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Milk [Cha.Sa.[[Sutra Sthana]] 27/218], ghee.[Cha.Sa.[[Chikitsa Sthana]] 1/4/32] Daily intake of milk and ghee is the best food for attaining rasayana effect. [Cha.Sa.[[Sutra Sthana]] 25/40], [A.S.Sutra Sthana 13/2]<ref name= Sangraha> Vridha Vagbhata, Ashtanga Sangraha. Edited by Shivaprasad Sharma. 3rd ed. Varanasi: Chaukhamba sanskrit series office;2012.</ref>
Milk [Cha.Sa.[[Sutra Sthana]] 27/218], ghee.[Cha.Sa.[[Chikitsa Sthana]] 1/4/32] Daily intake of milk and ghee is the best food for attaining rasayana effect. [Cha.Sa.[[Sutra Sthana]] 25/40], [A.S.Sutra Sthana 13/2]<ref name= Sangraha> Vridha Vagbhata, Ashtanga Sangraha. Edited by Shivaprasad Sharma. 3rd ed. Varanasi: Chaukhamba sanskrit series office;2012.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Table 1: [[Dhatu]] specific rasayana herbs
|-
! Body tissues ([[dhatu]]s) !! Rasyana herbs<ref name=joshiks>Joshi KS, Bhonde R. Insights from Ayurveda for translational stem cell research. J Ayurveda Integr Med 2014;5:4-10</ref>
|-
| | Nourishing fluid ([[rasa dhatu]]) || Tinospora cordifolia
|-
| | Blood ([[rakta dhatu]]) || Piper longum
|-
| | Muscles ([[mamsa dhatu]]) || Asparagus racemosus
|-
| | Adipose tissue ([[meda dhatu]]) || Terminalia chebula
|-
| | Bones ([[asthi dhatu]]) || Commifora mukul
|-
| | Marrow and nerves ([[majja dhatu]]) || Bacopa monnirei
|-
| | Reproductive elements, Sperm, Ovum ([[shukra dhatu]]) || Withania somnifera
|-
|}
==Herbs promoting intellect and memory functions (medhyarasayana)==
1. Juice of Centella asiatica (mandukaparni)
2.Juice of Tinospora cordifolia (guduchi) with its root and flower
3. Powder of Glycyrrhiza glabra with milk
4. Paste of Convolvulus prostrates (shankhapushpi)
These herbs promote intellectual and memory functions. These rasayana herbs are life promoting, disease alleviating, promoters of strength, [[agni]], complexion, voice. They promote intellectual functions. Shankhapushpi is known explicitly for promoting intellectual functions.[Cha.Sa.[[Chikitsa Sthana]] 1/3/30-31]]
==Herbs with rasayana effect==
The following herbs have rasayana effect.
Sida cordifolia (bala), Sida rhombifolia (atibala), Sida cordata (nagabala), Santalum album (chandana), Aquilaria malaccensis (aguru), Anogeisus latifolia (dhava), Desmodium oojeinense (tinisha), Acacia catechu (khadira), Dalbergia sissoo (shimshapa) [Cha.Sa.[[Chikitsa Sthana]] 1/2/11-12], Semecarpus anacardium (bhallataka) [Cha.Sa.[[Chikitsa Sthana]] 1/2/16], Terminalia chebula (haritaki) [Su.Sa.Sutra Sthana 44/63]<ref name=Susruta/>, rainwater [Su.Sa.Sutra Sthana 45/26]<ref name=Susruta/>,Gmelina arborea (kashmarya fruit) [Su.Sa.Sutra Sthana 46/184]<ref name=Susruta/>,Dioscorea bulbifera (varahikanda) [Su.Sa.Sutra Sthana 46/309]<ref name=Susruta/>,Solanum americanum (kakamachi) [A.S.Sutra Sthana 7/103]<ref name=Sangraha/>, Allium sativum (lasuna) [A.S.Sutra Sthana 7/149]<ref name=Sangraha/>, Asphaltum punjabianum (shilajatu) [Cha.Sa.[[Chikitsa Sthana]] 1/3/49], Piper longum (pippali) [Cha.Sa.[[Chikitsa Sthana]] 1/3/32-35] etc.
==Regimens and mental factors with rasayana effect==
Being truthful, free from anger, calm, soft-spoken, relaxed, loving and compassionate; practicing meditation, brahmacharya, cleanliness, and proper sleep achieves the benefits similar to rejuvenating therapy. This ideal code of conduct and behavior is known as ‘achara rasayana’. [Cha.Sa.[[Chikitsa Sthana]] 1/4/30-35] These practices significantly influence psychological and spiritual wellbeing.
==Contemporary views and current researches==
===Contemporary medical terms to indicate rasayana activities and their Ayurvedic view===
'''Antioxidant:''' Antioxidant substance prevent free radical generation and scavenge them. Antioxidants are defined as 'substances whose presence in relatively low concentrations significantly inhibits the rate of oxidation of targets'. These are mainly cellular enzymes like Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase, and Glutathione peroxidase. These are capable of inhibiting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging the free radicals. This antioxidant defense system is basically of two types.
(i) Primary defense and (ii) Secondary defense
'''Primary defense:'''
(1) Antioxidant nutrients: Antioxidant defenses rely heavily on vitamins and minerals from the diet. These include beta carotene (precursor of Vit. A), Vitamin E (- tocopherol), Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), selenium, zinc, manganese and copper.
(2) Antioxidant scavenging enzymes: This include Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase, Heme peroxidases and Glutathione peroxidase.
'''Secondary Defense:'''
This includes small molecules- the ‘Scavengers’, that react with radicals to produce another radical compound. When these scavengers produce a lesser harmful radical species, they are called 'antioxidants'. The-tocopherol, ascorbate and reduced glutathione (GSH) may act in combination to act as cellular antioxidants. The -tocopherol, present in the cell membrane and plasma lipoproteins acts as a chain-breaking antioxidant.