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Writer's pictureThe NPSi Med Club

Ayurvedic Medicine

The first article of the month discusses the principles of ayurvedic medicine, its efficiency and various reasons why people turn to ayurvedic medicine. These reasons include avoiding stress, better skin, lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and symptoms of illness and diseases, detoxification therapy and weight loss and maintenance.


Over 3,000 years ago, an all-natural medical system called Ayurveda was developed in India. ‘Ayurveda’ comes from the sanskrit words ‘ayur’, which means life, and ‘veda’, which means science or knowledge. Thus ‘ayurveda’ translates to knowledge of life. Ayurveda’s main goal is to promote specific lifestyle interventions and natural remedies, which will help to restore harmony between the body, mind, spirit and environment. It bases its theory on the idea that a disease stems from an imbalance of the body’s three systems or doshas.


Few well-designed clinical trials and systematic research reviews suggest that Ayurvedic approaches are effective. For instance, a clinical trial conducted in 2013 compared two Ayurvedic formulations of plant extracts against the natural product glucosamine sulfate and the drug celecoxib in 440 people with knee osteoarthritis. Results suggested that all four products provided similar reductions in pain and improvements in function.

According to the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing, more than 90% of Indians utilise some sort of Ayurvedic therapy. Although it is still regarded as an alternative medical practice, Ayurveda has garnered recognition in the West.


Here are some reasons why people turn to ayurvedic medicine:


1. Stress, who?

Ayurveda is said to decrease stress and anxiety when living a fast-paced lifestyle that offers little time for rest or renewal. Specialists say that it allows the body to calm down, cleanse, and rejuvenate through the regular practice of yoga, meditation, breathing techniques, massages, and herbal remedies.

Yoga is believed to enhance the autonomic nervous system, which makes your mind alert and helps you focus clearly and stay energised all day. While breathing exercises are said to prevent infections and allow the cells to get an abundance of oxygen, which fosters consciousness. Moreover, Shirodhara, Abhyangam, Shiroabhyanga, and Padabhyangam are all believed to be effective treatments for depression and anxiety.


2. Hello healthy and glowing skin!

Ayurveda's general dietary recommendations encourage eating fresh foods while taking into account your dosha type, medical history, local products, customs, and traditions. More focus has been put on diets high in antioxidants, herbs, teas, veggies, protein, and heart-healthy fats.

According to Ayurveda, Pitta, which is a type of dosha that is associated with a tenacious personality, governs the function of sweating, processes everything we apply externally to the skin (lotions, soaps, medications, oils, etc.), and digests anything that contacts the skin passively. Pitta is also said to be responsible for our skin's colour, texture, and temperature as well as its lustre and glow (like dust, chemicals, irritants, and allergens). Simple dietary adjustments, such as ensuring optimal meal pairing and promoting good digestion, can go a long way toward supporting Pitta, preventing toxicity throughout the body, and helping to balance skin issues.


3. Lower Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and Symptoms of Illness and Diseases

According to research, Ayurvedic diets and relaxation methods can help prevent plaque development in artery walls. The build-up of cholesterol and lipids in the inner lining of the arteries leads to plaque. This condition is called atherosclerosis and is the root cause of heart attacks and strokes. It is said that ayurvedic treatment with various herbs, minerals, vitamins and proteins can be used to prevent and treat immunity-related illnesses.


4. A holistic detoxification therapy

As mentioned before, Ayurveda is believed to not only serve the body but your mind and soul as well. Therefore, in addition to physical advantages, Ayurveda claims to relax the mind and the soul. Ayurvedic specialists pamper the body with wonderful natural oils that improve blood flow throughout the body and soothe the spirit.

One of the ways in which Ayurveda is said to help in detoxifying is through self-care. A daily self-care ritual and health and wellness routine is believed to help you direct love and acceptance toward your traumas, enabling you to release them when you are ready. Some of the self-care rituals include Neti Pot, meditation, self-reflection, exercise and Nasya.


5. Weight Loss & Maintenance

Changing lifestyle patterns through ayurvedic therapies and a balanced diet is believed to help reduce extra body fat. In Ayurveda, eating habits are more important than weight. It is deemed feasible to have a toned figure by enabling the body to cleanse through proper food limitations using different ayurvedic treatments that suit your dosha type.

To conclude, Ayurveda allows patients the opportunity to look at alternate treatments for various ailments that would not normally not be found in other systems of medicine. Not only does it specialise in prescribing medicine, it also specialises in specialties like surgery (Shalya-chikitsa), diseases above the shoulder (Shalakya), internal medicine (Kaayachikitsa), psychiatry (Bhutavidya), paediatrics (Kaumarabhrutyam), toxicology (Agadatantram), rejuvenation (Rasayanam) and aphrodisiacs (Vajikaranam).


Written by Payoja Gurav


Glossary


Shirodhara - an Ayurvedic healing treatment that involves pouring a liquid (usually oil, milk, buttermilk or water) onto one’s forehead

Abhyangam - a massage done with warm oil

Shiroabhyanga - a complete massage of the head, neck and shoulders using Ayurvedic herbal oils

Padabhyangam - foot massage/ therapy

dosha type - a unique mind-body type (an individual blueprint of one's unique personality, tendencies and physical nature)

Neti Pot - a container designed to clean debris/ mucus from ones nasal cavity

Nasya - a sanskrit word for “related to nose”, an ayurvedic treatment where oil or smoke forms are infused into the nostrils




References


The benefits of practicing ayurveda: Yo1 Health Resort, Catskills. The Benefits of Practicing Ayurveda | YO1 Health

Resort, Catskills. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24, 2022, from https://www.yo1.com/health-guide/the-benefits-of-practicing-ayurveda.html


Why do people prefer Ayurvedic Treatments. (2022). Retrieved 24 June 2022, from

https://www.ayurvedacollege.net/blogs/why-do-people-prefer-ayurvedic-treatments


-Ayurvedic Medicine: In Depth. (2022). Retrieved 24 June 2022, from

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ayurvedic-medicine-in-depth


Singh, Harpreeta,,b; Bhargava, SapnaC; Ganeshan, Saileshb; Kaur, Ravneetb; Sethi, Tavpriteshd; Sharma, Mukeshc; Chauhan, Madhusudanc; Chauhan, Neerjac; Chauhan, Rishipalc,,e; Chauhan, Partapc,,e; Brahmachari, Samir K.a,,f

Big Data Analysis of Traditional Knowledge-based Ayurveda Medicine, Progress in Preventive Medicine: October 2018 - Volume 3 - Issue 5 - p e0020doi: 10.1097/pp9.0000000000000020


How to Cleanse, the Ayurvedic Way. (2022). Retrieved 24 June 2022, from

https://chopra.com/articles/how-to-cleanse-the-ayurvedic-way


Ayurveda - 10 basic facts everyone needs to know. (2022). Retrieved 24 June 2022, from

https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/ayurveda-10-basic-facts-everyone-needs-to-know-151235/






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