Ayurveda: A gift from the Ancient to the Modern

Ayurveda is a science of life with a holistic approach to health and personalized medicine. It is one of the oldest medical systems, which comprises thousands of medical concepts and hypotheses. It is known to be a complete medical system that comprises physical, psychological, philosophical, ethical, and spiritual health.

In Ayurveda, each cell is considered to be inherently an essential expression of pure intelligence hence called self-healing science. Ayurveda has had a great increase in popularity in the last two decades and many trained practitioners of western biomedicine are now putting its simple and profound system of understanding health and disease are known as tridosha, into practice. The concept of tridosha, the Ayurvedic theory of physiological regulation involves the integrated function of three doshas – vata (wind), pitta (gall), kapha (mucus). Its connection to modern science, showing that the doshas constitute a system of regulatory function, each with a particular area of responsibility. 

According to the World Health Organization, about 70 – 80% of the world population rely on nonconventional medicines mainly from herbal sources in their healthcare. In the modern era, the popularity of Ayurveda has increased several folds not only in India but abroad as well. More than two hundred universities throughout the world are now running the course of Ayurveda. In a recent research herbal medicines and their active photo chemicals were used against some viruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 pandemic, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), rhinoviruses, human herpes viruses, coxsackievirus, hepatitis-B virus, hepatitis C virus, influenza A/H1N1 virus, respiratory syncytial virus, were extensively reviewed. Given the possible benefits of herbal medicine for the prevention and control of viral infectious disease, they found that ayurvedic medicine can be used as an alternative and integrated approach to decrease morbidity and mortality and enhance the host immunity against COVID-19 attack. Public interest in the treatment with complementary and alternative medicine is mainly due to increased side effects in synthetic drugs, lack of curative treatment for several chronic diseases, high cost of new drugs, microbial resistance, and emerging diseases. India does not need to prove the validity of Ayurveda to its people, authorities, and its own scientific community because it is a recognized traditional medical system of the country.

Present And Future Aspects of Ayurveda
The Ayurvedic field is now on the way to achieving its earliest importance among humans as it had in the past and had lacked behind in its importance from the past few years. To regain this, The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), had released a notification that allowed the PG Ayurvedic practitioners to perform 58 kinds of various surgeries. Before this, they are allowed to perform only a few kinds of surgeries. Global “Ayurvedic Market” Research Report 2020-2026 has an overview and in-depth study on the current and future market of the ayurvedic industry”. “Global Ayurvedic Market was valued at US$ 4.5 Bn in 2017 and is expected to reach US$ 14.9Bn by 2026. The Indian herbal market accounts for almost US$ 1200Mn in terms of market value. In 2017 India exported the ayurvedic drugs estimated to be around US$ 65 Mn.

Ayurvedic Medicine and its Potentiality
Ayurvedic herbal medicines, like conventional medicines, may cause side effects, trigger allergic reactions, or interact with other medicines or herbs you are taking. Some ayurvedic medicines may contain high levels of heavy metals, which may be harmful to your body. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that the presence of metals in some Ayurvedic products makes them potentially harmful. A 2015 published survey of people who use Ayurvedic preparations showed that 40 percent had elevated blood levels of lead and some had elevated blood levels of mercury.

“Ayurveda is a sister

Philosophy to yoga. It is

The science of life or

Longevity and it teaches

About the power and the

Cycles of nature, as well

As the elements”.

Sreyas Manoj, Ashi Ramavat, Raafia Ansari, Pallavi Jha
B. Sc. MLT and B. Sc. CVT Students
First Semester, School of Healthcare

                                                             

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