Holistic framework of Ayurveda and its clinical advantageProf. G G Gangadharan PhD

I-AIM Healthcare Centre, Bangalore

What's Ayurveda?

• Ayurveda is a knowledge system that measures life in terms of

What's wholesome

What's happiness

And opposites thereof

Hitaahitam sukham dukham ayustasya hitahitam… Charaka Samhita

What's the essence of Holism?

• The human body is combination of constituents (dhatus) derived from the five elements (bhutas) which constitute the physical universe

• All the substances in the physical universe (within and outside the human body are composed of five bhutas

What's health in Ayurveda?

• Health is a state of dynamic equilibrium of the fundamental constituents of body (molecule to cell to organ to system)

• That is constantly interacting with the external environment which is also in a state of healthy flux

• Coupled with tranquil mind, senses and spirit

Clinical advantage of holism

• A functional framework that can accommodate any medical condition one may encounter

• A practical taxonomy of physical universe and its effect on the living system

• Which, when understood makes everything around us a potential medicine

Vikaro nama akushalo na jihriyat kadancha…

Clinical advantage of holism

• Science is understood in traditional thinking at three levels• Tatvam (Philosophy)• Shastram (Theory)• Vyavahara (Application)

• What we are currently learning and practicing is only at the level of vyavaharam

Tatvam, Shastram, Vyavaharam…

Achievements of Biomedicine

Fair understanding of the molecular basis of health and disease (Genetics, metabolomics)

Management of communicable diseases

Trauma and emergency care

Advancements in Surgery

Promises of current research

Gene, Proteo, Metabolo-omics

Stem cell therapy Epigenetics Personalized

medicine Eugenics and

designer progeny

Reductionism vs. holism

• This is arguably the pinnacle of reductionism

• Result of centuries of liberally funded research by the crème of scientific minds

• But, When we juxtapose this with the fundamental principles of Ayurveda, one can find the emergence of a meeting point between these two knowledge systems

Health challenges today

• Chronic diseases• Cancer• Heart Disease• Diabetes

• Drug-resistance

Can Ayurveda come in?

• Detox (Panchakarma)

• Diet and Lifestyle (Pathya)

• Positive health (Rasayana)

RasayanaWhether rasayana has the capacity to influence the stem cells to become pluripotent?

Diet and lifestyle

• Diet in Ayurveda does not confirm to the one size fits all norm,

• It is not determined only the disease but equally determined by the constitution of the individual, space and time one is placed in

Panchakarma

• A systematic mechanism to eliminate multitude of toxins from body without causing harm to the healthy tissues

The need for integration…

• New science can be made only if we go to the level of shastra and tatva

• This is the realm of Indian medical knowledge that is yet to be explored

To conclude…

• India is uniquely positioned to give to the world a model of healthcare that judiciously combines a 5000 yrs old living health tradition with cutting edge science

• It will bring not only academic accomplishments but also economic progress

• It has the potential to change the way the world perceives us

Thank you…

Prof. G G Gangadharan PhD