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What Is Ayurvedic Medicine?


What Is the Theory Behind Ayurveda?

Ayurvedic medicine centers on the connectedness of everything in the universe, the body's constitution and the body's life forces, which are important for health and wellness. Imbalances are treated with interventions that are based on the person's inherited tendencies, environment, diet, work and family.

Ayurveda believes the five elements of nature—space, air, fire, water and earth—combine in the body as three doshas or life forces. The three doshas are key characteristics of each person's constitution or general health, called the prakriti. The three doshas are: vata, pitta and kapha. According to Ayurveda, each person is made of a combination of doshas, yet everyone has one primary dosha.

Ayurveda teaches that a balance of doshas is necessary for good health. Doshas become imbalanced for different reasons—such as poor diet, lifestyle habits, aging, environmental stress, toxins and a sedentary lifestyle.

Therapies such as meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, massage and herbs are commonly used to prevent health problems and maintain mind-body harmony and increase wellness.




As a reminder, always consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment before starting any program.

By Debra Fulghum Bruce, PhD
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD.

SOURCES: National Center for Complementary Medicine website: "Ayurvedic Medicine: An Introduction." Lodha R. Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. 2000; vol 29: pp 37-41. Shankar K. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, 2004; vol 15: pp 725-747. CAM at the NIH web site: "A closer look at Ayurvedic." Dev S. Environ Health Perspect, 1999; vol 107: pp 783-9. Mamtani R. Cardiol Rev, 2005; vol 13: pp 155-62. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia: "Ayurveda," Smith C. Complement Ther Med, June 2007; vol 15: pp 77-83. Oken B.S. Altern Ther Health Med, January-February 2006; vol 12: pp 40-7. Sharma H. J Altern Complement Med, November 2007; vol 13: pp 1011-9. [12] Distinguishing Complementary Medicine From Alternative Medicine Yoon-Hang, K. Arch Intern Med, 2002; vol 162: p 943. WebMD Medical Reference From Healthwise: "Ayurvedic: Topic Overview." Saper R.B. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2004; vol 292: pp 2868-2873