The aspect of preventive medicine is mainly based upon the intake of competed food stuffs. Ayurveda is the pioneer system to give due place to this branch. The author discusses in this paper the human dietetics from tho view point of physical and social hygiene by deeply thinking of surrounding environmental and social conditions.
'Arogyappacha' (Trichopus zeylanicus) found endemic to Agastyar hills of Kerala is used by the local 'kani' tribe as a health food for getting instant stamina, ever green health and vitality. The tonic effect of this plants is comparable to that of the famous health food/drug 'Ginseng'. A critical survey of the Ayurveda classics, suggests that the 'Arogyappacha' may be the divine 'Varahi'described by sushruta. Chemical and Pharmacological evaluation of the plant have been initiated.
Nutrition plays a very vital role in our life. Yoga and Ayurveda had laid down the foundations of dietetics. The valuable guidelines regarding various food articles and diet for Yoga Sadhaka, to achieve maximum benefits, are given in traditional yoga texts like Hatha Pradipika and Gheranda Samhitha. Now is the time to evaluate the place of nutrition in Yoga and to study how the dietetic principles in yoga will help to eradicate the national problem of Mal-nutrition and poverty which is the pressing need of the moment.
The principles of Ayurveda can be used to elucidate the medicinal properties of new food stuff or medicinal substance. This point is proved with the example of custard.
Ayurveda, practised in India, identified a large number of plant components to be used in the diet for the prevention or the delayed development of degenerative disorders. They include some of the commonly used spices, namely pepper and ginger. The Materia Medica includes both naturally occurring and artificially produced salts, as a partial substitute for common salt. Health promoting herbs and spices which are classified pharmacologically as rejuvenating, nourishing, invigorating, cleansing, wound-healing, etc., are used as food additives.
Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids
In traditional medicine, Ayurveda, several spices and herbs are held to possess medicinal properties. Earlier we have reported that extracts from several spices, including turmeric, inhibit platelet aggregation and modulate eicosanoid biosynthesis. Due to their eicosanoid-modulating property, it was suggested that the spices may serve to provide clues to drugs directed to arachidonic acid (AA) pathway enzymes as pharmacological targets. Curcumin, a major component of turmeric, inhibited platelet aggregation induced by arachidonate, adrenaline and collagen.
Food is given great importance in Ayurveda. Dietetics is a pre-requisite to leading a healthy life. The author outlines the significance of this point in the article.
Ayurveda is considered to be the traditional science of health in India and is based on the principle of subjectivity. All matter is composed of five basic elements, which can be perceived by the five sense organs. All food and drugs are classified according to their pharmacological properties, which are derived from these five elements. To investigate which Ayurvedic plants might have cytostatic activity, an Ayurvedic model for the pathogenesis of cancer was made. Based on this, selection criteria were formed, that were used to select plants from a list of Ayurvedic herbal drugs.
Pharmacological and metabolic effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera L. (Solanaceae)) used in Ayurveda as a herbal tonic and health food were studied. Ashwagandha was shown to increase swimming time in rats in physical working capacity test, i.e. rats swimming endurance test. Significant increase in relative heart weight and glycogen content in myocardium and liver was also observed in ashwagandha treated group. Ashwagandha treatment increased the duration of contractility in functional test for the resistance of frog heart muscle towards the toxic action of strophanthin-K.
CONTEXT: Ayurveda, the traditional system of healthcare in India, has many remedies for Osteoarthritis (OA). One of the ingredients most commonly found in Ayurvedic arthritis formulas is guggul, an oleoresin of the herb Commiphora mukul (CM). The authors have conducted both preclinical and clinical investigations of guggul for reduction of pain, stiffness, and improved function, and to determine tolerability in older patients with a diagnosis of OA of the knee. METHODS: The study was conducted using an outcome, quasi-experimental, model.
