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Other common
name(s): Ayurvedic medicine
Scientific/medical
name(s): none
Description
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian system of medicine. It follows
an integrated approach to the prevention and treatment of illness and
tries to maintain or reestablish harmony between the mind, body, and
forces of nature. It combines a number of approaches, such as changes
in lifestyle, herbal remedies, exercise, and meditation, to strengthen
and purify the body and mind and increase spiritual awareness.
Overview
Ayurveda is one of several ancient Asian healing systems that
have recently gained popularity in the West. While the effectiveness of
many aspects of Ayurveda has not been scientifically proven, early
research suggests certain components may offer potential therapeutic
value.
How is it promoted for use?
A central idea in Ayurveda is that illness results when a
person's physical, emotional, and spiritual forces are out of balance
with each other and with the natural environment. Those who practice
Ayurveda claim that certain combinations of methods, matched to a
patient's unique physical and emotional needs and personal medical
history, increase physical vitality, foster spiritual well-being, bring
people into harmony with the world, and even prevent and cure disease.
According to Ayurvedic theory, all diseases and other health
problems result from imbalances in the body's fundamental forces and
disharmony with the natural environment. One of the primary goals of
Ayurveda is to restore this balance and invigorate the body's
biological and spiritual forces. Practitioners of Ayurveda use a
combination of therapies to restore physical and spiritual harmony by
balancing energy forces.
What does it involve?
Practitioners of Ayurveda may combine dietary programs, herbal
remedies, intestinal cleansing preparations, yoga, meditation, massage,
breathing exercises, and visual imagery to treat their patients.
Ayurvedic herbal preparations often consist of complex mixtures of
plants. An estimated 1,250 plants are used by practitioners. Some of
the more controversial and less common practices of Ayurveda include
bloodletting, bowel purging, and inducing vomiting.
To diagnose illness, Ayurveda practitioners closely observe a
patient's tongue, nails, lips, and the body's 9 "doors": the 2 eyes, 2
ears, 2 nostrils, mouth, genitalia, and anus. They also listen
carefully to the lungs and observe the pulse at length, then take a
detailed history of the patient's life and health. Through these
observations, practitioners claim to evaluate a patient's doshas, or
primary life forces.
According to Ayurveda practitioners, balancing a person's
doshas not only enables the various organs of the body to work
together, it also establishes a person's connection to the environment
and the cosmos. Practitioners claim each person is dominated by one of
three doshas, but is influenced to some extent by all three. The
dominant dosha describes an individual's physical, emotional, and
spiritual characteristics as well as his or her daily habits and
lifestyle.
When planning a course of treatment, Ayurveda practitioners
take into account the state of a patient's doshas and the complex
relationship between the doshas and other factors such as emotions,
illness, physical activity, lifestyle, diet, relationships with other
people, and even the four seasons, colors, and the time of day.
Practitioners strive to harmonize all of these factors so that their
patients can attain health and well-being.
What is the history behind it?
Ayurveda is thought to have appeared in India more than 5,000
years ago. It emerged from an ancient body of knowledge called the
Vedas. In fact, veda
is the Sanskrit word for knowledge. From these Vedas, India developed
its moral, religious, cultural, and medical codes. Many of the beliefs
and practices of Ayurveda are similar to those of ancient Chinese
medicine.
In India today, Ayurveda practitioners are trained in
state-recognized programs. Some of these practitioners are now
practicing and teaching Ayurveda in the United States. There are
several Ayurvedic clinics in North America.
What is the evidence?
Although Ayurveda has been largely untested by Western
researchers, there is a growing interest in integrating some parts of
the system into modern medical practice. Some early studies suggest
Ayurveda may have potential therapeutic value.
According to a report of a panel convened by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), one clinical study showed that in 79% of
cases, the health of patients with various chronic diseases improved
measurably after Ayurvedic treatment. Laboratory and clinical studies
have suggested that some Ayurvedic herbal preparations may have the
potential to prevent and treat certain types of cancer, including
breast, lung, and colon cancer. Randomized clinical trials in humans
are needed to make conclusions about the role of Ayurveda in cancer
prevention and treatment. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has added
several Ayurvedic herbal compounds to its list of potential cancer
treatment agents and has funded a series of laboratory studies to
evaluate 2 Ayurvedic herbal remedies (called MAK-4 and MAK-5). The
decision to fund the further research was based on preliminary
laboratory studies indicating that the 2 medicines significantly
inhibited growth of cancer cells taken from human and rat tumors. To
date, there are no reports of tests of these 2 herbal remedies in
humans.
In a controlled clinical trial of cancer patients in India,
researchers found an Ayurvedic herbal mixture was just as effective as
a conventional laxative for relieving constipation caused by opioid
pain medicine. In another controlled clinical trial, Ayurveda was found
to be an effective treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease.
Many other individual herbs and spices used in Ayurveda are being
studied in the laboratory or in animals. Some are already being tested
in human clinical trials to find out if they can be used to treat or
prevent cancer. (For more information, see individual documents, such
as Turmeric,
Garlic, Gotu Kola)
Are there any possible problems or
complications?
These
substances may have not been thoroughly tested to find out how they
interact with medicines, foods, or dietary supplements. Even though
some reports of interactions and harmful effects may be published, full
studies of interactions and effects are not often available. Because of
these limitations, any information on ill effects and interactions
below should be considered incomplete.
Some aspects of Ayurveda, such as bloodletting and inducing
vomiting, can be harmful. Many people with cancer already have low
blood cell counts as a result of the disease itself, and removing
additional blood can worsen fatigue and other symptoms. Inducing
vomiting can cause imbalances of electrolytes (salt and minerals) in
the blood. In addition, the potential interactions between Ayurvedic
herbal preparations and conventional drugs and other herbs should be
taken into consideration. Some of these combinations may be dangerous.
Always tell your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs you are taking.
Ayurveda should be delivered by a trained therapist.
There have been reports of contamination with lead, mercury,
and arsenic in some Ayurvedic herbal preparations sold in U.S. markets.
Several cases of lead poisoning occurred between 2000 and 2003, with
patients suffering nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and/or anemia.
Relying on this type of treatment alone and delaying or
avoiding conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health
consequences.
Additional Resources
More information from your American Cancer
Society
The following information on complementary and alternative
therapies may also be helpful to you. These materials may be found on
our Web site (www.cancer.org)
or ordered from our toll-free number (1-800-ACS-2345).
References
Aggarwal BB, Ichikawa H, Garodia P, Weerasinghe P, Sethi G,
Bhatt ID, Pandey MK, Shishodia S, Nair MG. From traditional Ayurvedic
medicine to modern medicine: identification of therapeutic targets for
suppression of inflammation and cancer. Expert Opin Ther Targets.
2006;10:87-118.
An alternative medicine treatment for Parkinson's disease:
results of a multicenter clinical trial. HP-200 in Parkinson's Disease
Study Group. J Altern
Complement Med. 1995;1:249-255.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead Poisoning
Associated with Ayurvedic Medications --- Five States, 2000--2003.
MMWR. 2004;53:582-584.
Dev S. Ancient-modern concordance in Ayurvedic plants: some examples. Environ Health Perspect.
1999;107:783-789.
National Institutes of Health. Alternative Medicine: Expanding
Medical Horizons: A Report to the National Institutes of Health on
Alternative Medical Systems and Practices in the United States.
Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 1994. NIH publication
94-066.
Ramesh PR, Kumar KS, Rajagopal MR, Balachandran P, Warrier PK.
Managing morphine-induced constipation: a controlled comparison of an
Ayurvedic formulation and senna. J
Pain Symptom Manage. 1998;16:240-244.
Saper RB, Kales SN, Paquin J, Burns MJ, Eisenberg DM, Davis
RB, Phillips RS. Heavy metal content of ayurvedic herbal medicine
products. JAMA. 2004;292:2868-2873.
Thatte UM, Rege NN, Phatak SD, Dahanukar SA. The flip side of ayurveda.
J Postgrad Med.
1993;39:179-182.
Note: This information may not cover
all possible claims, uses, actions, precautions, side effects or
interactions. It is not intended as medical advice, and should not be
relied upon as a substitute for consultation with your doctor, who is
familiar with your medical situation.
Last Medical Review: 11/01/2008
Last Revised: 11/01/2008
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