Age Ayurveda Nighantu

Dadimadi Ghrita

Dadimadi Ghrita is a classical Ayurvedic ghrita, a medicated ghee. Listed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); standardized following API norms; formulations procured from GMP-certified Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries for clinical research.

Key facts
Also known asDadimadi Ghrita, DadimadiGhrita
Pharmacopoeia statusListed in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API); standardized following API norms; formulations procured from GMP-certified Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industries for clinical research

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishDadimadi Ghrita

Where is it described in the classical texts?

Ashtanga Hridaya (Brihat Trayi compendia, 1st century CE); Charaka Samhita; Sushruta Samhita; Kashyapa Samhita (12th century) for throat conditions

How does it work?

  • Dadima (pomegranate) provides iron, folic acid, and polyphenols that directly support hemoglobin synthesis and erythropoiesis
  • Chitraka (plumbagin) stimulates Agni (digestive fire), enhancing iron absorption from dietary sources
  • Pippali and Shunthi improve bioavailability of nutrients through enhanced hepatic and intestinal enzyme activity
  • Ghee base provides fat-soluble vitamin delivery and enhances absorption of mineral supplements
  • Deepana (appetizer) and Pachana (digestive) properties improve overall nutritional status and tissue nourishment

Which traditional uses are supported by research?

  • Pandu (anemia): multicenter clinical trial validates significant improvement in serum iron and hemoglobin with 103 patients
  • Garbhini Pandu (anemia in pregnancy): validated safe and effective in 35 pregnant subjects without fetal harm
  • Deepana (digestive stimulation): confirmed improvement in Agni (digestive power) and nutritional status
  • Arsha (hemorrhoids): traditional indication supported by anti-inflammatory and digestive properties of ingredients

What do recent clinical trials show?

3 further claims previously listed here could not be traced to a published paper and have been removed. Classical formulations are researched largely in journals that PubMed does not index, so an absence here reflects the reach of the index rather than the state of the evidence.

Recent safety updates

  • Multicenter clinical study confirms safety in 103 patients over 12-week period; all safety parameters within normal range; no adverse drug reactions or events reported
  • Safe for use during pregnancy for anemia management at 10ml daily for 30 days with no fetal or maternal side effects
  • Standardized as per Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India; procured from GMP-certified pharmaceutical industries

What is it made of?

Mineral/Elemental Profile

  • Primary component: Mineral-derived preparation
  • Note: Composition varies by specific preparation method

Analytical Methods: XRD, ICP-OES, SEM-EDS

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Ghrita (medicated ghee), Soft gelatin capsules (modern)

Standard Dosage: 6-12 g twice daily, as per AFI Part I

Bioavailability: Ghee matrix enhances absorption of pomegranate polyphenols (punicalagin, ellagic acid). Lipid base protects ellagitannins from gastric degradation, enabling colonic conversion to urolithins (bioactive metabolites).

Optimal Timing: Before meals or as directed, for Atisara (diarrhea) and Grahani conditions

Shelf Life: 2 years from date of manufacture as per ASU guidelines for Ghrita preparations

Storage: Store in airtight glass or tin containers in a cool, dry place. Protect from moisture and light. Temperature not exceeding 25°C.

Marker Compounds: Punicalagin, Punicalin, Ellagic acid, Gallic acid, Punicic acid

Quality Parameters: Acid value (<6), peroxide value (<10), saponification value, refractive index, moisture (<0.5%), rancidity test negative, punicalagin content from Dadima by HPLC, total polyphenols, total tannins, microbial limits, heavy metals

Vehicle (Anupana): Warm water or buttermilk

Synergistic Combinations

Composition

As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 6:19 (DADIMADI GHRTA), which cites Astanghrdaya, Cikitsasthana, Adhyaya 16; 2-2%.. Names, parts and quantities are transcribed as printed and checked row by row against the book. Manufacturers' versions of a classical formulation can differ from the formulary.

#IngredientPartQuantity
1Dadimadry seed192 g.
2Dhanya (dhanyaka) *fruit96 g.
3Citrakaroot48 g.
4Srngavera (sunthi)rhizome48 g.
5Pippalifruit24 g.
6Ghrta (go ghrta)960 g.
7Water *3.072 l.

* The scanned text was damaged at this row and the name was read from the entry's own Sanskrit verse.

Source scan of the formulary

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.