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ANCIENT
WISDOM
TODAY'S MEDICINE |
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Ayurveda is the traditional medical
system of India, |
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Ayurveda
- The Science of Life -
Ayurveda is the Indian System of Natural Medicine
with a track record of 5000 years of treating
millions of patients which started at the
First University of Medicine and Surgery Taxilla
and Nalanda in North India. Extensive texts
have been written and research been carried
out worldwide to validate the efficacy of
Ayurveda. After fifteen years of working with
British patients we share with you our experience
of this powerful and fascinating mother of
all medicine! |
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Our
bodies and minds are heavily laden with toxins
today due to our erratic and unhealthy living.
A dangerous level of STRESS generated by the
frantic pace and demands of modern living
and the contamination of foods by chemical
fertilizers, pesticides and genetic engineering
are the two major causative factors of today’s
ill health, particularly in young people.
The incidence of cancer, heart disease, diabetes,
ME and fatigue is rapidly rising and affecting
the productivity and enjoyment of our lives.
Five thousand years ago, strangely enough,
the Indian physicians from the foothills of
the Himalayas observed that mankind was prone
to stress and disease by his very nature! |
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| Ayurvedic
Herbal Medicine: Ancient Wisdom, Today’s Health?
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Dr Milind Jani, MBBS FRCSE Chairman and Managing
Director Pavilion Healthcare International
limited Medical journalist for Sussex Argus
and Observer magazine, Expert Speaker on Holistic
Health and Ayurveda at The Good health Show
Holistic GP and Ayurvedic Expert, Integrated
Medicine Centre and Ayurvedic Health Clinic |
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Ayurveda
is the traditional medical system of India,
which has been kept alive by generations of
Ayurvedic scholars and being an integral part
of Indian life. Ayurveda is a part of the
six Vedas or Books of Knowledge, a rich and
unparalleled ancient heritage of Hindu civilisation,
philosophy and medical science from India
which dates back some 5000years. |
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The essential fundamental principles revolve
around the tridosha concept of body types
(prakriti or nature), the fundamental physiological
energies that control the functions of the
body (doshas), the nourishment of the seven
tissue elements (dhatus), and the elimination
of toxins (ama) through the liver, kidney
and skin, promoting good digestion (agni or
metabolic fire both in the stomach and at
cellular level), and promoting Ojas –
immunity or the essence energy. An imbalance
of the three doshas in the body – Vata
(air element- control nervous system, emotion
and movement), Pitta (- Fire of metabolism
controls heat, intellect, focus, hormones
and digestion), Kapha (– water and earth
element – controls water, body weight,
muscle and fat balance).
An imbalance of the three doshas causes disease
while restoring balance cures the disease.
Ayurvedic therapy is aimed at maintaining
the equilibrium of the three doshas and enhance
immunity in order to prevent illness and maintain
well being...
Today Ayurveda is an integral part of every
Hindu family in India, and Ayurvedic medicine
forms part of the National Health Service
in India, being offered free in conjunction
with conventional medicine in the hospitals
in every city and town. You can also buy pure
herbs over the counter from the government
dispensaries.
Recently some Western experts have stressed
the need for standardised extracts. While
these are stronger and more effective in some
cases, the whole plant powders in a the proper
Ayurvedic formulation offer a far better cure
.Ayurvedic herbal manufacturing units and
pharmaceuticals are well established for the
last 100 years in India and manufacture and
supply authentic Ayurvedic preparations to
hospitals and the public. The manufacture
of Ayurvedic herbal products is controlled
by Pharmacopoeial standards laid down and
monitored by Central Government Pharmacopoeial
Committee and State Drug Licensing Authorities
under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940.
Ayurvedic herbal remedies enjoy a popular
tradition and extensive usage in India, and
are also available freely in pharmaceutical
stores and markets in India. However, many
units may escape close scrutiny, and you do
need to be careful where you source the herbs
from as contamination with toxic herbs or
minerals, substitution by unknown herb, and
adulteration may not be uncommon due to commercial
interest, lack of expertise, and lapses in
control by authorities.
Just
to give readers an idea of the scale and authenticity
of Ayurveda, here is some reliable
information which the public should know in
order to be well informed and feel confident
about using Ayurvedic medicine. According
to information supplied by the Government
of India (Ministry of Health and Social Welfare)
(website: www.indianmedicine.nic.in) the infrastructure
of Ayurvedic Medicine in India today is as
follows: There are |
- Shudh Ayurvedic
Medicine and Surgery) in Ayurvedic Medicine
, including one year internship , part
of which is spent in conventional medicine
departments.
- 55 Post Graduate Colleges of
Ayurveda offering a 3 year MD PhD in Ayurveda.
- 2258 Ayurvedic Hospitals
- 14,416 Ayurvedic dispensaries
- 367 000 Registered Practitioners
of Ayurveda
- 8405 Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturing
Units
- 33145 Beds in Ayurvedic Hospitals
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Training
in Ayurvedic medicine is regulated by the
Central Council for Indian Medicine
under the 1970 Act of Parliament. Extensive
Ongoing Research projects has been carried
out on Ayurvedic herbal formulations under
the regulation of Central Council for Research
in Ayurveda and Sidha Medicine ( CCRAS) set
up in 1978.
With recent growing interest in Ayurvedic
medicine in the UK, USA and EU countries,
and in the wake of the EU Directives for traditional
medicines, Indian Government and Pharmaceuticals
have jointly developed tighter quality controls,
enforcing Good Manufacturing Practice and
standardisation of herbal products. 260 Pharmacopoeial
standards and Formulary containing 634 Ayurvedic
herbo-mineral drugs have been published.
In Britain, two main self regulatory
bodies have been set up to monitor the practice
of Ayurveda.
The British Ayurvedic Medical Council and
The British Association of Accredited Ayurvedic
Practitioners ( 47 Nottingham Place London
, W1M 3FE Tel
0207 7224 6070)
and the Association of Ayurvedic Practitioners
.The Government however need to put into place
a disciplinary body for improperly qualified
practitioners of Ayurveda putting the public
at risk.
Treatments like Shirodhara have become very
attractive as commercial interests, but should
really be administered by qualified Ayurvedic
practitioners like Dr Asmita Jani to prevent
complications arising from poor assessment
and preparation of the patient by unqualified
practitioners.
So how can Ayurveda be useful to us in Britain?
What conditions can benefit from Ayurvedic
medicine?
Ayurveda works very well for Stress related
disorders, Chronic Fatigue syndrome, stomach
ulcers, and anxiety and depression, obesity,
arthritis and eczema and psoriasis. A good
combination for all to use on a daily basis
to maintain well being is Chyavanprash ( Energy
Plus, Pavilion healthcare) , Ashwagandha (
natural anti anxiety antidepressant, Ashwagandha
arishtha ( Nervitone, pavilion healthcare)mind
body tonic for panic and mental fatigue) ,
Brahmi ( Centella Asiatica) and atma gupta
( mucuna pruriens ) for memory ,anxiety and
shakiness., and ginger pick me up tea .
Dr Asmita Jani qualified Ayurvedic consultant
is our Panchakarma expert who says that “if
you want to treat chronic illnesses effectively,
you have use Panchakarma detoxification treatment
and follow the instruction and rules of Ayurveda
properly”. Panchakarma is a unique five
fold detoxification and rejuvenation programme
which involves gentle inner cleansing and
detox with herbs like trifala and psyllium,
gentle fasting, advice on balanced diet, Ayurvedic
massage, Steam treatment and herbal enema.
While Ayurvedic medicine deals with powerful
medical herbal formulations like yogaraj guggul
for arthritis and swash kuthar rasa for asthma,
which should be administered under medical
supervision only, it also describes many common
herbal home remedies which can be used by
lay people to maintain good health, prevent
illness, and revive from stress and fatigue.
At Pavilion Healthcare, we have developed
a Selected List of Ayurvedic Herbal Remedies
For Practitioners which is available from
01273 777448
to help therapists and customers select their
safe treatment.
Serious medical conditions like diabetes,
heart disease, ulcerative colitis and cancer
require a combined management as Ayurveda
can help reduce side effects of modern drugs
and enhance well being. As Ayurvedic treatment
is aimed at removing the root cause of the
disease , combining conventional diagnosis
, investigation and treatment with Ayurveda
offers a better chance of cure with minimal
side effects , as we do at The Wish House
Clinic Integrated Medicine Centre , Brighton
tel 01273 430022.
For example in my practice I have been successful
in treating four patients of ulcerative colitis
who have been able to avoid taking large doses
of steroids.
The general public can benefit greatly from
using some of the common Ayurvedic herbal
remedies that should be made available over
the counter, but customers find it useful
to have a guide to the use of Ayurvedic remedies
and a back up of an Ayurvedic doctor to consult.
Ayurvedic massage with herbal
oils and Shirodhara are sublime treatments
for stress, insomnia and high blood pressure
and can be very useful to athletes and sportsmen...
Ayurveda offers a rich repertoire of therapeutic
herbal oils for various conditions. My favourite
is Mahanarayan Taila (Rheuma Ease, Pavilion
healthcare) which relieves aching muscles,
and is particularly useful in sports massage
to relieve muscle ache and strain injuries,
as I demonstrated to John Fashanu, our football
celebrity chief guest at the Sports Show
2003 at Earl’s Court, London.
Treatment approaches for chronic diseases
like arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis
and eczema, acne, PMT and menopause, or
cancer include powerful therapies like Panchakarma.
Ayurvedic medicines like tinospora cordifolia
and 95% curcuminoid have been shown to have
liver protective and anti cancer activity
and offer a supportive treatment in cancer
therapy, to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
Ayurveda provides a natural alternative
to HRT- the menopause tea from well proven
herbs which modulate the female hormonal
system without side effects Herbs like satavari
( asparagus racemosus) and pitta balancing
tea for hot flushes, ashwagandha for depression,
Ashok arishtha , kumari asav – a compound
herbal preparation made from aloe Vera juice.
From this brief review of Ayurveda in UK,
it is evident that there is a great need
for proper sourcing of authentic Ayurvedic
herbs from India, adequate professional
input and monitoring of both the Ayurvedic
products on the market and Ayurvedic therapies.
And yet I am confident that with good public
awareness and educational material on Ayurveda,
we shall see a rise in a range of very effective
Ayurvedic products on the market soon.
copyright Dr Milind Jani. medical
journalist
Ayurvedic therapies: Ayurvedic Health Clinic
Tel: 01273 298286
inquiries:info@ayurveda-asmita.co.uk
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