A Closer Look at Ayurvedic Medicine

In India, about two-thirds of the people in rural areas use traditional medicine, such as Ayurveda, to help meet their primary health care needs.
© WHO/Pallava Bagla

Ayurvedic medicine, also called Ayurveda, is a whole medical system* that began in India and has evolved there over thousands of years. The word Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words--ayur, which means life, and veda, which means science or knowledge. Thus, the word Ayurveda means "the science of life."

In the United States, Ayurveda is considered complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Many therapies used in Ayurveda are also used on their own as CAM, such as herbs, massage, and yoga. NCCAM is supporting some research studies on Ayurvedic therapies.

What Is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a whole medical system that is based on various theories about health and illness and on ways to prevent, manage, or treat health problems. The aim in Ayurveda is to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit. This is believed to help prevent illness and promote wellness. Ayurveda also has treatments for specific health problems.

Ayurveda is based on ideas from Hinduism, one of the world's oldest and largest religions, and ancient Persian beliefs. In India, Ayurveda has long been the main system of health care, although conventional (Western) medicine is becoming more common there, especially in urban areas. Ayurveda and variations of it have been practiced for centuries in some other countries as well.

Looking at Health and Disease

Ayurveda has some basic beliefs about health and disease that might be described as follows:

People, their health, and the universe are all related. Health problems can result when these relationships are not in balance.
A person's constitution is called his prakriti. The prakriti is thought to be a unique combination of physical and psychological characteristics and the way the body functions. Three qualities called doshas form important aspects of the constitution and control the activities of the body. They are known as vata, pitta, and kapha in Sanskrit.

Every person has a unique balance of doshas, with one usually the most prominent. Each dosha tends to correspond with a certain body type and personality type, and a greater chance for certain types of health problems.
An imbalance in a dosha can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle or diet, too much or too little mental and physical activity, or not being properly protected from the weather, chemicals, or germs.

In Ayurveda, health and disease are believed to be related to the way a person's doshas are balanced, the state of his physical body, and mental or lifestyle factors.

Ayurvedic Treatment

In working with patients, an Ayurvedic practitioner uses various techniques, including questioning, observation, touch, advising, a treatment plan, and specific therapies. Patients are expected to be active participants in their treatment, because changes in diet, lifestyle, and habits are often required.

Ginger is a medicinal herb in Ayurveda.
© Ran Plett

The goals of Ayurvedic treatment are to:

Eliminate impurities. A process called panchakarma focuses on the digestive tract and the respiratory system.
Reduce symptoms. The practitioner may suggest treatment options such as:

Yoga
Stretching
Breathing exercises
Meditation
Herbs
Specific foods and diets
Tiny amounts of metal and/or mineral preparations
Hands-on therapy (such as massage of "vital points")
Lying in the sun

Reduce worry and increase harmony in one's life.
Help eliminate physical and psychological problems.

Practice in the United States

Practitioners of Ayurveda in the United States have various types of training. Some are trained in the Western medical tradition (such as medical or nursing school) and others in a whole medical system called naturopathic medicine, before or after they study Ayurveda. Many learn at one of India's many colleges for Ayurveda. Practitioners may differ as to which aspects of Ayurvedic practice they are trained in (for example, being trained in massage but not in preparing herbal treatments, and vice versa).

The United States does not have a national standard for certifying or training Ayurvedic practitioners. Some Ayurvedic professional organizations are collaborating to develop licensing requirements. Consumers should know that not all practitioners who offer services or treatments that are called "Ayurvedic" have been trained in an Ayurvedic medical school. (Services in spas and salons often fall into this category.) It is important to ask about a practitioner's training and experience.

Does Ayurveda Work?

Because Ayurveda includes many types of therapies and is used for many health concerns, answering this question is beyond the scope of this article. Very few rigorous, controlled scientific studies have been carried out on Ayurvedic practices. In India, the government began systematic research in 1969, and the work continues. You can check for any research findings either in the PubMed database or by contacting the NCCAM Clearinghouse.

Safety and Medications

Properly trained Ayurvedic medicine practitioners are taught the importance of using carefully prepared plant, metal, and mineral preparations to protect their patients. However, some Ayurvedic medications have been found to be adulterated with undesired materials and have the potential to be toxic. Many ingredients have not been thoroughly studied in either Western or Indian research.

In the United States, Ayurvedic medications are regulated as dietary supplements. Thus, they are not required to meet the rigorous standards for conventional medicines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received 12 reports of lead poisoning in 2004 that were linked to the use of Ayurvedic medications. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2004 found that out of 70 Ayurvedic remedies purchased over-the-counter (all were manufactured in South Asia), 14 (one-fifth) contained lead, mercury, and/or arsenic at levels that could be harmful.¹

Whenever two medications or more (whether Ayurvedic or not) are used together, they may interact in unexpected ways. For example, an Ayurvedic medication called guggul lipid may increase the activity of aspirin in the body, which could lead to bleeding problems.

If you are considering or using Ayurveda as CAM…

Discuss it with your regular health care provider. This is for your safety and a complete treatment plan.
Any diagnosis of a disease or condition should be made by a provider with substantial conventional medical training and experience managing that disease or condition.
Proven conventional treatments should not be replaced with an unproven CAM treatment.
Do not try to treat yourself. It is better to use Ayurvedic remedies under the supervision of an Ayurvedic medicine practitioner.
Ask about the practitioner's training and experience.

Reference

¹Saper RB, Kales SN, Paquin J, et al. Heavy metal content of Ayurvedic herbal medicine products. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2004;292(23):2868-2873.

Notes

* Whole medical systems are healing systems and beliefs that have evolved over time in different cultures and parts of the world.

This article is adapted from NCCAM's Backgrounder "What Is Ayurvedic Medicine?"

For More Information

NCCAM Clearinghouse
Offers publications, including NCCAM's "What Is Ayurvedic Medicine?", and database searches. The Clearinghouse does not give medical advice or referrals to practitioners.

PubMed®
An online service that lists citations to articles from scientific and medical journals

PubMed Web site: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez
CAM on PubMed (a subset of PubMed): nccam.nih.gov/research/camonpubmed

CRISP (Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects)
A searchable database of federally funded biomedical research projects, including those supported by NCCAM

CRISP Web site: crisp.cit.nih.gov

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