Grapes for Conjunctivitis: Does It Work?
Do Grapes help with conjunctivitis? In classical Ayurveda, yes, as a cooling supporting ingredient. Grapes (Draksha) appear in several eye preparations in the Sushruta Samhita, including its chapter on Pitta-type conjunctivitis. Those preparations are made and given by a physician, though, and grapes are not a stand-alone cure.
Ayurveda calls conjunctivitis Abhishyanda, "that which overflows," and sees most cases as Pitta, the body's heat principle, inflaming the eye: red, burning, light-sensitive and weeping.
Draksha (grapes), audra, chandana (sandalwood), yashtimadhu (licorice), yoshit-tira, and rajyanka, ground to a paste with ghee, these are recommended for tarpana (eye nourishment), seka (irrigation), and nasya (nasal therapy).
Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 10: Pittabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya
Why the fit makes sense
Grapes are sweet and sour in taste, heavy and unctuous, cold in potency (Sheeta Virya) and sweet after digestion (Madhura Vipaka). The Ashtanga Hridaya calls them the best among fruits, good for the eyes, and curative of diseases of Vata, Pitta and the blood (Rakta). The Bhavaprakasha Nighantu also lists them as good for the eyes (Netrya).
The practical takeaway: eating grapes fits a cooling, anti-Pitta diet, while eye treatments with grapes belong to a practitioner. Any red, painful or discharging eye should be seen by an eye doctor.
How Grapes Helps with Conjunctivitis
Pitta-type conjunctivitis is hot, sharp and burning, with bright red eyes and watery yellow discharge. Classical care meets that heat with cooling, moistening substances, and Grapes fit that brief closely.
Cooling and soothing
Grapes are cold in potency (Sheeta Virya), sweet after digestion (Madhura Vipaka), and unctuous (Snigdha). Each of these counters the hot, sharp, drying quality of aggravated Pitta. The Ashtanga Hridaya states that grapes cure diseases of Vata, Pitta and the blood, and the eyes are nourished by the blood tissue (Rakta Dhatu).
In classical eye preparations
In the Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 10, grapes are ground with sandalwood, Licorice and other ingredients in ghee for eye nourishment (Tarpana), eye irrigation (Seka) and nasal therapy (Nasya) in Pitta-type eye disease.
Chapter 17, on diseases of vision, uses grapes again: with licorice (Madhuka), kushtha and rock salt; with Lodhra, rock salt, licorice and goat's milk; and in a boiled preparation said to destroy pain and redness. Grapes keep company there with other cooling eye herbs.
From the inside
The Sharangadhara Samhita lists grapes, with Amla, among recommended foods for burning sensation (Daha). That supports grapes as part of a cooling diet when Pitta heat is high. Our sources give no modern research on grapes for conjunctivitis.
How to Use Grapes for Conjunctivitis
There are two very different ways Grapes connect to conjunctivitis, and only one is for home use.
Eye preparations: practitioner only
The Sushruta Samhita uses grapes in eye nourishment (Tarpana), eye irrigation (Seka) and other eye preparations. These are prepared and applied by trained practitioners. Never put grape juice, paste or any homemade preparation into your eyes.
If your eye is red, painful, sensitive to light or producing discharge, see an eye doctor first. Infectious conjunctivitis spreads, and some red eyes need urgent care.
As food: a cooling support
Eating grapes fits the cooling, anti-Pitta diet Ayurveda recommends during a hot flare, and the Sharangadhara Samhita lists grapes among foods for burning sensation. Ayurveda prizes the dried, seeded grape Munakka most. A traditional daily serving is 5 to 10 munakka soaked overnight and eaten slowly in the morning.
Red, purple and black grapes are considered balancing for all three doshas. Green grapes are sour and heating and can stimulate Pitta, so they are the weaker choice for a hot eye.
Pair with
The cooling measures named for Pitta-type conjunctivitis are Triphala eyewash, rose water and ghee, used on the eyes only as directed by a practitioner, plus less hot, sour and spicy food. Grapes are heavy and sugary, so go easy if your digestion is weak or your pattern is heavy Kapha.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do classical texts use grapes for eye disease?
Yes. The Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 10, uses grapes with sandalwood, licorice and ghee for eye nourishment and irrigation in Pitta-type eye disease, and Chapter 17 uses grapes in several preparations for diseases of vision.
Can I put grape juice in my eyes?
No. Classical eye preparations with grapes are made and applied by practitioners. Never put juice, paste or any homemade preparation into your eye, and see an eye doctor for a red, painful or discharging eye.
Which grapes are best during a flare?
Red, purple and black grapes, or soaked Munakka. Green grapes are sour and heating and can stimulate Pitta, so they suit a hot, burning eye less well.
Grapes vs Licorice or Amla for conjunctivitis?
Licorice appears alongside grapes in the same Sushruta eye preparations, and Amla sits with grapes on Sharangadhara's list of foods for burning sensation. Lodhra joins grapes in a Sushruta vision preparation. Grapes are the gentlest of these, best as a cooling food.
Recommended: Start Grapes for Conjunctivitis
If you want to start using Grapes for conjunctivitis today, here is the simplest starting point.
Best form: as food, not on the eye. Soaked Munakka, the large dried seeded grape that Ayurveda prizes most, is easy to take and keeps the cooling, anti-Pitta effect gentle.
Kitchen version: soak 5 to 10 munakka overnight in water and eat them slowly in the morning. Choose red, purple or black grapes over sour green ones while your eyes feel hot.
Pair with: the cooling measures named for this condition, Triphala, rose water and ghee, used on the eyes only as directed by a practitioner or eye doctor.
Find Munakka on Amazon ↗ Triphala Powder ↗
Safety: see an eye doctor for any red, painful or discharging eye, and never put grape juice or any homemade preparation into your eye. Go easy on grapes if your digestion is weak.
Safety & Precautions
Grapes are a food, and for most people they are very safe. The cautions come from their heavy, sweet and laxative nature rather than from any toxicity.
Digestion
The Astanga Hridaya describes grapes as hard to digest (Guru, heavy). If your digestion is sluggish or you tend toward heaviness and swelling, keep portions moderate.
Because grapes are mildly laxative, eating too many can loosen the stools. Reduce the amount if that happens.
Green grapes
Green grapes are sour and heating, with a sour post-digestive effect. They can aggravate Pitta and Kapha and suit Vata only in moderation. Choose red, purple or black grapes if heat is your concern.
Food combinations to avoid
Ayurvedic food-combining guidance lists grapes as a poor match with corn and with radish. Like most fruit, grapes are best eaten on their own rather than with milk, yogurt or heavy meals.
Sugar
Grapes are rich in natural sugars (glucose and fructose), and dried grapes are more concentrated still. If you have diabetes, count them in your daily sugar intake.
Fermented preparations
Draksharishta and grape wine (Mardvika) contain alcohol. The Astanga Hridaya notes that grape wine causes a slight increase of Pitta and Vata. Avoid fermented grape preparations in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Other Herbs for Conjunctivitis
See all herbs for conjunctivitis on the Conjunctivitis page.
▶ Classical Text References (4 sources)
33-36 अ कषमहाशालताल ो णरि मषु वनेषु माधवीि ल ट ा ा तवकशा लषु सुगि ध हमपानीय स यमानपटा लके कायमाने चते चूत वालफललुि ब भः कदल दलक लारमण ृ ालकमालो पलैः कोमलैः कि पते त पे हस कुसुमप लवे म यं दनेअकतापातः पु त व या ाराग ृहे अथवा ी तनह ता य व ृ तोशीरवा र ण Day time should be spent in forests having tall trees reaching the sky such as shala (Shorea robusta, Tala – Borassus flabellifera etc, which obstruct the hot rays of the sun, or in houses around which bunches of flowers and grapes are hangi
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Ritucharya adhyaya Seasonal
Meat of animals of desert-like lands, soup of pulses , wine prepared from grapes and fermented decoctions, which are old or mastu (whey, thin water or curds) processed with more of Sochal salt and powder of panchakola, should be used.
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Ritucharya adhyaya Seasonal
Mardvika – (wine prepared from grapes) :मा वीकं लेखनं यं ना यु णं मधुरं सरम ् अ प प ता नलं पा डु मेहाशः कृ मनाशनम ् Mardvika (wine prepared from grapes) is scraping, good to the heart, not very hot in potentcy, sweet, Sara – promotes natural movement of body fluids (laxative), causes slight increase of Pitta and Anila (Vata), useful in anaemia, diabetes, hemorrhoids and worms (intestinal parasites).
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Drava Vigyaniya Drinkables
Kharjura – (wine prepared from dates) :अ माद पा तरगुणं खाजूरं वातलं गु is inferior in properties than grapes, aggravates Vata, and hard for digestion.
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Drava Vigyaniya Drinkables
Phala vrga- (group of fruits):- Grapes benefits: अथ फलवगः ा ा फलो तमा व ृ या च ु या स ृ टमू व ११५ वाद ुपाकरसा ि न धा सकषाया हमा गु ः नह य नल प ता त ता य वमदा ययान ् ११६ त ृ णकास म वास वरभे द त यान ् Draksa (grapes) is best among fruits, is aphrodisiac, good for the eyes, helps elimination of urine and faeces, sweet in taste and the end of digestion, unctous, slightly astringent, cold potency, hard to digest, cures diseases of vata, pitta and rakta;
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food
Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Ritucharya adhyaya Seasonal; Drava Vigyaniya Drinkables; Annaswaroopa Food
Take 100 pala each of kashmarya, amalaki, black pepper, haritaki, vibhitaki, pippali and grapes, add to it 100 pala of old jaggery and two drona of water, then put the mixture in a vessel lined with honey for 7 days in summer or for 14 days in winter for fermentation.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
The patient of pittaja type of chhardi should be given trivrit (Operculina turpethum) along with the juice of draksha (grapes/Vitis vinifera), vidari (Purera tuberosa) and ikshu (sugar-cane/Saccharaum officinarum) for causing downward movement of the morbid matter (laxation).
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 20: Vomiting Treatment (Chhardi Chikitsa / छर्दिचिकित्सा)
In pittaja morbid thirst, water mixed with grapes, sandalwood, dates, vetiveria zizanioidis, honey and cold water in which red shali rice, dates, parushaka, blue water lily, grapes, honey and a baked lump of earth have been kept, may be given or water kept in earthen pot in which 64 tola of red shali rice, pounded with lodhra, liquorice, antimony and blue water lily are put and in which a baked clod of clay, water and honey have been integrated.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 22: Thirst Disorders Treatment (Trishna Chikitsa / तृष्णाचिकित्सा)
For kapha and pitta predominant person madya prepared by grapes and honey is appropriate (to drink) respectively.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 24: Alcoholism Treatment (Madatyaya Chikitsa / मदात्ययचिकित्सा)
In pitta dosha dominant madatyaya, cool, well suitable liquor prepared of sharkara, mridvika (dried grapes) added with sugar and juice of cassia fistula, dates, grapes, parushaka or pomegranate and mixed with parched grain flour shall be administered.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 24: Alcoholism Treatment (Madatyaya Chikitsa / मदात्ययचिकित्सा)
Source: Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 20: Vomiting Treatment (Chhardi Chikitsa / छर्दिचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 22: Thirst Disorders Treatment (Trishna Chikitsa / तृष्णाचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 24: Alcoholism Treatment (Madatyaya Chikitsa / मदात्ययचिकित्सा)
Give ghee, sugarcane juice, grapes, milk, sugar water, or sweet-sour substances to pacify.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 9: Dhumapana Vidhi (Medicated Smoking Therapy)
A decoction of Darvi (Berberis aristata), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Triphala, Draksha (Vitis vinifera, grapes), Jati Pallava (Jasminum grandiflorum shoots), and Yavasa (Alhagi maurorum), mixed with one-sixth part honey, held cold in the mouth, destroys oral ulceration (Mukha Paka) arising from all three Doshas.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 10: Gandusha-Kavala Pratisarana Vidhi (Gargling, Oil Pulling and Oral Paste Application)
Darvi and Guduchi are potent anti-inflammatory herbs, Triphala is astringent, grapes and jasmine are cooling, and Yavasa is a demulcent.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 10: Gandusha-Kavala Pratisarana Vidhi (Gargling, Oil Pulling and Oral Paste Application)
Grapes (Vitis vinifera), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), varied pleasant foods, wine (in moderation), Parushaka (Grewia asiatica), and soup made from quail, partridge, rabbit, goat, etc.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Parishishtam, Chapter 29: Diet for Burning Sensation (Daha Pathyapathyam)
Red rice, barley, green gram (Vigna radiata), wheat (Triticum aestivum), tortoise meat, soup from arid-land animals, grapes (Vitis vinifera), wood apple (Limonia acidissima), and coconut (Cocos nucifera) are recommended.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Parishishtam, Chapter 30: Diet for Insanity (Unmada Pathyapathyam)
Source: Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 9: Dhumapana Vidhi (Medicated Smoking Therapy); Uttara Khanda, Chapter 10: Gandusha-Kavala Pratisarana Vidhi (Gargling, Oil Pulling and Oral Paste Application); Parishishtam, Chapter 29: Diet for Burning Sensation (Daha Pathyapathyam); Parishishtam, Chapter 30: Diet for Insanity (Unmada Pathyapathyam)
Draksha (grapes), audra, chandana (sandalwood), yashtimadhu (licorice), yoshit-tira, and rajyanka — ground to a paste with ghee, these are recommended for tarpana (eye nourishment), seka (irrigation), and nasya (nasal therapy).
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 10: Pittabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Pitta-type Conjunctivitis)
Or with grapes, madhuka, and kushtha combined with saindhava;
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga)
or with rodhra, saindhava, mridvika (grapes), madhuka, and goat's milk.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga)
Or with madhuka, utpala, kushtha, grapes, laksha, and sugar — boiled with saindhava, it destroys pain and redness.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga)
Decoctions for Vata fever: Pippali (long pepper), Sariva, Draksha (grapes), Shatapushpa (dill), and Harenuka boiled with jaggery destroy Vata-type fever.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha
Source: Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 10: Pittabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Pitta-type Conjunctivitis); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha
Medical Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Ayurvedic treatments should be pursued under the guidance of a qualified practitioner (BAMS/MD Ayurveda). Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any new treatment. Content is sourced from classical Ayurvedic texts and may not reflect the latest medical research.