It's a year since the Himalaya Drug Company launched Pure Herbs, a range of individual herb extracts, available in capsules. Ravi Prasad, CEO and President tells THE ASIAN AGE, how the company, with ancient techniques and scientific management is aiming to transform the science of ayurveda.

Are Indians open to "branded" ayurveda (especially when there is easy access to ayurvedic practitioners, who can customise treatment?)

Though Ayurveda is the oldest and purest system of medicine known to man, the herbal healthcare segment consists of an assortment of unorganized players. The products manufactured by these unorganized players lack quality and purity, resulting in the end consumer receiving sub-standard Ayurvedic products. There is a growing awareness amongst end users about this. Unlike allopathy, where the molecule structure does not vary, there could be a vast differentiation in the herb depending on the place, season and soil it is grown in.

There are so many systems of medicine, what would you say is the USP of Ayurveda?

It is an integrated system, primarily botanical, with selected use of minerals, designed to correct imbalances before these result in disease. Conventional allopathic medicine, by contrast, is designed to treat an individual at a much later stage, when overt symptoms of disease are already manifest. Until recently, the methods of traditional medical systems such as Ayurveda were obscure, esoteric and shrouded in mysticism. Modern science, however, is rapidly unlocking the way these methods achieve results. In herbal healthcare, the emphasis is on body's resistance and durability with cumulative effects built up over a long period of time. The treatment using herbal medicine is slow but has a long-term effect. The new system called Active Ayurveda, in sync with the tools of modern biochemistry is helping us rediscover ancient wisdom. Rather than create new drugs scientifically - drugs that do one thing very well but have side effects that are unpredictable and often negative - these scientific tools are unlocking the wisdom inherent in classic balanced ayurvedic herbal formulations. Medical practitioners and consumers who earlier looked at the herbal system as an 'alternative', are now beginning to integrate it into mainstream healthcare system as complementary.

Why are herbs called "special foods?"

Herbs have been used for centuries to eliminate excesses and minimise deficiencies. The value of using herbs lies particularly in their mildness to the body. While herbs may provide nutrition to the body, their primary function is to stimulate or improve body functions.

Who is the Pure Herbs range targeted at?

Everyone can benefit, irrespective of age, sex, body type or other health related factors. Some of the herbs available in the range include Tulasi, Amalaki, Ashvagandha, Neem, Triphala and Tagara.

How are the herbs selected?

In the last 72 years, Himalaya has developed a technique to check the consistency and the quality of the herbs. The sources of the herbs are subjected to scrutiny in terms of the cultivation process, which is essentially organic, quality of crop, methods of harvest, storage and transportation etc. Scientific testing ensures there is no batch-to-batch variation.