After herbal Viagra, now herbal Drinking water

After the successful launch of 'Laboob Sager', the herbal Viagra, a state-owned corporation of Tamil Nadu government would soon launch yet another health product - herbal drinking water, claimed to be first of its kind in the country.

It contained herbal extracts with useful bio-active properties that play a major role in maintaining good health as evidenced by Siddha and Ayurveda literatures and modern scientific studies, Tamil Nadu Medicinal Plant Farms and Herbal Medicines Corporation Ltd. (TAMPCOL) officials said.

The herbal water, to be sold in 1,000 ml and 500 ml pet bottles and competitively priced in the growing mineral water market, was likely to be launched in the next two months, company Chairman and managing director GA Rajkumar said.

TAMPCOL was in the final process of getting the ISI certificate and other related licences, he said.

The company had recently launched 'Laboob Sager', herbal aphrodisiac using an ancient 'Sastric' Unani formulation, billing the drug as substitute for the costly Viagra with "no side effects" and it become a runaway hit with good demand.

Rajkumar said the herbal extracts that would be added with the water include 'tulsi' (holy basil), 'nannari' (Indian sarasaparilla) and 'Adhimadhuram' (licorice).

"Volatile active properties from these herbal extracts are obtained by steam distillation process and are mixed with the drinking water in suitable proportions," Rajkumar said.

Rajkumar said packaged water companies were offering only pure drinking water. "These do not contain any health promoting substances. Our herbal water, certified by state Drug Licence Authority, will have elements that are good for health," he claimed.

Explaining about the elements, he said 'Nanari' herb mixed in this water was widely used by the people in 'sorbet' (sweet drink) for quenching thirst and for cooling effect and 'tulsi' was commonly used for better health.

He said the licorice with sweet taste and pleasant aroma contain many active principles and were widely used in many Indian system of medicines.

Quoting some research findings, he said it had been established that all the three herbal extracts were good sources of antioxidants which were helpful in fighting aging, cancer, renal diseases among others, he said.

"Regular consumption of the herbal water may help our body to get the benefit of antioxidants present in the water," he claimed.

TAMPCOL marketing manager G Ramanathan said the company would produce one lakh bottles of herbal water to start with. Initially, it would be marketed in Southern states. "We will be setting up another manufacturing unit, which would cater to the needs of the North Indian market," he added.