Indian traditional ayurvedic

ststem of medicine and

nutritional supplementation
Environment and public health
Submitted by -
.
Group 14

Arya

Yashaswini H N
 Ayurvedic system of medicine :-
Ayurveda deals with different types of Plant products , anatomy and physiology of different organs of the body
and principle of treatment.

● Charaka sambita is the oldest text of ayurveda containing information about 341 different types of
medicinal plants and plant products.
● Sushrutha Samhita introduced surgery in ayurveda in 600 B.C .

Ayurveda consists of 3 fundamental principles :

1 . Panchamabhuta – Every substance is a combination of five siddhantha. Namely earth , fire , water, air
and sky . All these are in perfect balance , but when the balance is disturbed unhealthy condition arises.

2. Tridosh theory – Panchamabhuta represents 3 doshas namely Vatta , Pitta , Kapha . Health inidicates
balance of tridosha .

3 . Panchasheela theory - Human body is made up of 7 basic body tissue . Namely – Rasa (plasma ) Rakta
(Blood) , Mamsa (muscle) , Meda(fat) , Asthi (bone) , Maja (bone marrow | Nervetissue) , Shukra
(reproductive fluid)
 Use of different medicinal herbs in ayurveda for treatment
• India has a vast majority of medicinal plants that are used in traditional medical treatments.
• The alternative medicines in the traditional systems are derived from herbs, minerals, and
organic matter, while for the preparation of herbal drugs only medicinal plants are used.
• Use of plants as a source of medicine has been an ancient practice and is an important
component of the health care system in India

Some common medicinal plants and their primary use in traditional medicine.
Shigru, Horseradish tree It contains “Pterygospermin,” an antibiotic-like substance.

Shigru, Horseradish tree It contains Gurmarin, a polypeptide considered to be similar to bovine insulin, and has
[Moringa pterygosperma a strong sugar regulating effect by suppressing the neural responses to sweet taste
stimuli.
Gaertn]

Kiwanch [Mucuna pruriens In the Ayurvedic system it is reported as an effective tonic for nervous system
Baker]

Ashwagandha [ Withania It has been used for thousands of years as a popular remedy in Ayurvedic systems for
somnifera (L.) Dunal] many conditions. It is one of the best health tonics and restorative agents that have
been used to treat general debility.

Sunthi, Ginger [Zingiber Ginger is considered an adjuvant in many Ayurvedic formulas in which it enhances
officinale Rosc] absorption and prevents gastrointestinal side effects. It is a very common spice which
is used in Ayurvedic medicine to improve digestion and to prevent nausea
 Use of alternative or traditional medicines

• Alternative medicines are being used by about 60 percent of the world’s population.
• These medicines are not only used by the rural masses for their primary health care in
developing countries but are also used in developed countries
• In India, about 70 percent of rural population depends on the traditional Ayurvedic system of
medicine. Most healers/practitioners of the traditional systems of medicine prepare
formulations by their own recipes and dispense to the patients.
• In the Western countries, approximately 40 per cent of people are using the herbal medicine
for the treatment of various diseases.
• This interest in traditional medicines is growing rapidly due to the attention being given to it
as well as the increased side effects, adverse drug reactions, and cost factor of the modern
medicines.
• More than 1.5 million practitioners are using the traditional medicinal system for health care
in India. It is estimated that more than 7800 manufacturing units are involved in the
production of natural health products and traditional plant-based formulations.
• More than 1500 herbals are sold as dietary supplements or ethnic traditional medicines.
• Alternative medicines are being used by those people who do not use or cannot be helped
by conventional medicinal system
 Reasons leading to increase in practice of
traditional medicine
● Among wealthier populations in both developed and developing countries, complementary and
alternative practices are popular.
● Evidence-based research in Ayurveda is receiving larger acceptanced in India and abroad .
● The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has been inaugurated for
scientific research in this arena of medicine. Its mission is to explore complementary and
alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, sophisticated research, train
researchers, and explain the scientific linkings underlying the discoveries.
● Economic factors influence user behavior. Social, cultural, and medical reasons account for most of
the appeal of traditional Evidence-Based Alternative Medicine approaches.
● one study showed that financial factors ranked behind such reasons as confidence in the treatment,
ease of access, and convenience, in the choice of a traditional healer.
● Another common misconception is that the poor are more likely to use traditional medicine, but
this is not always true. Nowadays people seek traditional medicine because they believe the side
effects will be lower
 . Herbal Medicines in Dietary Supplemention
• Nutrition is fundamentally required and the risk factors associated to imbalance in nutritionl

leads to adverse outcomes.

• A certain section of the population consumes diet which does not provide sufficient calories, let
alone sufficient nutrients. . On the other hand, there is a huge population that is nourished in calorie
intake but not in terms of nutrient intake.
• While the intake of calorie-rich foods may be high, micronutrient-rich foods are being consumed in
low proportions.
• Hence, the requirement of external intervention, that can supplement diet to help prevent nutrition-
related disorders and promote wellness over treatment of various diseases, has become a
necessity.
• such products are known as Nutraceuticals.
• A nutraceutical is a food or food component that claims to have health benefits, including treatment
and prevention of disease.
• Nutraceuticals, an emerging concept, can be broadly categorized as products which are extracted
from natural sources (nature-like) or manufactured synthetically (man-made), which supplement the
diet to provide nutrition over and above regular food and help prevent nutrition-related disorders.
• Theoretically, the appeal of nutraceuticals is to accomplish treatment goals without side effects.
• Dietary supplements and herbal remedies are popular complementary or alternative products for people.
• These are the supplements that are intended to supplement the diet and contain one or more dietary
ingredients (including vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and other substances) or
their constituents.
• The supplements may range from isolated nutrients, dietary supplements, and diets to genetically engineered
“designer” foods, herbal products, and processed foods such as cereals, soups, and beverages.
• These botanicals are sold in many forms as fresh or dried products, liquid or solid extracts, tablets, capsules,
powders, tea bags, and so forth. For example, fresh ginger root is often used in various food stores; dried
ginger root is sold packaged in tea bags, capsules, and liquid preparations made from ginger root.
• A particular group of chemicals or a single chemical may be isolated from a botanical and sold as a dietary
supplement, usually in tablet or capsule form. An example is phytoestrogens from soy products
• Supplements provide nutrients that are missing or are not consumed in sufficient quantity in a person’s diet,
that is, vitamin supplements, mineral supplements, macronutrients, antioxidants, tonics, herbal formulations
like Chyawanprash, Musli pak, Ashwagandhadi leh, and nonherbal products like cod liver oil.
 Conclusion
● Although some uncertainty exists about the safety, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of traditional or ayurvedic
medicinal methods, expanding their use, where reasonable evidence of their effectiveness and good evidence of their
safety exists, might yield health, social, and economic benefits
● For example, improving the information and services provided in local pharmacies, that are the primary source of
treatment for many ailments in rural areas, might serve as an effective substitute for allowing unregulated use of
conventional medical treatment.
● However, more evidence is needed before traditional approaches can be broadly integrated into national health
systems for diseases for which they have promise.
● Also, numerous nutraceutical combinations have entered the international market through exploration of
ethnopharmacological claims made by different traditional practices.
● Ninety percent of the daily diet should be made up of nutrient rich plant foods, whose calories are accompanied by
health-promoting phytochemicals, vegetables, fresh fruits, beans and legumes, raw nuts, seeds, and avocados, starchy
vegetables, and whole grains.
● These foods or nutraceuticals construct a health-promoting, disease-preventing diet with protective substances. The
rich nutrient food intake will provide maximum protection against not only infections, asthma, and allergies but also
against heart disease and cancer in adulthood.
Thank you !