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Journal Article

Ayurveda: emerging benefaction to public health care

TL;DR: There is a critical need to mainstream Ayurveda into public health care to achieve the objective of improved access to healthcare facilities.
Abstract: The social impact of ill health is on the rise, with some diseases affecting not only the health of individuals but also that of a nation’s economy with their increasing healthcare costs. The enormous complexity of human body offers scope to conceptualize its dynamic organization in a number of ways such as structural, biochemical, functional, etc. The conventional western medicine views the body from a structural perspective, whereas Ayurveda , the ancient medical system of India, understands the human body from the perspective of functions/ Tridoshas ( Vata , Pitta and Kapha ). Ayurveda is a holistic science and Ayurvedic treatment aims not only at removal of disease, but also at the restoration of the equilibrium of bodily functions. These different viewpoints of Ayurveda and western medicine have resulted not only in the use of different terminologies and metaphors to explain the human system but also in their different approaches to health and illness. In the recent past there has been a growing interest in Ayurvedic system of Medicine and their relevance to public health. In this context, there is a critical need to mainstream Ayurveda into public health care to achieve the objective of improved access to healthcare facilities.
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This study makes a first attempt towards unraveling the clinical phenotyping principle of a traditional system of medicine in terms of modern biology using Ayurveda based method of phenotypic classification of extreme constitutional types.
Abstract: Background: Ayurveda is an ancient system of personalized medicine documented and practiced in India since 1500 B.C. According to this system an individual's basic constitution to a large extent determines predisposition and prognosis to diseases as well as therapy and life-style regime. Ayurveda describes seven broad constitution types (Prakritis) each with a varying degree of predisposition to different diseases. Amongst these, three most contrasting types, Vata, Pitta, Kapha, are the most vulnerable to diseases. In the realm of modern predictive medicine, efforts are being directed towards capturing disease phenotypes with greater precision for successful identification of markers for prospective disease conditions. In this study, we explore whether the different constitution types as described in Ayurveda has molecular correlates. Methods: Normal individuals of the three most contrasting constitutional types were identified following phenotyping criteria described in Ayurveda in Indian population of Indo-European origin. The peripheral blood samples of these individuals were analysed for genome wide expression levels, biochemical and hematological parameters. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway based analysis was carried out on differentially expressed genes to explore if there were significant enrichments of functional categories among Prakriti types. Results: Individuals from the three most contrasting constitutional types exhibit striking differences with respect to biochemical and hematological parameters and at genome wide expression levels. Biochemical profiles like liver function tests, lipid profiles, and hematological parameters like haemoglobin exhibited differences between Prakriti types. Functional categories of genes showing differential expression among Prakriti types were significantly enriched in core biological processes like transport, regulation of cyclin dependent protein kinase activity, immune

155 citations


"Ayurveda: emerging benefaction to p..." refers background in this paper

  • ...[7] The biomedical validity of constitutional assessment in Ayurveda has recently received confirmations from genomic studies.[8] Health is an individual, relative state and Prakriti may explain why peculiar diseases occur to patient and not to another one....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Pilot studies presented in this paper were conducted on depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease and yielded positive results and provide a basis for conducting larger, more rigorous clinical trials.
Abstract: Ayurveda is a comprehensive natural health care system that originated in India more than 5000 years ago. It is still widely used in India as a system of primary health care, and interest in it is growing worldwide as well. Ayurveda has unique concepts and methodologies to address health care throughout the course of life, from pregnancy and infant care to geriatric disorders. Common spices are utilized, as well as herbs, herbal mixtures, and special preparations known as Rasayanas. Purification procedures known as Panchakarma remove toxins from the physiology. Research has been conducted worldwide on Ayurveda. There are encouraging results for its effectiveness in treating various ailments, including chronic disorders associated with the aging process. Pilot studies presented in this paper were conducted on depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. These preliminary studies yielded positive results and provide a basis for conducti...

94 citations


"Ayurveda: emerging benefaction to p..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Ayurveda describes health as Swasthya, which refers to a state of complete, balanced, physical, mental and spiritual well-being.[1,2], This reminds us to United Nations’ World Health Organization’s definition of health (1948) as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It may be projected from Ayurveda's comprehensive approach, emphasis on prevention, and ability to manage chronic disorders that its widespread use would improve the health status of the world's population.
Abstract: Ayurveda is a natural health care system that originated in India more than 5000 years ago. Its main objective is to achieve optimal health and well-being through a comprehensive approach that addresses mind, body, behavior, and environment. Ayurveda emphasizes prevention and health promotion, and provides treatment for disease. It considers the development of consciousness to be essential for optimal health and meditation as the main technique for achieving this. Treatment of disease is highly individualized and depends on the psychophysiologic constitution of the patient. There are different dietary and lifestyle recommendations for each season of the year. Common spices are utilized in treatment, as well as herbs and herbal mixtures, and special preparations known as Rasayanas are used for rejuvenation, promotion of longevity, and slowing of the aging process. A group of purification procedures known as Panchakarma removes toxins from the physiology. Whereas Western allopathic medicine is excellent in handling acute medical crises, Ayurveda demonstrates an ability to manage chronic disorders that Western medicine has been unable to. It may be projected from Ayurveda's comprehensive approach, emphasis on prevention, and ability to manage chronic disorders that its widespread use would improve the health status of the world's population.

71 citations


"Ayurveda: emerging benefaction to p..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Ayurveda describes health as Swasthya, which refers to a state of complete, balanced, physical, mental and spiritual well-being.[1,2], This reminds us to United Nations’ World Health Organization’s definition of health (1948) as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is found that QOL improving interventions helped or cured 30–90% of the patients, typically within one year, independent of the type of health problem.
Abstract: This paper reviews the medical (salutogenic) effect of interventions that aim to improve quality of life. Review of studies where the global quality of life in chronically ill patients was improved independently of subjective and objective factors (like physical and mental health, yearly income, education, social network, self-esteem, sexual ability and problems or work). The methods used were subtypes of integrative medicine (non-drug CAM) like mind body medicine, body psychotherapy, clinical holistic medicine, consciousness-based medicine and sexology. In about 20 papers on QOL as medicine, in cancer, coronary heart disease, chronic pain, mental illness, sexual dysfunction, low self-esteem, low working ability and poor QOL, the most successful intervention strategy seems to be to create a maternal, infantile bonding induced by a combination of conversation therapy and bodywork. The papers examined the treatments of over 2,000 chronically ill or dysfunctional patients and more than 20 different types of health problems. Global QOL measured by SEQOL, QOL5, QOL1, self-rated physical health, self-rated mental health, self-rated sexual functioning, anorgasmia, genital pain, self-rated working ability, self-rated relation to self, well-being, life-satisfaction, happiness, fulfillment of needs, experience of temporal and spatial domains, expression of life’s potentials, and objective functioning. We found “QOL as medicine” able in the treatment of physical disorders and illnesses including chronic pain (Number Needed to Treat (NNT) = 1–3, Number Needed to Harm (NNH) > 500), in mental illness (NNT = 1–3, NNH > 500), in sexual dysfunctions (NNT = 1–2, NNH > 1,000), self-rated low working ability (NNT = 2, NNH > 500), and self-rated low QOL (NNT = 2, NNH > 2,000). We found that QOL improving interventions helped or cured 30–90% of the patients, typically within one year, independent of the type of health problem. “QOL as medicine” seems to be able in improving chronic mental, somatic and sexual health issues without side effects.

30 citations


"Ayurveda: emerging benefaction to p..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Thus, in Ayurveda the concept of public health, even encompassing all ages, focuses primarily on the individual capability of healthy aging intended to complete fulfilling one’s life.[11] An ideal health care system as defined by Ayurveda is one which cures a disease without causing or precipitating other illness (Shamyet yo na kopyet)....

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