Chandi Ka Warq

Silver leaf in Ayurveda and Unani Medicine

Traditional coating of silver leaf on Ayurvedic medicine

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I can remember, as a kid, being given a slice of cake with some silvery decorations atop and then trying to peel off what I took to be a foil wrapping. ‘No - its OK, you can eat the silver stuff’ they said, how curious said I!

Many years later, while studying in an Ayurvedic pharmacy in Faridabad I found myself staring at multiple jars of metallic shiny pills, looking like silver-gold gumballs, filled to the brim. This had the effect of making that place look more like Aladdin's cave than a pharmacy. This then got me wondering, what was the real benefit of using gold and silver leaf in traditional medicine. Was it there just to make it look pretty or did its use have a deeper medicinal value?

In this short article we take a closer look at the use of silver sheet and its potential benefits (and pitfalls) in brightening up an Ayurvedic practice.

Faridabad - India 2006

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Silver (metal)

In both Ayurveda and Unani medicine, Chandi Ka Warq (silver leaf) is normally referred to as simply Chandi or Nuqra). This incredibly thin (0.1µm) edible sheet is prepared from 99.999% silver. Silver is favoured for its availability, malleability, stability, hygiene and general historical ‘therapeutic’ value.