AYURVEDA IS NOT HERBAL THERAPY

Dr.RemyaKrishnan MD ( Ayu) PhD Associate Professor& HOD, Dept of Dravyagunavijnan

MYTHS Ayurveda is an open cookbook Medicine Empirical use of medicinal plants as part of

different traditions, culture and practices is Ayurveda .

Any use of single drugs or formulations is Ayurveda .

Those who practice with medicines are all Ayurvedic physicians.

MYTHS & FACTS ABOUT AYURVEDA

TRUTHS Ayurveda incorporates “ Science based

Medicine” and not “ Medicine Based Science “. There are specific indications and

contraindications for mode of use as well as use of medicines in different situations .

Ayurveda incorporates specific scientific principles, guidelines and protocols in Diagnostics, Applied Pharmacology and Medicine .

It emphasises upon “HOW TO CHOOSE “ a therapy more than ‘WHAT TO CHOOSE “.

Treatment Principle Oriented Approach(TPOA) of use of therapies is advocated in this science .

Hence “This medicine – That disease “ employment of medicinal plants is irrational & UNSCIENTIFIC in Ayurveda.

Ayurveda targets at intended effect (health) and not mere some “benefits outweighing risks”

FACTS

Tradition is that which is blindly followed by different generations irrespective of their risks, benefits and without any scientific basis .

Tradition therapies possess uncertainity factor in effects.

Owing to the reasons mentioned before , Ayurveda is neither tradition nor culture, but rather SCIENCE .

Those practices like postpartum package care and Karkkitaka therapies performed in Kerala are some examples of tradition .

AYURVEDA NOT TRADITION

“ jagathyevam anaushadham “-All plants are medicinal ----BUT NOT IN ALL SITUATIONS”.

The factors which chiefly determine the medicinal effect are :a.Yukti – Upaya – Science based rationale for the choice of the drug in specific .

b. Artha – Prayojana- Utility of the drug as mentioned by the science

Ayurveda is not Herbal Medicine because it has Science Based Evidence to guide Applied Medicine .

The public many times are misled that Ayurveda is tradition and culture .

Hence they use medicinal plants without any appropriate medical guidance just either because ,”many are doing this way ” or “we have been doing this way for years “

Manytimes, this end up in fatal health hazards .

EMPIRICAL USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS IS NOT AYURVEDA

To provide discriminative knowledge between Traditional medicine and Science Based Medicine.

To promote public awareness regarding the potential risks and dangers by irrational use of medicinal plants in health care .

To promote the rational use of medicinal plants as First Aid .

To clarify the suspicions regarding the use of medicinal plants

OBJECTIVE OF THIS PRESENTATION

When you use even the most common medicinal plants in your house yard , you need to be cautious about the situation which necessitated their use .

Common cold with fever , insect bites , acute trauma /wounds , acute vomiting / diarrhoea, bleeding from fresh wounds etc are some indications of First Aid .

Do not use the medicinal plants in any situations unless you are accurately directed by medical practitioner.

FIRST AID USE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS

There will be abnormal secretions from nose which could be white , yellow or green depending on the grade of infection.

Fever may or may not be associated . Lack of appetite, excessive tiredness , head

ache and lack of enthusiasm are mostly present .

Cough (productive / dry) may be present .

Acute Respiratory Infection

Best medicated water in ARI

Start the medicated water at the earliest – Good for prevention and cure .

Avoid any other ingredients in this water . Inclusion of other herbs would make this

combination unscientific and action unpredictable.

Drink this preferably hot in every hour little by little

Evidence based Medicated water

Medicated coffee

Chukku- 1 piece crushedMalli- 1 tsp , whole malliKaruppetti Pepper – ¼ tsp+coffee Boil in water for some time and filter it

Avoid Tulsi in coffee as it is not ideal for all individuals.

Tulsi could aggravate body temperature in certain types of fever and can also fast precipitate haemorrhage in those with bleeding tendency .

These drugs facilitate metabolism of pyrogens and toxins released by the pyrogens and ensures effective drainage of them through circulation .

Avoid Tulsi

ONLY COMPATIBLE FOODS IN FEVER

THESE FOODS ARE DANGEROUS !!!!

FIRST AID MEDICINE FOR ARI ( fever&cold)

15gms 10gms 5gms

Boil in 4 glasses of water , reduce to 1 glass and 1/3 glass to be taken thrice in empty stomach

Observing accurate scientific diet , medicated water and regimen along with is important .

Do not interfere this evidence based First Aid by any other kinds of medications, both internal and external.

First Aid does not mean treatment , hence it is compulsory to seek help from Ayurveda medical practitioner , if recovery is not attained in two days.

Monitor for two days

SIGNS OF FEVER RECOVERY

Most commonly due to infections/inflammation in GIT or as an independent disease.

Fever may or may not be associated . Could lead to severe dehydration and

electrolyte imbalance, if not properly attended.

Could lead to malnutrition in chronic cases . The cause is to be reversed not just

symptoms.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

The intrinsic cause of the disease could be identified by a science based practitioner of Ayurveda and hence seeking medical help is important.

But first aid medicated water ( Ayurvedic ORS) should be started at the earliest.

The ingredients of Ayurvedic ORS not only checks the abnormal secretory activity, but also improves digestion , metabolism and fast restores the electrolyte imbalance .

First Aid in Diarrhoea& Vomiting

AYURVEDIC ORS Malaru + jeera

( 3 parts + 1 part )

First Aid Medicine for Diarrhoea

Boil in four glasses of water and reduce to 1 glass , take small doses frequently and finish one glass in 24 hours.Drink Ayurvedic ORS in small doses frequently

Do not use lemon tea in diarrhoea . Avoid using tender coconut, fruit juices,

unboiled water and all other health drinks . Avoid milk and milk products because if the

cause is infective/inflammatory, all these could aggravate the cause.

Stick to rice gruel + cooked green gram with sufficient salt and pepper for 48 hours and monitor the changes in your body

Seek medical help if not subsiding

Follow scientific diet& regimen

Wash the wound thoroughly with clean water

Dry and sprinkle turmeric powder abundantly over the wound .

Bleeding will stop fast and healing is also facilitated.

Turmeric could be used for bandaging in insect bites also .

Fresh wound and bleeding

Growing medicinal plants like, Guduchi Neem, Amalaki , Vasa ( Adalodaka ), Punarnava , Moringa, Bhoonimba , Kirathatiktha , Vacha, Brahmi , Kumari, Haridra, Maricha, Kaidarya etc will help to conserve these rich medicinal plant resources.

It will also help to purify the environment . But self use of them in both health

maintenance and curative aspects could invite potential health hazards.

Growing medicinal plants

All these drugs are medicinal do not mean that they are the pertinent for you .

The medicine for a situation is purely determined by Science based evaluation and appraisal of patient, disease and treatment guidelines which is done by science based practitioners of Ayurveda.

Grandma’s medicine recipees or Tribal Medicine do not have established scientific basis which clearly demarcates them from Ayurveda.

Wide irrational use of herbs is reported in South India as South India is abundantly rich in medicinal plants .

Self use and quack use is widely reported for conditions like fever, gall stones, kidney stones, Haemorrhoids , Jaundice, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, Diabetes Mellitus, pregnancy and postpartum care , health care as part of traditions , skin diseases etc.

More badly such kind of irrational use is seen encouraged by many qualified Ayurvedic practitioners also which gravely mislead the public and the users.

Irrational herbal use today

Ensure that you are using it under Ayurvedic medical supervision.

Single drugs are very potent unlike formulations and unless they are cautiously used, might cause potent health hazards.

Never stick to any single drug therapy for more than three days, unless it is medically supervised.

If you get any specific undesirable effect , then report the matter to doctor urgently .

While using medicinal plants

Good for practice in every day at health

Shashtika

Green gram

Rakthasali

Rock salt Amalaki

Yava

Cow’s ghee

Bad for practice in every day at health

Paneer BeefPork

Fish Curd Black

gram

Rational use of herbs is only scientific

“Oushadham hyanavijnatham namaroopagunaishthribhihi Vijnatham chaapi duryuktham anarthayopapadyathe Yogadapi visham theekshnam uttamam bheshajam bhavet Bheshajam chaapi duryuktham theekshnam sampadyathe

visham Tasmaat na bhishajaa yuktham yukthibahyena bheshajam ”

( Cha. Su. 1 )