FACTS AND MYTHS ABOUT AYURVEDA

Every machine  comes with a manual,Ayurveda is the manual for a machine what  we know as human body. This manual has been there for ages and in due course of time a lots of myths and doubts have risen among our midst.
 This post is to clear some of them and suggest the facts.

GENERAL MYTHS

• Many types of ayurveda

There is only one type of ayurveda that's been practiced differently

•  Panchakarma is just oil massage

NO pancha karma is five types of treatments like

1. Vamana (induced vomiting)
2. Virechana( induced loose motion)
3. Anuvasana vasti( enema with preparation containing oils ghee etc)
4. Niruha vasti( enema with kashya preparations)
5. Nasyam(pouring medications through nose)

These treatments are advised in  various diseases to detoxify the body. 

Oil massage or abhyangam is done before doing these panchakarma therapies  or for relaxation or in case of some  minor diseases.

• Is it safe?

Once you know what panchakarma is the next question is "is it safe?"

 YES  it is safe if taken under proper supervision after taking proper advice and following the advice to the core.

• Ayurvedic medicines are made of oils and plant products only

NO   ayurvedic medicines are made from plant products, animal produce like meat, diary products, eggs etc,  and also with purified minerals and metals.

• Medicines prepared with ghee will increase cholesterol

NO  certain medicines prepared with ghee are prescribed to correct the liver function and reduce cholesterol. It also depends upon the medicine prescribed and the diet regulations

• Strict diet regulations

YES its to aid the medicines to work efficiently and to help one get better quickly

• Acts very slowly

OLD IS GOLD BUT OLD IS NOT SLOW

 Many factors contribute to the recovery of a patient like diet control, strength of the patient, chronicity of the disease and strength of the medicine prescribed.

• Everything herbal is ayurveda

NO  Ayurveda has herbal elements but not all herbal products are of ayurvedic value. 

Many companies which sell ayurvedic cosmetic products by just adding herbs, that does not make it an ayurvedic product.

 It is simply a marketing tactic to move their product.

•  Medicine expiry 

Ayurvedic medicine like kashyam, powders, lehyam has shelf life and expiry dates.

Medicines like aristam, aasavam and  processed ghee are the older the better, their potency increases with time.

• All medicines are bitter to taste

NO not all are bitter there are medicines that are salty, sour, sweet, pungent and  astringent too.

• Increases the body heat

Not all medicines increase the heat, only patients who suffer from vata and kapha disorders are given medicine that are heat in potency so there will be a rise in body heat just to counter act the doshas. 

• Medicine has no side effect and is harmless

When taken properly it has no side effects but if strict diet is not followed or if a medicine is taken without the doctors advice for a prolonged duration of time adverse effect will occur in the body or

sometimes the desierd effect may not be achived

• Safe for self medication

NO  ayurveda stresses patient oriented medicine and  not disease oriented medication. Each and every patient is unique, the disease may be similar to someone but the causative doshas ( vata pitha and kapha) may differ so the  desired effect is not got.

• Ayurveda is expensive

It costs less than an MRI to diagnose your disease

It costs less than an unwanted surgery and hospitalization

It costs less than life long medication

Hope this helped to clear some of your doubts.