What is Ayurveda?

It is a very old system preveling in India from the last five thousand years which cure the total body system through herbs & diet.

Ayurveda sees health and disease in various terms. It links the microcosm of the individual with the cosmos. It takes into account the relationship between energy and matter. This system of healing believes in treatment of not just the part affected by disease but the individual as a whole. It emphasizes on the harmony of mind, spirit and body to cure diseases. It believes on prevention more than cure.
[TOP]

What can Ayurveda cure?

Ayurveda aims to improve the overall wellbeing. This form of alternative healing is considered effective in curing a number of diseases, even chronic in nature. Its time-tested methods cure a variety of ailments like hyper-acidity, asthma, constipation, diabetes gastritis, hypertension, female disorders, heart burns, liver ailments and cholesterol problems.
[TOP]

What about Side Effects?

It has multitude advantage without any side effects because these are based on natural cure. It cleans the body and thus increases the inner power of the body.

Because the environment is polluted to the extent of 90% and food is effected because of chemicals. Thus the use of herbal is widely acknowledged in the world today.
[TOP]

An Internationally Recognised System.

The effectiveness of this health care system is being recognized the world over. With no distressing side effects, Ayurveda has become an internationally acclaimed form of healing, rejuvenation and healthy living.
[TOP]

What is the history of herbal medicine?

Plants had been used for medicinal purposes long before recorded history. For example, ancient Chinese and Egyptian papyrus writings describe medicinal plant uses. Indigenous cultures (e.g., African and Native American) used herbs in their healing rituals, while others developed traditional medical systems (e.g., Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine) in which herbal therapies were used systematically. Scientists found that people is different parts of the globe tended to use the same or similar plants for the same purposes.

In the early 19th century, when methods of chemical analysis first became available, scientists began extracting and modifying the active ingredients from plants. Later, chemists began making their own version of plant compounds, beginning the transition from raw herbs to synthetic pharmaceuticals. Over time, the use of herbal medicines declined in favor of pharmaceuticals.

Recently, the World Health Organization estimated that 80% of people worldwide rely on herbal medicines for some aspect of their primary healthcare. In the last twenty years in the United States, increasing public dissatisfaction with the cost of prescription medications, combined with an interest in returning to natural or organic remedies, has led to an increase in the use of herbal medicines. In Germany, roughly 600 to 700 plant-based medicines are available and are prescribed by approximately 70% of German physicians.
[TOP]

How do herbs work?

For most herbs, the specific ingredient that causes a therapeutic effect is not known. Whole herbs contain many ingredients, and it is likely that they work together to produce the desired medicinal effect. Many factors affect how effective an herb will be. For example, the type of environment (climate, bugs, soil quality) in which a plant grew will affect its components, as will how and when it was harvested and processed.
[TOP]

How are herbs used?

For the reasons described in the previous section, herbalists prefer using whole plants rather than extracting single components from them. Whole plant extracts have many components. These components work together to produce therapeutic effects and also to lessen the chances of side effects from any one component. Several herbs are often used together to enhance effectiveness and synergistic actions and to reduce toxicity. Herbalists must take many things into account when prescribing herbs. For example, the species and variety of the plant, the plant's habitat, how it was stored and processed, and whether or not there are contaminants.
[TOP]

What happens during a visit to an herbalist?

When you visit an herbalist, the treatment goals are often more broad than stopping a single complaint. Herbalists aim to correct imbalances, resolve patterns of dysfunction, and treat the underlying cause of your complaint. Specific symptoms may also be treated if necessary.A session with an herbalist typically lasts one hour. You may be physically examined and asked about your medical history and your general well-being (that is, how well you sleep, what you eat, if you have a good appetite, good digestion and elimination, how often you exercise, and what you do to relax). The herbalist might recommend one or more herbs, dietary changes, and lifestyle modifications. Because herbal medicines are slower acting than pharmaceuticals, you might be asked to return for a follow-up in two to four weeks.
[TOP]

How can I choose the herbal product that is right for me?

Single herb or combination product? Capsule, tablet, extract or tea? Which brand? Standardized or not? Sometimes it seems that there are just too many choices!! Some of these choices are ultimately matters of personal choice. The issue of product form is one example - are you attracted to the rich history of herbal extracts and decoctions? ...or do you have trouble swallowing tablets and capsules? Then you may want to try a liquid extract or tea product. On the other hand, if you can't bear the taste of valerian or echinacea, or if you like the convenience of non-liquid forms, you might choose a tablet or capsule. Similarly, there are separate values attached to both single herb products and to herbal formulas. You might appreciate the experience and knowledge that many manufacturers have brought to designing combination products, with a goal toward attaining a higher synergy for the intended use. Multi-ingredient formulas have been the standard in Asian and Indian herbal traditions for centuries. Then again, you might prefer the simplicity of taking only one herb at a time, an approach that has more historical acceptance in the West.

Finally, if you have purchased a product that works for you and that provides the promised benefits, stick with it, whether it's a tablet, tincture or tea, whether a single herb or a complex formulation of several herbs. And remember - a brand that is remarkably less expensive than other products with the same or similar ingredients is not always the best bargain.
[TOP]

Should I tell my Doctor that I'm using herbs?

Of course you should! And because your doctor is, ideally, your primary partner in managing your health, you should insist that your doctor, no matter their degree of training in herbs, receive that information respectfully. In telling your doctor of your decision to use an herbal product, however, don't be surprised to find that your knowledge of herbs is more advanced than theirs. You might suggest (again, respectfully) that they expand their education by using some of the internet resources listed below, or by purchasing and studying some of the written references identified there. At the same time, remember that your prescribing physician has a responsibility to safely oversee your use of any prescription drugs. If your doctor is concerned that a pharmaceutical substance might interact with an herbal product, it is prudent to accept such advice.
[TOP]