Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system remains the most ancient yet living traditions with sound philosophical and experimental basis.
It is a science of life with a holistic approach to health and personalized medicine. It is known to be a complete medical system that comprised physical, psychological, philosophical, ethical, and spiritual health.
In Ayurveda, each cell is considered to be inherently an essential expression of pure intelligence hence called self-healing science. In addition, to the self-healing concept, the use of herbal treatment is equally important in this Indian traditional system of medicine.
According to the World Health Organization, about 70–80% of the world populations rely on nonconventional medicines mainly of herbal sources in their healthcare.
Public interest for the treatment with complementary and alternative medicine is mainly due to increased side effects in synthetic drugs, lack of curative treatment for several chronic diseases, high cost of new drugs, microbial resistance, and emerging diseases, etc.
Today, the world is witnessing major epidemics of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which are mainly due to changes in lifestyle and human behavior.
The lifestyle diseases include high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, chronic lung diseases, cancer, Alzheimer disease, and others. Many lifestyle diseases are known to appear as a cluster of diseases resulting in more complex conditions such as metabolic syndrome.
According to the WHO Director General, Margaret Chan, 85% of premature deaths in developing countries are because of lifestyle diseases. Every year, 38 million people die from lifestyle diseases, of which about 28 million are from developing countries. Nearly 16 million of these die before the age of 70. Since the beginning of the new millennium, the number of deaths due to NCDs has increased worldwide. In 2013, during the World Health Assembly, 194 member countries accepted the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs. This plan hopes to attain at least a 25% reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by the year 2025.
The challenge to control the present epidemic of lifestyle diseases is more difficult than the battle against infectious or communicable diseases as they cannot be controlled merely by discovering powerful drugs; unless healthy lifestyle and behavioral modifications are adopted by people.
This involves promoting healthy eating habits, physical exercises, and avoiding mental stress.
Behavioral modifications may involve refraining from the use of harmful substances such as tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, and strengthening the mind to be able to cope up with adversaries.
In addition, reducing environmental pollution, and enhancing general safety is also necessary.
There is emerging global consensus that Ayurveda and Yoga through Swasthavritta, Sadvritta, Asanas, Pranayama, and Meditation can contribute to nonpharmacological management of the most lifestyle diseases.
Ayurveda’s approach towards person is :
” Prevention of disease in healthy person and treat the disease of patient ”
Globally people are taking ayurveda and yoga as a preventive medicine to avoid lifestyle disorders that are mentioned above .
After covid pandemic people are more aware about side effects of allopathic medicine and move towards ayurveda as alternative medicine due to role ayurveda played in covid pandemic either by treating people or by preventing them from serious illness.
People are looking for ayurveda for chronic illness such as arthritis, neuro-degenerative disorder etc. Because there is no cure of these diseases in modern medicine or medicines used to cure these diseases have emense side effect on body.
As we know medicine s used for treating chronic pain , mental illness ( psychotic illness ) are habit forming other than side effects but Ayurveda has therapies and medicines that provides relief in symptoms without habit formation or addiction.
