What are the effects and side effects of Ayurvedic therapy

Ayurveda, as a traditional Indian holistic healing system that has been around for more than 5,000 years, has a clear effect on improving sub-health conditions caused by lifestyle adjustments. However, there are considerable safety risks when used as an alternative medical solution. There is still considerable controversy over its efficacy boundaries and safety in the academic community.

I have been exposed to Ayurveda for almost 6 years now. I first worked as an Internet operator and stayed up late all year round. I suffered from chronic fatigue and stubborn insomnia. After taking melatonin for half a year, the effect became worse and worse. A friend took me to experience the oil drop therapy (Shirodhara) in a formal institution. ), the warm herbal oil slowly dripped down the middle of my forehead. When I was doing it, I actually lay there and fell asleep. When I woke up, my whole body was as light as if a stone that had been pressed on my back for a long time had been removed. After that, I didn't toss and turn again for a week until two or three o'clock, and I fell asleep after lying down for half an hour. Later, I took a physical test with a teacher in the institution who holds the official Indian Ayurvedic doctor qualification. I am a typical pitta type. I am prone to getting angry, oral ulcers, and always anxious. The teacher did not prescribe any "magic medicine" for me. He just asked me to replace the two cups of iced Americano every day with warm coconut water, and eat less hot pot and skewers. It’s spicy. I took the time to do 15 minutes of abdominal breathing every week. After three months, the oral ulcers I always suffered from didn’t come to my door anymore. My sister who has polycystic cysts also followed the gynecologist’s advice and cooperated with Ayurveda’s work and rest adjustments and mild herbal remedies. After half a year, the problem of my aunt’s disapproval has also been alleviated a lot.

But these effects are all based on the premise of "taking Ayurveda as a modern medical supplement". If you really believe the propaganda that it can cure cancer and diabetes, you will only suffer the loss. Last year, I met an aunt in the endocrinology department of a local tertiary hospital. I heard the people at the health center said that Ayurvedic herbal pills can cure diabetes. She secretly stopped taking anti-diabetic drugs and only took the herbal pills from an unknown source. She went to the emergency room for ketoacidosis for half a month. After checking, I found out that the pills not only secretly added an overdose of western anti-diabetic drugs, but also contained heavy metal lead three times higher than the legal limit. I myself have been in the trap of Yeluzi practitioners before. When I first came into contact with him, I met a "healer" who couldn't even distinguish the three basic constitutions of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. He told me that there was "accumulation of toxins" in my body and that I had to fast for 7 days to detoxify. I was only allowed to drink his formula. After taking the herbal water, I fainted due to hypoglycemia on the third day. Later I learned that people with weak qi and blood are not suitable for long-term fasting. Formal detoxification programs are customized according to personal constitution. Even the formula of oil is different. Not everyone has the same process.

The current attitude of the academic community towards Ayurveda is actually quite divided. Most of the researchers who support it recognize its overall healing logic, which is somewhat similar to the syndrome differentiation and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine. If you don’t have a headache, you will not be treated for head and foot pain. For example, if you have insomnia, you will not be directly prescribed a sleep aid. Instead, you will first find out whether it is caused by too stimulating diet, disordered work and rest, or high emotional stress. Adjusting your lifestyle from the root cause can indeed provide new adjustment ideas for functional problems for which modern medicine currently has no good solution. But the opposition is also justified: the vast majority of Ayurvedic treatments do not have enough evidence-based medical evidence to support their efficacy. Many herbal preparations have not undergone standardized pharmacological and toxicological testing. The ingredients of herbal medicines formulated by different origins and manufacturers are very different. For example, many Ayurvedic products previously reported by the FDA have the problem of excessive heavy metals. Long-term use can easily damage the liver and kidneys. There are also a large number of unqualified practitioners who prescribe random plans and mislead patients to give up regular treatment. These are real safety risks.

To be honest, I still go for oil therapy regularly to relax, and when the seasons change, I also take some regular brand Trichosanthes (a classic herbal formula from Ayurveda) to regulate my stomach, but I never dare to use it as a substitute for regular physical examination and treatment. If any organic problem is discovered, I will definitely go to the hospital as soon as possible. For ordinary people, just think of it as an auxiliary option to adjust your lifestyle. There is no need to boast about it, and there is no need to beat it to death with a stick. As long as you don’t have unrealistic illusions and find a regular practitioner, there is a high probability that you will not step into any big pitfalls.