Is Ayurveda magical?

Ayurveda does not have the "very miraculous" magical effects reported online. It is a traditional alternative medicine system that originated in ancient India. It has its own applicable boundaries. It has accumulated practical experience for thousands of years, and there are also many controversial points that have not yet been verified.

A few years ago, I stayed with a local registered Ayurvedic doctor in Kerala, India, for more than three months, and I saw many real and effective cases with my own eyes: A Chinese girl who worked in foreign trade in the local area suffered from chronic eczema for more than three years. She went to the top three dermatologists in the country and could only temporarily suppress it. She would relapse whenever she stayed up late and ate spicy food. Later, the doctor adjusted her diet (completely stopping her favorite hot fruits such as mango and durian), and applied herbal ointment with turmeric and myrobalan every day. After more than five months of persistence, the red and oozing rash on her calf was basically gone. As long as she doesn't eat randomly, it will basically not reoccur. There is also an uncle who has been troubled by irritable bowel syndrome all year round. After several colonoscopy tests, there were no organic problems. He followed the 21-day Pachikarma cleansing therapy and followed the dietary requirements corresponding to his body constitution. He used to suffer from flatulence and acid reflux three or four times a week, but later he did not have to suffer from it once in two or three months.

But I have also seen many people who were deceived by the "miraculous therapy" gimmick. An aunt heard from a health center that Ayurvedic detoxification can cure high blood pressure. She stopped the antihypertensive medicine she had been taking for five or six years and went for a so-called "oil therapy detoxification" for a week. In the end, she became dizzy and fell and was sent to the emergency room. Her blood pressure soared to over 180, which is very dangerous.

In fact, the core logic of Ayurveda is somewhat similar to the overall view of our traditional Chinese medicine. It divides people into three types of constitution: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. It emphasizes the balance between man and nature, and the body and mind. Many conditioning methods are based on adjusting living habits. It can indeed have a good conditioning effect on functional problems that are strongly related to work, rest, and diet, but it has never been a magic medicine that can cure all diseases.

Nowadays, in order to make quick money, many businesses are packaging Ayurveda as a divine therapy that can whiten and resist aging, cure diabetes, and even cure cancer. Many practitioners can't even figure out how to distinguish the three body types. They just take some unknown herbs and dare to take them orally. There have been reports before that some people suffered acute liver damage after drinking the so-called "detoxifying herbal juice".

To put it bluntly, there is no 100% miraculous treatment. Whether it is traditional medicine or modern medicine, each has its own scope of application. If you just want to adjust your work and rest and improve your sub-health status, it is okay to try it with a registered Ayurveda practitioner. But if you really have a clear organic disease, you still have to go to a regular hospital to find a specialist. Don't believe those exaggerated propaganda and make fun of your own body.