Kashayams

Liquid or tablet, and why that is a practical choice

A kashayam is made by boiling herbs in water and reducing the liquid until what remains is concentrated. It is among the oldest preparations in the classical literature and still the reference form: when a text specifies a kashayam, the decoction is what it means.

It is also bitter, and there is no use pretending otherwise. That single fact is why the kashayam tablet exists and why it now outnumbers the liquid on this shelf. The tablet carries the same recipe in a form that survives a suitcase and a working day. Practitioners who care about potency still tend to ask for the decoction; people who have to keep something up for eight weeks often do better with the tablet. Both are on this page deliberately.

The three decisions in front of you

1. Liquid kashayam — The traditional preparation, measured and diluted as the label directs. Strong taste, and it needs a routine to keep up.
2. Kashayam tablet — The same classical recipes in a tablet. Far easier to maintain when travelling, and easier to dose without a measure.
3. The anupana — What you take it with — usually warm water, sometimes milk. The label specifies it, and it is part of the preparation, not a garnish.

See also Herbal Decoctions & Teas and Tablets & Capsules.

Always read the label and directions on the pack you receive, and speak with your physician before starting anything new — particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, managing a health condition or taking prescription medicine.