result of our hectic or erratic lifestyle and incompatible food intake such as fast foods, processed and tinned foods as well as living in an environment of jealousy, anger, hatred, fear or feeling anxious as well as indulgence of excessive sexual activities, one feels these anti-oxidants will compensate for what is being lost in my body.

However, the concept of taking antioxidants is not new. In the ancient science of Ayurveda this aspect has been explained under a special branch of study known as Rasayana, meaning rejuvenation. Ayurvedic science has given it so much importance that the subject is taught at great depth. The unique difference between our present day use of antioxidant as compared to Rasyana in Ayurveda is that the present day use of anti-oxidants is with a focus that if your body is lacking nourishment and you are feeling run down or fatigued or tired and have some long term serious ailment you need some so called natural anti-oxidants, which will substitute for the deficiency your body is having. However, this is purely a symptomatic solution and defeats the purpose and focus of the antioxidant strategy. 

Antioxidants or Rasayana in Ayurveda are used to revive our body’s intelligence by expelling the accumulation of ama or free radical substances from the body as it is this accumulation of waste that prevents the tissue, cells and organs from performing their function properly. The definition of Rasayana in Ayurveda is very simple and clearly give us understanding that the product and procedures that help to build Rasa Dhatu to the optimum quality and will allow it to flow all over the body so that all seven dhatus (tissues) get proper nourishment is known as Rasayana or antioxidant therapy.

• • Every antioxidant or Rasyana product should perform the following functions
• • It helps to burn ama and other waste products which are responsible for the ageing process or affect one immune system
• • Improves the Agni (digestive fire)
• • Provide proper nutrients for each tissue
• • Helps cleansing all channels (Srotas)
• • Revive all three doshas

Helps to maintain Sattvic quality so the mind, sense organs and motor organs can be of optimum quality and able to perform their function at an optimum level.

No antioxidant supplement is of any use if it is only fixing your present deficiency and not returning your bodily intelligence. 

Rasayana should improve our physical, mental, emotional qualities but reviving the bodily intelligence at each level. In the study of Rasyana in Ayurveda there has been so many antioxidant supplements and procedure for the revitalisation of specific tissues, organs and systems. But two of the best know antioxidant preparations which are known to revitalise everyone from young children to 80 to 90 year-old individuals and should be used on a regular basis are Chyawanprash and Kesri Kalp. 

Chyawanprash has several ayurvedic herbs such as Amla (best known for its high quality of Vitamin C), Vidari, Guduchi, Haritaki, Shatavari, Kutki and Prasarini to name a few that are known to build all tissues. These herbs best known for their antioxidant and rejuvenating qualities and naturally build all seven tissues. Kesri Kalp also has all these herbs but includesseveral precious minerals such as gold, silver and mica that have been specifically purified to extract their medicinal qualities. Chyawanprash is best for all ages, while Kesri Kalp is very effective for adults (35-90 years).

When is the best time to use antioxidants or Rasyana? Winter is the best time to use such products as in Winter our Agni is naturally strong and able to metabolise all ingredients so antioxidants or Rasyana are more effective way to receive nourishment. 

Everyone who feels their hectic, busy and stressful lifestyle and erratic diet have impacted their body’s immune system should use antioxidants but only those products that treat the problem at its root by burning and expelling toxic waste products and returning the body’s natural intelligence to its natural, balanced state.