Ayurveda, the ancient and holistic science of health and longevity, is a unique heritage of India. The origin of Ayurveda has been noted since the ages of the Vedas which attributes the mention of various preparations of herbs and spices that could be used to assist an individual to overcome various health anomalies and guide towards an absolute health and well-being through an intricate system of healing.

Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words, ‘ayu’ meaning ‘life’ and ‘veda’ meaning ‘knowledge’ which in literal terms mean the ‘Science Of Life’. According to ayurvedic scriptures, ‘Health’ is a state of equilibrium that depends upon the normal functioning of the Doshas, Dhatus, Malas, and Agni. When in balance, they nurture health but when out of balance, they lead to erratic functioning of the various systems of the body causing diseases. Also Read: Introduction To Ayurveda: Learn About Vata, Pitta And Kapha Doshas

According to the recent statistics of the World Health Organization, close to 70-80% of the total population depend upon unconventional and alternative medications and therapies since without a doubt, in comparison to allopathic treatment, ayurvedic treatment is far more effective in case of chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, asthma, and cancer without any possible adverse effects.

However, the popularity of Ayurveda a few years back used to be much minimal as the majority of the population preferred modern medicine because of its ability to provide a quick response and much faster relief from diseases as compared to Ayurvedic treatments. Recently, the growing awareness of natural products, fear of toxicity from allopathic drugs, swelling cost of new drugs and healthcare and microbial resistance are causing an increasingly large number of people to seek alternative remedies.

With the mammoth knowledge of natural herbs, the composition of the human body, the relationship of the human body with nature and the elements of the universe that act in synchronization and affect the living beings, the science of ayurveda gives a promising vision to flourish in ages still to come. In spite of its glorious past as a global medicare system, even a few decades ago, ayurvedic healing was limited only to India and certain neighbouring countries due to some of its shortcomings.

But with the altering concepts of health and disease and everchanging scenario of health needs of the present times, there has been an amazing awakening of interest of natural ayurvedic remedies and procedures which are likely to be augmented with the growing trends of industrialization, information technology, and economic globalization.

Tablets/ Capsules:

At the beginning of this decade, the ayurvedic way of healing was more dependent upon churnas, kashayams, gutikas etc. Unfortunately, due to a lack of scientific authentication in various concepts, this precious gift from our ancestors was sprawling behind. Unlike the allopathy ones, the main disadvantage of these ayurvedic remedies was that it used to be unappealing, difficult to ingest and had an herbal astringent-like taste. But since then, with new and improved techniques and innovations, many pharmaceutical companies have brought us the goodness of these ayurvedic herbs and spices right on to our palms in the form of attractive formulations which are not only easy to ingest but also appealing. The churnas are enclosed in digestible sheaths and have become modern-day pills, tablets and capsules, the kashayams have become syrups and tonics whereas the lehyams have become ayurvedic ointments. With the improvement in the outer packaging of the ayurvedic formulations, more and more people are getting drawn towards the natural herbal concept of healing.

Beauty Innovations:

Beauty is the ultimate desire of every individual irrespective of their gender. The concept of using herbs for enhancing one’s beauty has been there since the Vedic ages. Earlier many herbal pastes and cosmetic preparations like kajala, chandana, tilaka, aguru, haridra or haldi, etc were offered to god and used in various rituals. Although in recent times, the evolving beauty industries have profounded the concept of cosmetics through new and improved formulations and preparations targeted to rectify certain beauty concerns, ayurveda too, isn’t lagging behind. With the evolving ayurvedic knowledge right at our fingertips through our cellular devices, people nowadays are more concerned about what they put on their faces and body and whether or not they have any adverse reactions. Since synthetic cosmetics in certain cases have shown some serious side effects, people are much drawn towards using herbal products and formulations to avoid such instances. And over time, the markets are flooded with herb-based products.  Right from face washes to makeup products, every brand has its own set of natural beauty essentials lined up for people opting for an herbal formula.

Ayurvedic Supplements:

Ayurveda has been the core strength in the Indian subcontinent since time immemorial. With the increasing knowledge of ayurvedic herbs and remedies and negligible side effects, people nowadays are more inclined towards using natural resources for every other thing. With a plethora of herbs to work with, the science of ayurveda even brings you umpteen health supplements loaded with essential nutrients bringing a retreat of tranquillity, vitality, and longevity to a person. Depending upon a person’s body constitution some of these herbal products obtained from plants like ashwagandha, arjuna, amlaki, shatavari, neem, gokshura, and formulations like triphala, chyawanprash etc balances the various doshas, nourishes one’s physiology and rejuvenates the body. Also Read: Triphala: An Ayurvedic Wonder For Detoxification And Rejuvenation

Concoction Of Juices:

The concoction of herbs and spices, termed in ayurveda as ‘kadha’ have been used for centuries to treat different health issues thus proving the notion that our forefathers had stronger immunity and were naturally healthier than us who are much more reliant on colourful pills. These herbs and spices when tinkered upon and made into juices have umpteen nutrients and extreme healing power. Since kadhas had a bitter taste, in recent times, these concoctions or mixture of ayurvedic juices obtained from herbs or fruits have been made tasty and colourful so that it can easily be taken by kids and people of all ages. Some of these concoctions like amla juice, karela jamun juice, triphala juice etc not only portray extensive health benefits but also seem to be yummy. With a prior consultation with an ayurvedic doctor or practitioner, these juices or kadhas can be used for enhancing one’s health and wellness.

Ayurvedic Diets:

Off lately, with the growth of ayurveda in the last decade, people are curious to know more about its efficacy. The holistic science of ayurveda has taught us that our body is made up of a set of elements and dhatus rendering it a particular body type which may be vata, pitta or kapha or a combination of two or three of the doshas. Ayurvedic diet is a part of Ayurveda that is based on the various doshas dominant in a particular person setting up an eating plan that mostly pertains to when, how, and what one should eat based on the particular dosha or body type. Even when you are trying to lose or gain weight, having a diet specific to your body type is rather helpful since it promotes inner balance and enhances mindfulness. Based on the governing principles of ayurveda, these dosha specific diets have become extremely popular in today’s generation since it basically prevents diseases by boosting overall immunity and also helps one practice mindful eating rituals.

Conclusion:

Ayurveda has flourished over the years owing to its rich history. There were times when people felt reluctant towards using herbal remedies due to its lack of scientific evidence in many cases and poor research procedures. But with growing knowledge, within these last few decades, increasing the cost of drug-based medicines and improving the efficacy of ayurvedic herbs in treating chronic conditions have garnered ayurvedic treatments a lot of attention. Although there has been a praiseworthy improvement in ayurvedic methodologies, it can gain further by more explorations in the areas of fundamental principles and diagnostic tools in place of drug study.