Hello!  It’s Jeff again from the Self Help Tips Blog.

Today we will discuss several different aspects of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda, also called Ayurvedic Medicine, is a system of medicine that originated in India approximately 5000 years ago. The word Ayurveda combines two Sanskrit words ayur, which means "life", and veda, which means "science". Thus Ayurveda means "the science of life".

Ayurveda is considered to be a "holistic" medical system because it is a whole medical system ,treating the mind, body and spirit. This balance is considered necessary for good health and happiness. Ayurveda’s main goal is to cleanse the body of substances that cause disease. By cleansing the body of toxins, the balance and harmony that is necessary for good health is re-established.

Ayurveda has long been the main health care system of India. Approximately 70% of the population live in rural areas, and approximately two-thirds of these rely on plants and herbs for their health care needs. Most major cities have an Ayurvedic college and hospital. There are 587,536 traditional medical practitioners, 2,860 hospital providing Ayurvedic treatment, and 22,100 dispensaries for traditional medicine in India. Today, over 500 million people rely only on Ayurveda. Variations on Ayurveda have been practiced for centuries in Sri Lanka, Tibet, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Ayurvedic practitioners often have different types of training. Some have been trained in traditional Western medicine before being trained in Ayurvedic medicine. Others have been trained in naturopathic medicine, before or after being trained in Ayurveda. India has over 150 undergraduate colleges and over 30 postgraduate colleges for Ayurvedic medicine.

Food and diet are important parts of Ayurveda. There is a heavy reliance on herbs, plants, oils, common spices and other naturally occurring substances. In the pharmacy of Ayurveda, there are over 5,000 products. Plant compounds are often grouped into categories based on their effects. Some compounds relieve pain, promote vitality or promote healing.

Some commonly used herbs are the spice turmeric, which has been used in treating Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and healing injuries. The essential oil from Holy Basil has been used to treat depression and mental stress.

India possesses 16 agro-climate zones, 45,000 different plant species, and 15,000 medicinal plants. As a result, the Indian government regulates the practice of Ayurveda. The first step was the passage of the Central Council of Indian Medicine Act of 1970. This Council mandates standards of training and education in traditional medicine, advises the government in matters related to the recognition/withdrawal of medical qualifications in traditional medicine.

Because it is new to many of us in the western hemisphere, it is important to remember that Ayurveda is an ancient medical tradition that has a history dating back some 5,000 years. It is widely practiced in India and in some form in adjacent nations. It may be best used as preventative medicine, preventing conditions from occurring.  Contact a licensed physician for serious ongoing medical conditions.