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Guide To Understanding Ayurvedic Medicine (Ayurveda)

Ayurvedic medicine is a term used to describe an ancient medical system that originated in India and is derived from ancient writings. Ayurveda utilizes a more holistic and natural approach to mental and physical health. First developed in India over three thousand years ago, Ayurveda is one of the oldest known systems of holistic medicine. The most common treatments used in Ayurvedic medicine include special diets, aromatherapy, exercise, herbs, massage, and other formulated supplements. While it is used abundantly in India and surrounding regions, Ayurveda is considered to be a form of complementary and alternative medicine in the United States. Ayurvedic treatments and products are not approved or reviewed by the U.S. Food And Drug Administration, and state-approved Ayurvedic schools and training programs are scarce in the United States.

Get familiar with Ayurvedic medicine now.

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How It Works

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Ayurvedic medicine works through the belief every individual is made of five different components present in the universe: air, water, space, fire, and earth. These components congregate together to form three different energies referred to as doshas. Each individual inherits a different combination of the doshas, and these determine how their body works. The balance of an individual's doshas is associated with the chances of becoming ill and the health problems they develop. Ayurvedic medicine treatment plans are individually created and take unique emotional and physical makeup into consideration along with the primary life force and the delicate balance of these three components. One main goal of Ayurvedic medicine is to remove all undigested food from an individual's body through the use of a cleansing process referred to as panchakarma and relies on methods such as massage, herbs, laxatives, blood purification, medical oils, and enemas.

Compare Ayurveda to traditional medicine next.

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