Collection: Sharbat

Sharbat — The Unani Syrup That Cools, Heals and Has Never Gone Out of Style

In most Indian homes, there is a certain kind of summer ritual that does not come from a wellness blog or a nutritionist. It comes from a grandmother who knew exactly what to reach for when the heat got unbearable, when someone had a sore throat that would not settle, or when the body just felt heavy and overheated from the inside. More often than not, she was reaching for a sharbat.

The word itself comes from the Arabic shariba, meaning to drink. But in classical Unani medicine, sharbat is far more than a refreshing drink. It is a carefully prepared herbal syrup, made by extracting medicinal properties from fruits, flowers, seeds, and roots, then preserving them in a sugar base that the body absorbs quickly and tolerates easily. The result is a liquid medicine that works faster than most solid preparations and is gentle enough for daily use across all age groups.

What makes sharbat particularly interesting from a therapeutic standpoint is how it fits into the Unani understanding of internal heat. Unani physicians believed that an excess of internal heat, what they called 'hararat ghareebia', was at the root of a surprisingly long list of complaints, including respiratory irritation, liver dysfunction, painful urination, skin flare-ups, poor sleep, and restlessness among them. Sharbat formulations were designed specifically to address this excess heat while simultaneously supporting whatever organ system was most affected. The drink was medicine, hydration, and constitutional correction all in one glass.

This philosophy has not aged. The complaints it addresses are just as common today as they were five centuries ago. Perhaps more so.

Why Rex Remedies Sharbat Stands Apart

Rex Remedies did not start making sharbat to follow a trend. They have been manufacturing classical Unani formulations since they were established as India's first GMP-certified Unani pharmaceutical company, and their sharbat range is produced with the same quality discipline that governs everything else they make. Ingredients are sourced to classical pharmacopoeia specifications. Formulas follow original Unani compositions. Every batch goes through quality checks before it leaves the facility.

That matters enormously for liquid preparations, where ingredient concentration, preparation temperature, and preservation all affect whether the final product actually does what the formula promises. Rex Remedies gets this right. You are not getting a flavoured syrup with a Unani label on it. You are getting the real preparation.

Top 5 Sharbat Formulas Worth Knowing

1. Sharbat E Unnab — Respiratory Relief and Cooling

'Unnab' is the Unani name for Ziziphus jujuba, the fruit known in everyday language as 'ber' or 'Chinese date'. It has been used in Unani practice for centuries, specifically for respiratory complaints and for its cooling and detoxifying properties on the blood and system.

Sharbat E Unnab is the most direct way to access what this fruit does medicinally. If you have been dealing with a persistent cough, a raw and irritated throat, or chest congestion that lingers after illness, this is the formula to reach for first. It does not just suppress the symptom. The Unnab base works on the internal heat and dryness that makes respiratory irritation persist in the first place. It also supports immunity, which makes it worth keeping on hand through the cooler months when throats and chests take the most stress. Available in 200 ml at Rs. 95 and 500 ml at Rs. 215.

2. Sharbat Gulab — Rose Syrup for the Heart, Skin and Mind

If there is one sharbat that has genuinely crossed the line between medicine and cultural love, it is Sharbat Gulab. Rose syrup has been prepared and served in the subcontinent for so long that it barely needs an introduction. But its continued presence in Unani medicine is not about nostalgia. It is about what rose actually does to the body.

In Unani pharmacology, gulab (Rosa damascena) is classified as a cardiac tonic with cooling and nervine properties. It settles the heart, calms the nervous system, and reduces the internal heat that generates anxiety, insomnia, and irritability. Its antioxidant activity also supports skin health from the inside, which is why people who take it consistently often notice a difference in how their skin looks and feels over time. Beyond the clinical, it just tastes genuinely lovely; a few spoons stirred into cold water or chilled milk, and the summer immediately becomes less oppressive. Available in 750 ml at Rs. 170.

3. Sharbat Khus — Vetiver Syrup for Intense Summer Heat

Khus, or vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides), is one of those plant materials that people know from their environment – the earthy, grassy scent of khus curtains soaked in water during the heat of May – but rarely think of as a medicinal ingredient. It is, and a deeply effective one at that.

Sharbat Khus is specifically prepared for the kind of full-body heat exhaustion that Indian summers produce. It quenches thirst in a way that plain water does not always manage, reduces the burning sensation during urination that many people experience in peak heat, relieves eye irritation and redness from heat exposure, and helps maintain both physical and mental energy when fatigue from the heat starts to accumulate. It has a soothing effect on the heart and is well regarded in classical Unani practice for bringing down blood heat during the summer months. Available in 750 ml at Rs. 170.

4. Sharbat Bazoori Barid — Liver, Kidney and Urinary Health

The name 'Bazoori Barid' refers in classical Unani to the cooling seed group, and this formula is built around exactly that concept. Its key ingredients include Tukhme Kharbuza (muskmelon seeds), Tukhme Kakdi (cucumber seeds), Tukhme Kheera (common cucumber seeds), and Post Bekhe Kasni (chicory root), all of which have documented cooling and diuretic properties in classical Unani and Ayurvedic texts.

Where Sharbat Bazoori Barid really shows its value is in conditions involving liver and kidney heat – elevated body temperature connected to liver dysfunction, difficulty passing urine, pain during urination, and bladder weakness. The chicory root base (Kasni) is one of the most respected liver herbs in classical Unani practice, and its combination here with cooling seeds creates a formula that works on both the heat-generating organ and the organs struggling with the consequences of that heat. At Rs. 100 for 200 ml, it is one of the most therapeutically specific and affordable formulas in this collection.

5. Sharbat E Unnab Murakkab — A Compound Formula for Deeper Respiratory Support

For those dealing with more persistent or recurring respiratory complaints, the Rex Remedies range also includes compound sharbat preparations that build on the Unnab base with additional supporting herbs for a more comprehensive approach to chest and throat health. These are worth exploring if the standard Unnab formula has helped, but more targeted support is needed for deeper respiratory complaints.

A Few Things to Know Before You Start

Sharbat is probably the easiest Unani preparation to introduce into daily life because it is liquid, pleasant to take, and easy to adjust. Most formulas are taken diluted in water, typically 2 to 3 tablespoons in a glass of cold or warm water, depending on the formula, once or twice daily. The product label on each Rex Remedies sharbat carries the specific dosage recommendation, and that guidance should always be your reference.

Because sharbat works quickly and absorbs easily, you often notice a response within the first few days with cooling formulas. Therapeutic formulas like Sharbat Bazoori Barid for liver and kidney support may take a couple of weeks of consistent use to produce noticeable improvement in the underlying condition.

One thing worth flagging plainly: if you are managing diabetes or a condition that requires careful sugar monitoring, speak with your doctor before adding any sharbat to your daily routine. The sugar base in these formulas is real and counts toward daily intake. Rex Remedies offers a patient inquiry service on the website for exactly this kind of personalised guidance.

5 Frequently Asked Questions About Sharbat

Q1. What is sharbat in Unani medicine, and how is it different from a regular flavoured syrup?

Classical sharbat is a medicinal syrup prepared by extracting therapeutic compounds from herbs, fruits, flowers, or seeds into a sugar base. The sugar in a true sharbat is not just a sweetener; it acts as a preservative and as a vehicle that helps carry the herbal properties into the bloodstream quickly. A flavoured commercial syrup is mostly sugar, colour, and fragrance. A classical Unani sharbat is a concentrated herbal preparation with a specific pharmacological intent behind every ingredient.

Q2. Can sharbat be taken daily like a supplement?

Many sharbat formulas, particularly cooling ones like Sharbat Gulab and Sharbat Khus, are suitable for regular use, especially through the summer months. Therapeutic formulas like Sharbat Bazoori Barid are typically used for a defined period to address a specific complaint. In all cases, following the dosage on the label and consulting a practitioner for extended use is the sensible approach.

Q3. Is sharbat suitable for children?

Several sharbat formulas are gentle enough for older children at reduced doses, and their liquid form makes them considerably easier to administer than tablets or pastes. Cooling formulas in particular are well tolerated. For children under 12 or for younger children with specific complaints, confirmation from a paediatric Unani practitioner on dosage is recommended.

Q4. Can I mix different sharbat formulas together?

It is generally not recommended to mix classical Unani formulas without guidance from a qualified practitioner. Different formulas have different temperamental characters in Unani terms, and combining them without understanding how they interact can reduce the effectiveness of both or produce unintended effects.

Q5. How are Rex Remedies' sharbat products manufactured, and are they safe?

Rex Remedies manufactures under GMP-certified conditions as India's first certified Unani pharmaceutical company, with AYUSH ministry compliance and batch testing before dispatch. Their formulas follow classical Unani pharmacopoeia compositions. The products are made without the kind of adulteration or ingredient substitution that is unfortunately common in the broader herbal supplement market, which is precisely what the GMP certification is designed to prevent.