Drakshasava () is a traditional Ayurvedic tonic made from

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

. Drakshasava is a weak

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

because the grape juice is usually only partially fermented. It is also sometimes prepared by using

raisin A raisin is a Dried fruit, dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Afri ...

concentrate. The tonic is claimed to be beneficial for maladies such as lethargy, weakness and heat exhaustion. Drakshasava is believed to address health imbalances arising from an excess of the Vata-Vayu Dosha and is said to be useful in curing cardiac disorders and hemorrhoids in the Ayurvedic system.

Etymology

''Draksha'' is the Sanskrit word for grape. "Asava" means "distillate", "juice" or "extract". Thus "Drakshasava" means "extract from grapes".

Historical references

Drakshasava found mention in the

Sushruta Samhita The ''Sushruta Samhita'' (, ) is an ancient Sanskrit text on medicine and one of the most important such treatises on this subject to survive from the ancient world. The ''Compendium of Sushruta, Suśruta'' is one of the foundational texts of ...

, a book of remedies dating to the 3rd–4th century AD/CE.

References

Ayurvedic medicaments Wine {{wine-stub

Etymology

Historical references

See also

References