Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a healing system that treats the whole person – the integration of body, mind, and spirit – rather than simply treating individual symptoms. Ayurvedic medicine uses a variety of products and practices. Ayurvedic products can be made either of herbs only or a combination of herbs, metals, minerals, or other materials in an Ayurvedic practice called rasa shastra.
•The aim of Ayurvedic medicine is to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit.
•It is based on theories of health and illness and on ways to prevent, manage, or treat health problems.
•Ayurvedic treatment is tailored to each person’s constitution.
•Ayurvedic treatment goals include eliminating impurities, reducing symptoms, increasing resistance to disease, etc.
Ayurveda
Source: The Chopra Center
Q: What is Ayurveda?
A: Ayurveda is a system of preventive medicine and health care that developed in India more than 5,000 years ago. The word Ayurveda comes from two Sanskrit root words: Ayus, or “life,” and Veda, meaning “knowledge” or “science.” Ayurveda is therefore usually translated as “the science of life.” However, a more precise translation would be “the knowledge of the lifespan.” Ayurveda offers practical tools, insights, and information for living in balance and health, without interference from illness.
Q: Is Ayurveda a form of holistic medicine?
A: Yes. Ayurveda is a healing system that treats the whole person – the integration of body, mind, and spirit – rather than simply treating individual symptoms. For instance, we know that ongoing stress damages our immune system, and when the immune system is weakened, we are more vulnerable to disease and illness. We also know that when our mind experiences pleasure, our brain releases healing chemicals to our entire body, creating feelings of happiness and well-being as well as promoting health.
Ayurveda takes holistic medicine a step further, treating people not as isolated individuals but as an inextricable part of the whole universe. In India’s ancient Vedic tradition, there is an underlying intelligence that flows through and connects everyone and everything in the universe. Ayurveda sees life as the exchange of energy and information between individuals and their extended body – the environment. If our environment is nourishing, we thrive; if our environment is toxic; we may become sick. Therefore, learning how to eliminate toxicity and surround ourselves with a healing environment is the key to health.
Q: How is Ayurveda different from conventional Western medicine?
A: In contrast with conventional medicine, which has devoted a lot of effort to isolating the differences among various diseases, Ayurveda focuses on the unique qualities of individuals, pointing out that diseases differ mainly because people are so different.
Ayurveda teaches that all health-related measures — whether an exercise program, dietary plan or herbal supplement — must be based on an understanding of an individual’s unique mind-body constitution or dosha. By knowing a patient’s dosha, an Ayurvedic doctor can tell which diet, physical activities, and medical therapies are most likely to help, and which might do no good or even cause harm.
In addition, while Western medicine has tended to treat the symptoms of disease, Ayurveda seeks to eliminate illness by treating the underlying cause. For example, for a patient suffering from depression, an allopathic physician would likely prescribe a standard course of antidepressants and, perhaps, therapy.
An Ayurvedic doctor, on the other hand, would seek to understand the root imbalances contributing to the depression. The doctor would look at the patient as a whole, taking into consideration his or lifestyle, activities, diet, recent stressful events, beliefs, and mind-body constitution. The Ayurvedic practitioner would then recommend a treatment plan taking all of these factors into account.
Ayurveda doesn’t reject the use of antidepressants and other prescription medications – in fact, Ayurveda’s central principle is that we should make use of whatever healing modalities will restore health and balance to the body, including herbal remedies, dietary changes, pharmaceutical medications, meditation, exercise, psychotherapy, and so on…continue reading at The Chopra Center
This Review study includes the following:
Alleviation of Side Effects
Several herbs have been described in ayurveda that can alleviate some of the common side effects associated with modern medical treatment of cancer. For instance, Bacopa monnieri has been shown to strengthen mental faculties and helps manage insomnia or sleeplessness owing to stress. Similarly, an herbal combination based on the ancient rasayana formulations of Withania somnifera, Asparagus racemosa, Hydrocotyle asiatica, Nardostachys jatamamsi, Elettaria cardamomum, Tribulus terrestris, Zingiber officinalis, and Eclipta alba could also be useful in the treatment of anxiety, tension, and insomnia. Ocimum sanctum is beneficial against stress and depression during cancer. Yoga, meditation, prayer, and chanting can help release mental and physical stress.
Cancer Cachexia
Ayurvedic herbs can also be used to diminish the side effects noted with modern treatments that substantially impact the quality of life of cancer patients. Cancer-associated cachexia includes anorexia, chronic nausea, and change in body image. Anorexia or weight loss could be effectively managed by the commonly used rasayana herbs Withania somnifera, Sida cordifolia, Asparagus racemosa, Vitis vinifera, Plumbago zeylanica, Tinospora cordifolia, and Zingiber officinale.
These herbs have been shown to improve appetite, food intake, malnutrition, fatigue, and sensation of well-being, which could elicit body-weight gain. Additionally, Aegle marmelos, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Punica granatum, Cyperus rotundus, Emblica officinalis, and Plumbago zeylanica can be used to manage cancer-associated diarrhea. Herbs such as Terminalia chebula could be useful against chronic constipation and digestive disorders, which are common in cancer patients and result in a loss of appetite. Also, herbs such as Zingiber officinalis, Eclipta prostrata, Emblica officinalis, Withania somnifera, and Piper longum can be directed to correct nausea and vomiting.
Studies have also shown that Allium sativum (garlic) could be helpful to manage pain and ache. Certain ayurvedic herbs, such as Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Terminalia chebula, Ocimum sanctum, and Adhatoda vasica, are used to control cough and shortness of breathe, especially for lung cancer patients. Thus, the ayurvedic regimen rejuvenates the body tissues, tones up the body systems, and acts as a tonic to the body against cancer cachexia. Because of this holistic approach toward total healing and health promotion, ayurvedic treatment has a great deal of promise in cancer therapy.
Updated January 2025