Ayurveda
From DrugPedia: A Wikipedia for Drug discovery
Ayurveda is the oldest system of medicine in the world and traces its roots to the Vedic period in ancient India. Ayurveda is a holistic healing science which not only aims at curing diseases but also keeping the body, mind and spirit healthy. Therefore Ayurveda can be thought of less as a science dealing with the treatment of diseases and more as a complete way of life. The principles of Ayurveda are an invaluable link to understanding, in detail, naturally healthy living.
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[edit] What is Ayurveda?
The word Ayurveda comprises of two words, Ayu and Veda: 'Ayu' means life and 'Veda' means knowledge or science. So the literal meaning of the word Ayurveda is the 'science of life'. Ayurveda is a science of life and so to know more about it, we must know what is life. Life according to Ayurveda is a 'combination of senses, mind, body and soul.' Therefore it is clear from this definition of life that Ayurveda is not only limited to body or physical symptoms, but also gives a comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and social health.
[edit] Uniqueness of Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a science in the sense that it is a complete system. It is a qualitative, holistic science of health and longevity, a philosophy and system of healing the whole person, body and mind. Several features of Ayurveda make it quite unique and different than all other medicine systems in the world. These are:
Ayurveda offers reference points for managing treatment decisions specific to each case. The Ayurvedic theory is profoundly useful in analyzing individual patient constitution and understanding variations in disease manifestation.
The Ayurvedic framework can be used to structure working models of the unique state of each patient, and to project a vision or goal for a whole state of health, again unique to each case.
Ayurveda offers specific recommendations to each individual on lifestyle, diet, exercise and yoga, herbal therapy, and even spiritual practices to restore and maintain balance in body and mind. Ayurveda sees a strong connection between the mind and the body and a huge amount of information is available regarding this relationship.
It is this understanding that we are all unique individuals that enables Ayurveda to address not only specific health concerns but also offer explanations as to why one person responds differently to medicine than another.
[edit] Principles of Ayurveda
All matter is thought to he composed of five basic elements ( panchamahabhutas ) which exhibit the properties of Earth (prithvi), Water (jala), Fire (tejas), Wind (vayu) and Ether or Space (akasha). These elements do not exist in isolated forms, but always in a combination, in which one or more elements dominate. According to Ayurveda, the human body is composed of derivatives of the five basic elements, in the form of Doshas, tissues (Dhatus) and waste products (Malas).
Doshas : The most fundamental and characteristic principle of Ayurveda is called "tridosha" or the Three Humours. Doshas are the physiological factors of the body. They are to be seen as all pervasive, subtle entities, and are categorized into Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata regulates movement and is represented by the nervous system. Pitta is the principle of biotransformation and is the cause of all metabolic processes in the body. Kapha is the principle of cohesion and functions through the body fluids. Together, these three doshas determine the physiologic constitution of an individual.
Dhatus : These are the basic tissues which maintain and nourish the body. The tissues are further classified into seven categories: plasma (rasa), blood cells (Raktha), muscular tissue (Mamsa), adipose tissue (Meda), bony tissue (Asthi), bone marrow (Majja) and the reproductive tissue (Sukla). Proper amount of each dhatu and their balanced function is very important for good health.
Malas : These are the waste materials produced as a result of various metabolic activities in the body. The three main waste products are urine, faeces and sweat. Proper elimination of the malas is equally important for good health. Accumulation of malas causes many diseases in the body.
Srotas: These are different types of channels which are responsible for transportation of food, dhatus, malas and doshas. Proper functioning of srotas is necessary for transporting different materials to the site of their requirement. Blockage of srotas is one of the main causes of many diseases.
For the metabolic processes in the body, there are three main groups of biological factors, probably exhibiting enzymatic functions (agnis). Jatharagni is responsible for the digestion and the absorption of nutritious substances. During this process, digestion takes place in three stages: first the digestion of sweet (madhura) and salty (lavana) nutrients, then the digestion of sour (amla) nutrients, and finally the digestion of sharp (tikta), bitter (katu) and astringent (kasaya) nutrients. The respective products of these three stages are sweet, sour and sharp.
All these factors should function in a proper balance for good health. They are inter-related and are directly or indirectly responsible for maintaining equilibrium of the tridoshas.
[edit] The Tridoshas
The structural aspect of our body is made up of five elements, but the functional aspect of the body is governed by three biological humors. Ether and air together constitute VATA; fire and water PITTA; and water and earth, KAPHA. They govern psycho-biological changes in the body and physio-pathological changes too. Vata-pitta-kapha are present in every cell, tissue and organ.
Doshas are to be seen as all pervasive, subtle entities, Vata regulates movement and is represented by the nervous system. Pitta is the principle of biotransformation and is the cause of all metabolic processes in the body. Kapha is the principle of cohesion and functions through the body fluids. In every person these three doshas differ in various permutations and combinations and thereby determine the physiologic constitution (Prakriti) of an individual. Vata, pitta and kapha are distinctly present in every individual and express in each human being differently according to predominance of their different qualities (gunas).
When the three Doshas are well harmonised and function in a balanced manner, it results in good nourishment and well-being of the individual . But when there is imbalance or disharmony within or between them, it will result in elemental imbalance, leading to various kinds of ailments.
The Ayurvedic concept of physical health revolves round these three Doshas and its primary purpose is to help maintain them in a balanced state and thus to prevent disease. This humoral theory is not unique to the ancient Indian Medicine: The Yin and Yang theory in chinese medicine and the Hippocratic theory of four humours in Greek medicine are also very similar.
[edit] Qualities of the Tridoshas
[edit] VATA
The elements combine with Ether and Air in dominance to form what is known in Ayurveda as Vata Dosha. Vata represents the Air or Nervous System Humor. Vata governs the principle of movement and therefore can be seen as the force which directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration and elimination etc. Vata is dry, light, cold, mobile, active, clear, astringent, and it is dispersing. The season for Vata is autumn; the time of the day is afternoon & early morning.
[edit] Types and their Functions
Vatadosha is further divided into 5 types according to it's seat and the different functions it carries
- Prana Vata : Governs the senses, creative thinking, reasoning, enthusiasm,
- Udana Vata : Governs quality of voice, memory, movements of thought
- Samana Vata : Governs movement of food through digestive tract
- Apana Vata : Elimination of wastes, sexual function, menstrual cycle
- Vyana Vata : Governs blood flow, heart rhythm, perspiration, sense of touch
[edit] Useful Tips to Balance Vatadosha
DO's:
- Abhyanga (ayurvedic massage with sesame oil)
- Stay warm in cold, windy weather
- Consume warm, cooked foods (less raw foods)
- Go to bed early have lot of rest and sleep.
- Favor warm, oily, heavy food with sweet, sour, and salty tastes.
DON'Ts:
- Avoid light, dry, cold, pungent, bitter and astringent foods
- Avoid raw foods, juices, fasting
- Avoid stimulants ,smoking ,alcohol
- Refrain from excessive aerobic activity
[edit] Factors responsible for increasing vata
- Eating too much bitter, astringent and pungent tasted foods like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, beans, dry fruits, mushrooms and raw foods.
- Too much traveling by any means of transportation.
- Staying awake till late night or not sleeping at all.
- Eating of junk food, frozen foods and food that has been micro-waved.
- Excessive exposure to high noise level or high sounds.
- Watching too much television and over exposure to computers or any other kind of electric gadgets: sources of strong waves.
- Indulging in too much sexual activities.
- Excessive imagination, overworking or too much sports.
- Taking too much medicinal, recreational and stimulating drugs.
- Suppression of natural urges like urination, defecation, sneezing, cough, tears etc.
- Emotions like fear and grief.
Aggravation of vata weakens the nervous system. Other symptoms caused by excess of vata in the body are joint pains, constipation, dry skin, loss of memory, palpitation, insomnia, stiffness of muscles, weight loss, loss of strength, migraine, vertigo, tremors, grief and fear etc.
[edit] Medication for Vata
Medicines and herbs that are demulcent, emollient, warmly diaphoretic, nervines, antispasmodic, warming and carminative are appropriate for treating Air imbalances. They are also particularly amenable to the internal and external application of herbal medicated oils. Castor oil because of its thick viscosity, is considered the strongest oil for treating excess vata conditions. Herbs and substances that are bitter and astringent such as cascara bark and bayberry bark, increase Air, while those that are sweet and demulcent, such as slippery elm, marshmallow root and comfrey, ameliorate it. The primary Panchkarma therapy for vata derangement is the use of medicated oils usually applied externally.
[edit] PITTA - The Fire Humor
The elements with Fire and Water in dominance combine to form the Pitta Dosha. The Pitta Dosha is responsible for the process of transformation or metabolism. The transformation of foods into nutrients that our bodies can assimilate is an example of a Pitta function. Pitta is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and tissue systems as well as cellular metabolism.
Pitta has hot, sharp, light, liquid, sour, oily and spreading qualities. Pitta has a strong smell, like a fleshy smell, and has a sour or bitter taste. Pitta -Types and their Functions
- Alochaka Pitta : Controls functioning of the eyes
- Bhrajaka Pitta : Responsible for healthy glow of the skin
- Sadhaka Pitta : Controls desire, drive, decisiveness, spirituality
- Pachaka Pitta : Responsible for digestion, assimilation, metabolism for healthy nutrients and tissues
- Ranjaka Pitta : Responsible for healthy, toxin-free blood
[edit] Useful Tips to Balance Pitta dosha
DO's:
- Keep cool. Avoid hot temperatures and hot food
- Favor cool, heavy, dry, sweet, bitter and astringent foods
- Keep activities in moderation.
- Keep regular mealtimes, especially at noon
DON'Ts
- Avoid sesame and mustard oils, fish, buttermilk, mutton, acidic fruits, alcohol, meat and fatty, oily foods.
- Restrict pungent, sour, salty, warm, oily and light foods
- Avoid over work
- Avoid fasting
[edit] Factors responsible for increasing Pitta
- Drinking too much tea, coffee, alcohol.
- Exessive smoking.
- Eating salty, sour, hot and spicy food, eating too much chillis, tomatos, egg plant or onions.
- Too much exposure to heat and sun.
- Anger.
Some of the symptoms caused by excess of Pitta in the body are hyperacidity , skin diseases, burning sensation, fever, infections, ulcers, liver disorders, malfunction of sense organs, fatigue, loss of taste and sleep disturbances.
[edit] Medication for Pitta
Medicines and herbs that are cooling, purging, laxative, antipyretic and blood detoxifying, cholagogic (releasing bile) are appropriate for treating Fire imbalances. Laxative herbs such as cascara bark, rhubarb and senna are used to clear excess Fire. When there is no constipation, one can use alterative or cholagogic herbs such as red clover, sarsaparilla, oregon grape root, barberry root and dandelion root. The major Panchkarma therapy for excess Fire is bleeding. Generally such patients who are not predisposed to anemia should make it a point to regularly donate blood at a local blood bank.
[edit] KAPHA -The Water Humor
It is predominantly the water and earth elements which combine to form the Kapha Dosha. Kapha is responsible for growth, adding structure unit by unit. It also offers protection , for example, in form of the cerebral-spinal fluid,which protects the brain and spinal column. The mucousal lining of the stomach is another example of the function of Kapha Dosha protecting the tissues.
Kapha has heavy, slow, cool, oily, liquid, dense, thick, static and cloudy qualities. These are the important qualities of kapha, and kapha is sweet and salty.
[edit] Types and their Functions
- Tarpaka Kapha : Responsible for moisture for nose, mouth, eyes and brain
- Bhodaka Kapha : Governs Sense of taste, which is essential for good digestion
- Kledaka Kapha : Controls moisture of the stomach and intestinal mucosal lining
- Avalambaka Kapha : Protects the heart, strong muscles, healthy lungs
- Sleshaka Kapha : Lubricates the joints,Keeps skin soft and supple.
[edit] Useful Tips to Balance Kapha
DO's
- Do regular exercise, Begin with Sooryanamaskara to warm up your body, which should be followed by a Vigorous activity
- Prefer warm temperatures, Stay warm and dry in cold, damp weather
- Use Fresh fruits, vegetables and legumes
- Favor pungent, bitter, astringent, light, dry and warm foods
DON'Ts
- Reduce heavy, oily, cold, sweet, sour and salty foods
- Avoid heavy meals.
- Sleep promotes Kapha hence avoid excessive sleep,
- All frozen desserts are to be avoided.
[edit] Factors responsible for increasing Kapha
- Eating sweet, salty and sour tastes in excess, fats, oily and fried foods , ice creams, mears, dairy products, and nuts.
- Too much sleep, specially during day time.
- Not doing much physical activity.
Some of the symptoms caused by excess Kapha in the body are asthma, cold, congestion in the chest, anorexia and obesity.
[edit] Medication for Kapha
Medicines and herbs that are diuretic, warming diaphoretic, warming stimulant, expectorant, carminative and aperient (mildly laxative) are appropriate for treating Kapha imbalances.
[edit] Diseases and their cures
- Anything dry almost always increases Vata, anything hot increases Pitta and anything heavy, Kapha.
- Puffed rice is dry, cold light and rough - overindulgence in puffed rice therefore is likely to increase Vata in the overindulger.
- Mustard oil is oily, hot, intense, fluid, strong-smelling and liquid and increases Pitta in the consumer.
- Yoghurt, being creamy, cold, heavy, viscid, smooth and soft, is the very image of Kapha, and adds to the body's Kapha when eaten.
All Five elements, as expressed through Vata, Pitta and Kapha, are essential to life, working together to create health or produce disease. No one dosha can produce or sustain life - all three must work together , each in its own way.
- Both Vata and Pitta are light and only Kapha is heavy.
- Both Vata and Kapha are cold and only Pitta is hot.
- Both Pitta and Kapha are moist and oily and only Vata is dry.
We are all made up of unique proportions of Vata,Pitta and Kapha. These ratios of the Doshas vary in each individual and it is because of this that Ayurveda sees each person as a special mixture that accounts for our diversity. It gives us a model to look at each individual as a unique makeup of the three doshas, and to thereby design treatment protocols that specifically address a person's health challenges. When any of the doshas become accumulated, Ayurveda will suggest specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to assist the individual in reducing the dosha that has become excessive. Also herbal medicines will be suggested to cure the imbalance and the disease.
Understanding this main principle of Ayurveda, it offers us an explanation as to why one person responds differently to a treatment or diet than another and why persons with the same disease might yet require different treatments and medications.
[edit] Treatment with Ayurveda
The essence of treatment is the removal of the cause and avoidance of causative factors. Ayurvedic treatment does not mean suppressing the main symptoms and creating some new ones as side effects of the main treatment. It is to remove the root cause and give permanent relief. The medicines for the treatment mainly comprises of powders, tablets, decoctions, medicated oils etc. prepared from natural herbs, plants and minerals. Because the medicines are from natural sources and not synthetic, they are accepted and assimilated in the body without creating any side effects and on the other hand, there may be some side benefits.
The famous ayurvedic physician Charaka identifies four factors that are essential for successful medical treatment : The Physician, the remedy , the nurse and the patient. The physician should be an expert in theory and in practice, skilful, and pure in body and mind. Easy availability, appropriateness, utility in a variety of forms and high quality characterize the optimal remedy. The best nurse is knowledgeable, skilful, sympathetic and pure. The ideal patient is courageous, able to describe what he or she is feeling, and remembers all the physician's instructions and follows them carefully; all these qualities help the patient get well more easily.
Along with medicine, proper diet and living style is also advised. This is equally important. If we are taking a medicine to remove the root cause and at the same time we are taking some food or following a life style which is increasing the cause of disease, then we may not get well or will be getting less relief. Panch Karma therapy is also used as a treatment in many diseases.
Most of us have many levels of toxins accumulated over a lifetime of indiscretions, all of which cannot be released at once otherwise they will overhelm the excretory organs and ravage the mind. Your mind and body have become habituated to these poisons, which have become part of your equilibrium equation . Removing them all at once would seriously imbalance your physical body and confuse your mind so that you no longer felt like 'yourself'. Purifying the system is a long, slow process, requiring many cycles to expunge the many layers of dirt. You must be patient with the process and with the newly developing you, just as you would be patient with a slowly growing tree. When you backslide and return temporarily to your old unhealthy ways, you must learn to always pick yourself up, like a child learning to walk, and begin again.
The basic principles of Ayurvedic treatment are immutable : how they are applied differs from case to case. "Treatment is rooted in measure" : the effect of any particular therapy on any particular patient depends on its dosage, which again depends upon the climate, the doshas involved , the strength of the patient versus the strength of the disease, the patients age and constitution, the specific syndrome, the patient's social environment, the goal of treatment and so on. Time cycled, including 'disease time' and the joints of seasons, are especially important, because the doshas are controlled differently at different times, depending upon both external time and the disease's momentum within the microcosm. Treatment is totally individualized, and so different diseases may sometimes share a single therapy, while a single disease may be treated differently in different patients according to the measure of the factors involved.
[edit] Conclusion
Thus we find that the methods of treatment are based on simple and natural principles. To conclude we can say that, Ayurveda teaches a very systematic and scientific way of life which is important to pursue both materially and spiritually. Fundamental principles, health rules, knowledge of individual constitution of our body, use of various herbs, minerals and specially Panch Karma therapy can be very safely used by one and all, all over the world to, promote good health, prevent diseases and acquire longevity.
