One of the longest and most practiced medicinal systems in the world, Ayurveda is often misunderstood or unknown in western conversations. We saw some of its magic on our series
I Beat The Odds, when a woman diagnosed with a rare disease called Behcet's Syndrome turned to ayurvedic medicine to narrowly avoid death.
In addition to the wild survival story from the show, ayurveda has a number of other surprising facts that make it an interesting practice for health enthusiasts to look at. Here are five surprising reasons why you should check out ayurvedic medicine.
1. It's A Proven Practice At Over 3,000 Years Old
According to
WebMD, ayurveda was developed in India over 3,000 years ago, making it one of the world's oldest holistic systems. The basic philosophy behind it is that you can maintain your health by always addressing your mental, physical, and spiritual needs. A broad philosophy and system, it's grown over time to represent more specific treatments for more specific issues i.e. indigestion, and weight-loss as well.
2. It's A Lifestyle That Works As A Preventative
When we hear the word "medicine" many of us imagine a substance tha's used to treat an existing condition. Ayurvedic treatments are used as responses to poor digestion, and other ailments, but they mainly work as cleansers, and preventatives of future developments or diseases. It's all about getting the body what it needs, and then continuing to feed it to maintain a healthy homeostasis.
3. It Looks At People Through Energies
Ayurveda looks at people as blends of the five basic elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth. Doshas are blends of those elements that are then used to define our different states of health.So, if your doshas are out of whack, then you might be sick. If they are in line, then theoretically you should be feeling pretty good.The Vata dosha is space and air, the Pitta dosha is fire and water, and the Kapha dosha is water and earth.
WebMD has some excellent examples of what each dosha could mean for you like,
If the vata dosha is your main life force, you're more likely to develop conditions like anxiety, asthma, heart disease, skin problems, and rheumatoid arthritis.4. It Offers Personalized Treatments For What You Need
One of the leading practitioners and personalities from the world of ayurveda, Deepak Chopra writes on his resource site
The Chopra Center, Ayurveda is a personalized approach to health, and knowing your mind-body type allows you to make optimal choices about diet, exercise, supplements, and all other aspects of your lifestyle. 5. It's A Place To Find Answers Unavailable Elsewhere
Ayurveda might be the key to your own health mysteries, because it's an alternative medicine that's not practiced on a wide-scale in the U.S.A. Julie Daniluk, host of Z Living's Healthy Gourmet
found an ancient Chinese medicine to solve a digestion issues she had years ago. She later combined it with ayurveda and other philosophies to help create
The Hot Detox Plan, a book that teaches you how to cleanse, and keep a healthy digestive system.
