AYURVEDA: Heart disease and Ayurveda: Ayurveda and Heart disease Heart disease is very common in this competitive stressful world. About 30 years back ‘Rheumatic heart dise...
Monday, November 21, 2011
Heart disease and Ayurveda
Ayurveda and Heart disease
Heart disease is very common in this competitive stressful world. About 30 years back ‘Rheumatic heart disease’ was more frequently seen due to the unhealthy living circumstances and poor socio economic status of the people globally. As the living condition has improved, the scenario has been changed and a merciless killer disease ‘ischemic heart disease’ dominates and it occurs more in younger generation.
The etiology like consumption of improper and high caloric diet, lack of physical exercises and stressful environment and predisposing factors like hypertension, LDL cholesterol deposition in blood vessels, infection of cardiac muscles etc causes heart diseases. Along with this Ayurveda point out one more reason, the suppression of natural urges like urination, defecation etc. causing hridroga.
Acharya Sushrutha, the father of surgery mentioned the etiology of hridroga thousands of years back in a more or less similar manner. Sushrutha samhita is the first among of medical texts to describe the types of heart disease and observes the main symptoms of it as circulatory defects and ‘hridsoola’ (cardiac pain, which is very relevant in this restless modern era.)
The causative factors of Ischemic Heart Disease, Myocardial Infarction and Pericarditis are the obstruction in the flow of blood that is ‘srotovaigunya’ which has been clearly emphasized by Acharya Sushrutha. So the aim of treatment should be to prevent the obstruction of blood flow. Comprehensive treatment in Ayurveda which includes medicines, specific food and suitable regime will help to achieve this.
The Terminalia Arjuna, and herbs like Comiphora mukul (guggulu) and Allium sativam (lasuna) are also very useful in atherosclerotic condition and it act as anti coagulant. Regular intake of Arjuna with milk will strengthen the heart muscles, guggulu and lasuna will dissolve the thrombus in heart vessels along with the intake of Inula racemosa (pushkaramoola) which acts as a coronary dilator.
Formulations such as rasonadi kashaya, parthalasunadi tablet, partharishta, gulguluthikthaka kashaya/ grutha, Arjuna ksheerapana, lasuna ksheerapana, shilajit etc which will reckon as a complimentary medicine along with present medication for a better prognosis. These medicines along with external and internal purification therapy can yield good result in cardiac patients.
In Kerala, the prevalence of cardio vascular disease is being increased dramatically due to the sedentary life style. Some of our traditional foods having proven hypo-lipidaemic activity have been noticeably decreased in our diets these days.
We can include the following items in our daily food regime that may help us to avoid bad cholesterol and atherosclerosis induced heart disease.
Allium sativam( lasuna), Dolicos biflonis (kulatha), Murraya koenigi (kalasaka), Allium cepa (palandu), Phaselous aurous (mudgam), Phaseolas mungo (masha) , Trigonella foenum (methi), Zingiber officinalis (ginger), Sesamum indicum (tilam) Emblica officianalis (amalaki), Ferula asafetida (hingu) etc.
Ayurveda believes in a holistic approach towards healing, which eliminates the root cause of the disease. Healthy diet, moderate exercise and managing the stress are the simple way to maintain your heart healthy.
Dr. Syyed Mohammed Jalaludheen MS (Ay), PhD (Ay)
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