What Is Ayurvedic Medicine? Advantages Of Ayurveda
Ayurveda is based on the belief that health and well-being depend on a delicate balance between consciousness, body, and mind, and that any disruption of this balance is the cause of diseases and we suffer from ills.
It is based on specific techniques and exercises, as well as lifestyle changes, to improve the general health of individuals.
Ayurvedic medicine its definition and principles
Ayurvedic medicine is one of the oldest healing systems in the world, taking into account the body as a whole. It was developed 5,000 years ago in India. It is based on the belief that health and well-being depend on a delicate balance between consciousness, body, and spirit.
Its main purpose is to ensure good health, not to fight diseases, even if it can be adapted to follow specific disorders. Practitioners in Ayurveda believe that each person is composed of the 5 basic elements found in the universe: space, air, fire, water, and earth.
These elements are united in three doshas, three sources of energy or life: Vata (space and air), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (water and earth). The Vata controls all the basic functions of our body, that is, the very division of cells.
It also controls our awareness, breathing, blood flow, heart function, and bowel function in waste disposal. Pitta is the energy that controls our digestion, metabolism, and appetite hormones. Kapha controls muscle development, body strength and balance, weight, and the immune system.
Each dosha can be disrupted by unhealthy habits, which will lead to specific diseases and disorders: diseases appear when there is an imbalance between the three. Thus, the practitioner’s role in Ayurveda is to develop a specific follow-up to the individual’s emotional and physical situation, his main energy force, and the balance of the three forces.
Each person is actually born with a specific mixture of the three doshas, but one of them is usually stronger: for optimal health, the balance of the doshas is essential and the practitioner’s job is to help the patient not to allow one of them dominates the two others excessively.
These three energies define the personalities of individuals, according to which dosha is the strongest in everyone: it will determine the body of the individual, his appetite, his energy level, moods, and general tendencies.
Thus, the Ayurvedic approach takes into account human diversity and offers patients individualized follow-up. In seeking to restore the balance of the person, the practitioner is obliged to estimate what are the sources of his problems in the doshas.
For this, he will take into account the patient’s medical history and vital signs, examine his skin, gums, and tongue, and then ask about the patient’s sleep and relationships. These questions allow him to know which is the dominant dosha in the individual and to see the imbalances to be corrected to maximize his health and well-being.
Essentially, Ayurvedic medicine seeks to give a new balance to individuals by helping them adapt to natural cycles: the hours, the seasons, and the menstrual cycle for women.
Benefits of Ayurvedic medicine
Ayurvedic herbs and lifestyle changes are among the dozens of natural treatments that are beneficial, below are some of the benefits of ayurvedic medicine.
1. Help to maintain the hormonal balance
Ayurveda has been shown to help women with fertility problems because of Stein-Leventhal syndrome, a common disorder caused by hormonal imbalance ( 1 ).
In fact, one study indicated that a mixture of essential oils, herbal treatment, and lifestyle changes had helped 85% of participants overcome the syndrome, and 75% to conceive naturally.
Ayurveda also helps to overcome the absence of menstruation, irregular menstruation, ovulation, ovarian problems, certain symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, excess of male hormones in women, etc.
2. Promoting a diet rich in nutrients and antioxidants
Ayurvedic medicine offers various diets such as all vegetables, rich in antioxidants, proteins, and good fats, with herbs, spices, teas, and various vegetables.
The general rules of Ayurveda are to consume fresh, hot, and easily digestible food while taking into account the history of the individual, its customs, and traditions.
Indeed, practitioners take into account the geographical, social, and climatic contexts of individuals when setting up a diet to balance the doshas.
3. Relief from stress and anxiety
Since stress is linked to almost every aspect of our overall health, a practitioner of Ayurveda can use several techniques to naturally reduce the symptoms of stress and depression, lower cortisol, and rebalance the “energy” hormones. from the body.
This may include meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, herbal treatments, dry brushing, visualization, or mantra repetition.
One study has shown that transcendental meditation, a component of the Maharishi branch of Ayurvedic medicine, helps relieve the symptoms of anxiety when practiced regularly.
Pranayama, a series of breathing exercises, helps calm the nerves, create better energy, improve sleep quality, and improve hormonal functions. In addition, even though yoga is not routinely used, it can also help reduce stress and anxiety:
Studies suggest that it is an effective alternative to drug treatments, which not only calms the symptoms of stress and anxiety but in some cases improves the biochemical and physiological aspects of stress ( 2).
In addition, it seems that yoga, if practiced regularly, can have effects on the nervous responses of the body, for example by reducing the reaction to the danger of the orthosympathetic system known as the fight-flight response ( 3 ).
4. Help with recovery from injury/illness
Ayurvedic medicine focuses primarily on inflammations, which are the source of the majority of diseases: this makes it an effective technique for relieving pain and modulating the immunity of individuals.
According to a 2011 study, Ayurveda can help reduce swelling and pain, improve blood circulation, and fight inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis as effectively as drugs ( 4 ).
Ayurveda is known for its ability to help the body get rid of toxins through the use of plants, teas, and healthy foods, and by promoting rest: for example, practices like Abhyanga, uses herbs and essential oils by topical application to purify the body and improve blood circulation and liver health.
5. Reduction of inflammations
Ayurvedic medicine is based on the premise that mixing poor nutrition, complicated digestion, lack of sleep and/or rest, and lack of air (or Vaayu) is the cause of oxidative stress and inflammation in individuals. This results in an imbalance in the body – between the three doshas.
Healing with Ayurveda is about finding ways to reduce inflammation, hoping to regulate the heart, blood, and digestive systems to find effective ways to get rid of waste.
Plants, antioxidants to fight against free radicals, gentle physical exercises that boost metabolism and circulation, and phytochemicals of natural origin are recommended to the individual to help relieve his body.
By taking into account various factors such as stress, food intolerance, and lack of nutrients, individuals often reduce their level of inflammation and heal themselves, while increasing their level of energy ( 5 ).
6. Low blood pressure and cholesterol
Studies have shown that Ayurveda’s diet and relaxation techniques can reduce inflammation and help fight arterial problems by helping to unclog arteries and reduce the risk of stroke and heart failure. Ayurvedic techniques actually help lower cholesterol and blood pressure naturally.
7. Can help with weight loss or maintenance
Although it is not its main purpose, Ayurveda can help individuals lose weight by using a healthy diet, stress reduction, and even essential oils that promote weight loss.
Ayurvedic medicine considers that diets should be balanced, practical, and easy to follow and therefore take into account the preferences of each individual, making it an effective weight loss technique that does not find its basis in restriction (6).
