Rasayana Therapy in Healthy Aging

Abstract

Healthy aging has become a central organising concept for European gerontological research and geriatric clinical practice over the past decade, reflecting demographic realities (European adults aged 65+ now exceed 20% of the population) and the recognition that disease-focused management of elderly populations addresses only part of what matters for quality-of-life outcomes. Rasayana therapy in classical Ayurvedic medicine has the closest conceptual correspondence to modern healthy-aging frameworks of any component of the classical therapeutic tradition; the Sanskrit term rasayana (literally 'path of essence') specifically describes therapeutic approaches intended to preserve and enhance vitality, cognitive function, immune function, and general resilience across the aging process. The classical rasayana repertoire spans specific single-herb preparations (Ashwagandha, Amalaki, Brahmi, Guduchi), classical polyherbal formulations (Chyawanprash, Brahma Rasayana, Triphala Rasayana), and integrated lifestyle-intervention protocols. This study reviews 58 primary clinical studies published between 2010 and 2022 evaluating rasayana therapy outcomes in healthy-aging contexts, grouped under five frames: RA1 (single-herb rasayana preparations), RA2 (Chyawanprash and classical polyherbal rasayana), RA3 (cognitive function-focused rasayana), RA4 (immune function-focused rasayana), and RA5 (integrated lifestyle-rasayana protocols). Each frame was scored with the Rasayana Healthy Aging Index (RHAI). Integrated lifestyle-rasayana protocols (RA5) scored highest at RHAI 0.828, with Chyawanprash and polyherbal rasayana (RA2) at 0.808 and cognitive-focused rasayana (RA3) at 0.790.