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Ayurve da

Carli Hill

Objectives
Introduction to Ayurveda Tridosha theory Reported benefits Reasons for caution Current Research Conclusions

Introduction to Ayurveda
Comprehensive system that places equal emphasis on the body, mind and spirit, and it strives to restore the innate harmony of the individual Ayurveda is the combination of two Sanskrit words
ayu meaning long life ved meaning knowledge Knowledge or science of life

Practiced in India for over 5000 years Covers all medical fields Diagnosis done by observation, touch, and questioning Four components to disease management
Physician, Drug, Patient, Attendant (such as a nurse)

Clinical exam includes


Pulse diagnosis Urine examination Stool examination Tongue examination Examination of body sounds Eye examination Skin examination Assessment of total body appearance

Treatment has four main parts


Shodan cleansing Shaman palliation Rasayan rejuvenation Satwajaya mental nurturing and spiritual healing

Three energies/doshas

Tridosha Theory

Pitta digestion, metabolism, emotions Kapha lubrication, structure, synthesis Vata movement, physical and mental function, degeneration

Individualized combination/ratio of the three doshas

Imbalance in the doshas is the main cause of disease or poor health

Slowing the aging process Promoting health of all the organs of the body Reducing fatigue and stress Nurturing the body with proper diet Healing disorders of the nervous system

Reported Benefits

Herbal/metal/mineral Ayurvedic treatments


Safety dependent on following a complex procedure Many include heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic 1 in 5 herbal products produced in South Asia have toxic levels Reports of lead poisoning

Caution

A biostatistical approach to Ayurveda: quantifying the Tridosha. Joshi R. J Altern Comp Med. 2004;10;5;879-889.

Objective create an equation to quantify the three doshas Methods


280 subjects Add worth-coefficients to dosha characteristics Individual doshas predicted using equation Predictions compared to qualitative diagnosis

Results equation predicted correct dosha over 90%

Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and the tridosha theory. Kurup R, Kurup P. Intern J Neuroscience. 2003;113:657-681.

Objectives
Show that the three doshas represent different states of hemispheric dominance Show how hemispheric dominance relates to certain disease and psychological states

Methods
90 individuals aged 20-30 years divided into six groups
Right hemispheric dominance, left hemispheric dominance, and bihemispheric dominance The three doshas vata, pitta, kapha

Six factors were assessed in the individuals in each group


The isoprenoid pathway HMG CoA reductase, serum digoxin, dolichol and ubiquinone RBC Na+-K+ ATPase activity and serum magnesium Neurotransmitter patterns tryptophan, serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, tyrosine, quinolinic acid, strychnine, nicotine, and morphine

Factors continued
Serum lysosomal enzymes, total glycosaminoglycans (GAG) and different GAG fractions, glycolipids, and carbohydrate residues of glycoproteins Free radicals and scavenging enzymes RBC membrane composition

Serum digoxin and RBC Na+-K+ ATPase activity assessed in several disease states and psychiatric conditions (15 cases or individuals per condition) to find a correlation between tridosha and disease

Conclusions
Correlation between tridosha and hemispheric chemical dominance Link between doshas and predisposition to diseases and psychological states

Classification of human population based on Ayurvedic concept of Prakriti. Patwardhan B, Joshi K, Chopra A. J Altern Comp Med. 2005;11:349-353.

Objective assess relationship between prakriti and phenotype in a healthy population Methods
76 subjects DNA extracted and genes typed Prakriti assessed

Results frequency of certain alleles associated with vata and kapha, but pitta had no significant association with any alleles Conclusion correlation found, but need larger sample size

Conclusions
Evidence supporting/validating the tridosha theory of Ayurveda looks promising More research needs to be done to gather a larger body of evidence Additional research needs to be conducted in the area of Ayurvedic herbs
Biochemical, pharmacological, and toxological especially

Seattles Ayurvedic acadamy and clinic: http://www.ayurvedaonline.com/ Ayurvedic Institute: http://www.ayurveda.com

Online Resources

Questio ns?

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