AyurCold is a breakthrough formulation for immediate relief from Common Cold and Flu. It contains the most potent immuno-protective herbal concentrates available in Ayurvedic Science.
When formulated in the correct amounts and blended by our proprietary process, they reinforce the immune system to eliminate symptoms of viral infection and reinstate robust health.
AyurCold counteracts disturbances at the cellular level which cause the nagging symptoms of Cold and Flu: congestion, cough and chest discomfort, headache, fever, sore throat, and muscle and joint pains. Read more about AyurCold.
Showing posts with label AyurCold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AyurCold. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Health Tip: Giving Pain Medication to Your Child
(HealthDay News) - Giving your child medications, even over-the-counter medicines, should always be carefully monitored by your doctor.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions before you give any pain medication to your child:
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions before you give any pain medication to your child:
- If a person younger than age 18 has the flu or chickenpox, never give the person aspirin, which could lead to a rare but deadly condition called Reye's Syndrome.
- Acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) is a generally safe painkiller for young children.
- Be careful about giving ibuprofen to children who are allergic to aspirin, as they may also be allergic to ibuprofen.
- Pain relievers may be dangerous for children with asthma, so don't administer them without a doctor's consent.
- Be careful not to give your child too much of the same medication. Sometimes the same active ingredient can be found in more than one medication.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Saline Nasal Wash Helps Kids Fight Colds, Flu
(HealthDay News) -- Rinsing with a special saline nasal wash made from Atlantic seawater improves symptoms in children with colds and flu, and may prevent recurrence of these infections, a new study claims.
"We brush our teeth every day, however, we do not pay attention to our noses -- a potential gate for infection," said study co-author Dr. Jana Skoupa, of Pharma Projects in Prague, Czech Republic. "Nasal wash should be used, based on our findings, immediately."
The study seems to confirm what many doctors already know.
"We have recommended this for years. This study gives some objective evidence," said Dr. Jonathan Field, emeritus director of the pediatric allergy and asthma clinic at New York University/Bellevue Medical Center in New York City.
An alternative to the many cough and cold medications that line drugstore shelves comes not a moment too soon.
Just last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory stating that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to infants and children under the age of 2. The agency has not come to a final decision on the use of such products in children aged 2 to 11.
"This is very promising, but there need to be more studies to confirm what the authors have found," Dr. Tom DeWitt, director of general pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "It is a suggestion that it may be an alternative to cold preparations that the FDA [recently issued a public health advisory about]."
The saline technique could provide a more holistic alternative to such over-the-counter medications, and has the added advantage of having little downside and not contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
The study, published in the January issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, involved about 400 children aged 6 to 10 with colds or the flu. The children were randomly assigned to receive either standard medication plus the nasal wash, or standard medication alone.
The nasal wash formula was given six times a day for eight weeks, then three times a day for the next four weeks.
By the second visit, patients receiving the nasal wash had less stuffy and runny noses. By eight weeks, those in this group had less severe sore throats, coughs, nasal obstructions and secretions.
Also, after week eight, only 9 percent of children in the saline group were using fever-reducing drugs, compared with 33 percent in the control group; only 5 percent were using decongestants, versus 47 percent in the control group; and only 6 percent of saline recipients were using antibiotics, compared with 21 percent in the control group. Children using the nasal wash also had shorter illnesses and fewer missed school days.
Compliance, however, may become an issue outside the context of a clinical study. "They did it six times a day," DeWitt pointed out. "How many parents are going to do that six times a day?"
The trial was funded by French company Goemar Laboratoires, which makes the product, Physiomer, that used in the study.
"As far as I know, Physiomer is not available in the U.S. It is the leading brand in Europe," Skoupa said. "The manufacturing process uses electro-dialysis (not simple dilution of seawater) to achieve isotonicity. This results in preserving the majority of minerals and trace elements in similar concentrations to seawater from the Atlantic Ocean."
An isotonic solution has the same concentration of salt as the human body.
"I would not just simply expect a normal saline solution to be the same thing," DeWitt said.
More information
The Medical College of Wisconsin has more on respiratory infections in children.
"We brush our teeth every day, however, we do not pay attention to our noses -- a potential gate for infection," said study co-author Dr. Jana Skoupa, of Pharma Projects in Prague, Czech Republic. "Nasal wash should be used, based on our findings, immediately."
The study seems to confirm what many doctors already know.
"We have recommended this for years. This study gives some objective evidence," said Dr. Jonathan Field, emeritus director of the pediatric allergy and asthma clinic at New York University/Bellevue Medical Center in New York City.
An alternative to the many cough and cold medications that line drugstore shelves comes not a moment too soon.
Just last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory stating that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be given to infants and children under the age of 2. The agency has not come to a final decision on the use of such products in children aged 2 to 11.
"This is very promising, but there need to be more studies to confirm what the authors have found," Dr. Tom DeWitt, director of general pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "It is a suggestion that it may be an alternative to cold preparations that the FDA [recently issued a public health advisory about]."
The saline technique could provide a more holistic alternative to such over-the-counter medications, and has the added advantage of having little downside and not contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
The study, published in the January issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, involved about 400 children aged 6 to 10 with colds or the flu. The children were randomly assigned to receive either standard medication plus the nasal wash, or standard medication alone.
The nasal wash formula was given six times a day for eight weeks, then three times a day for the next four weeks.
By the second visit, patients receiving the nasal wash had less stuffy and runny noses. By eight weeks, those in this group had less severe sore throats, coughs, nasal obstructions and secretions.
Also, after week eight, only 9 percent of children in the saline group were using fever-reducing drugs, compared with 33 percent in the control group; only 5 percent were using decongestants, versus 47 percent in the control group; and only 6 percent of saline recipients were using antibiotics, compared with 21 percent in the control group. Children using the nasal wash also had shorter illnesses and fewer missed school days.
Compliance, however, may become an issue outside the context of a clinical study. "They did it six times a day," DeWitt pointed out. "How many parents are going to do that six times a day?"
The trial was funded by French company Goemar Laboratoires, which makes the product, Physiomer, that used in the study.
"As far as I know, Physiomer is not available in the U.S. It is the leading brand in Europe," Skoupa said. "The manufacturing process uses electro-dialysis (not simple dilution of seawater) to achieve isotonicity. This results in preserving the majority of minerals and trace elements in similar concentrations to seawater from the Atlantic Ocean."
An isotonic solution has the same concentration of salt as the human body.
"I would not just simply expect a normal saline solution to be the same thing," DeWitt said.
More information
The Medical College of Wisconsin has more on respiratory infections in children.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Radiancio
Just as human instinct drives us toward survival, physical beauty is programmed into our brains as a means of staying alive and furthering our family line.
Nature has given us impulses that drive us towards procreation. Every creature, from the lowest organism to the most complex, desires not allowed. Dogs are attracted to each other’s smells.
Peacocks are attracted to each others’ plumages. Human beings are attracted to many things about each other – one of which is physical beauty.
Physical attractiveness can have very real effects. When a person is seen as attractive or unattractive, a whole set of assumptions are brought into play.
Many have asserted that certain advantages tend to come to those who are perceived as being more attractive, including the ability to get better jobs and promotions, receiving better treatment from authorities and the legal system, having more choices in romantic partners and therefore more power in relationships, and marrying into more successful families.
A survey conducted by London Guildhall University of 11,000 people showed that those that subjectively describe themselves as physically attractive earn more than others that describe themselves as less attractive. Less attractive people earned, on average, 13% less than more attractive people, while the penalty for being overweight was around 5%.
Both men and women use physical attractiveness as a measure of how 'good' another person is. Men often tend to value attractiveness more than women.
In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scans published in 2004 by Rutgers University, evolutionary anthropologist Helen Fisher discovered that there were clear differences in male and female brains, during the early intense stages of falling in love.
Men, on average, tended to show more activity in two regions in the brain: one was associated with the integration of visual stimuli, and the second was with penile erection. Conversely, women in these early stages exhibited increased activity in several regions of the brain associated with memory recall.
Although it is said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", studies have shown that there are many universal or near-universal qualities which make men and women attractive. These qualities usually fit into one or more of three categories: Indicators of general good health. Indicators of reproductive fitness.
Healthy nails and thick, "lustrous" hair. Features that include a clear complexion and healthy, youthful-looking skin. A hair and its follicle make up one of the most complex and interesting systems in the body. Scientists are just now beginning to identify the key cells, proteins, hormones and genes that control the growth, loss, and regeneration of hair.
While inherent genetic coding is decidedly a factor in hair loss, other factors exist that accelerate the process, including stress, diet, pollution, and hygiene. Gradual buildup of residue from commercial hair care products and environmental toxins, along with a diet high in animal fats, prompts an over-secretion of sebum.
The sebum soon becomes oxidized and is transformed into a waxy substance clogging the follicle entrance. In time, the impacted sebum and other debris makes its way deep within the follicle, inhibiting the absorption of nutrients and impeding the growth of healthy hair. Stress contributes to this problem by causing tightness in the scalp, which inhibits blood circulation to this area. A chemical reaction takes place between an enzyme called 5-Alpha reductase and androgens present in the impacted sebum.
This results in the formation of a powerful hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT binds to the follicle entrance, which eventually sends a message to the hair follicle to shut down. The result: thick and healthy hair begins to grow thin and weak, eventually dying altogether. Nails can be very attractive and serve many important functions. Women, more often than men, place a great deal of importance on how their nails look and spend a considerable amount of time and money on them.
Nails reflect an individual's personal and health habits - good or bad. Aside from their cosmetic appeal, nails serve many important functions. They help us pick up and manipulate objects, and they protect and support the tissues of the fingers and toes. Most importantly, nails often reflect our general state of health.
Nail problems usually increase throughout life and affect a high number of the elderly. This is due to the susceptibility of the nail to fungal infections, its increased thickness with age, circulation problems, and the use of medications. Many diseases and serious conditions can be detected by changes in the nails. Most doctors will check the nails carefully during physical examinations.
Major illness will cause a deep horizontal groove to form in the nails. Discoloration, thinning, thickening, brittleness, splitting, grooves, clubbing (convex), flatness, spooning (concave) can indicate nutrient deficiencies, drug reaction or poisoning, local injury, and other illnesses in the body. Nails can become extremely thick, loose, or degenerated.
They can also be infected with fungus which can come from dirty socks, certain types of aggressive exercise, walking barefoot, and exposing one's feet in a moldy environment. Our largest organ is our skin.
Others see our skin and assess our mood, physical state, and attractiveness. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner and more easily damaged. When this effect intensifies, the skin decreases its ability to heal itself. Sagging skin is caused by the fall in elasticity. Skin also receives less blood flow and lowers glandular activity.
Your skin supports its own ecosystems of microorganisms, including yeasts and bacteria, which cannot be removed by any amount of cleaning. In general, these organisms keep one another in check and are part of healthy skin. When the balance is disturbed, e.g., by antibiotics which kill bacteria, there may be an overgrowth and infection by yeasts. The human skin has many other important functions such as:
Protection: Your skin is an anatomical barrier between the internal and external environment in bodily defense. Sensation: Your skin contains a variety of nerve endings that react to heat, cold, touch, pressure, vibration, and tissue injury.
Heat regulation: Your skin contains a blood supply far greater than its requirements which allows precise control of energy loss by radiation, convection, and conduction. Dilated blood vessels increase perfusion and heat loss while constricted vessels greatly reduce cutaneous blood flow and conserve heat.
Control of evaporation: Your skin provides a relatively dry and impermeable barrier to fluid loss. Loss of this function contributes to the massive fluid loss in burns cases. Storage and synthesis: Your skin acts as a storage centre for lipids and water, as well as a means of synthesis of vitamin D and B by action of Ultra Violet energy on certain parts of the skin.
This synthesis is linked to pigmentation, with darker skin producing more vitamin B than D, and vice versa. Excretion: The concentration of urea is 1/130th that of urine. Excretion by sweating is at most a secondary function to temperature regulation. Absorption: Oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide can diffuse into the epidermis in small amounts. Skin is an important site of transport in many other organisms.
With such diverse roles, it is no wonder that the skin is subject to constant attack and can be afflicted by numerous ailments. The skin is the barrier between the world and our own body, between the outer and inner environment. There are many elements in the outer environment that can cause inflammation or breakouts.
There is now no questions that these accumulated toxins are behind nearly every disease, symptom, injury, and malfunction of the body. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical molecules and participate in unwanted reactions, causing tissue damage, and destructive effects on the human body.
Free radicals attack protein, lipid, and nucleic acids and lead to a reduction in their respective functions, thereby decreasing cell function, and finally causing organ failure. The road to disease can be paved with a slew of toxins and free radicals that can bind to enzymes at a cellular level and inactivate them so that the cell no longer functions optimally. When toxins are not eliminated, they are reabsorbed back into the liver.
The liver works by filtering toxins directly as well as altering them so that they can be removed during the various stages of detoxification. The liver filters toxins from about 1 liter of blood every minute. Some of these endotoxins (produced in the body), exotoxins (from outside the body), and wastes are sent to the kidneys or the colon. Other toxins, made up of compounds that are difficult for the liver to filter, must be broken down with enzymes so that they can be removed.
A properly functioning liver is vital to your health. Western medicine relies on aggressive prescription drugs and surgery to deal with many problems related to health and aesthetics. Unfortunately, these methods often result in unwanted and even dangerous side effects. And natural pills provide fleeting, inconsistent results.
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention, and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana is "a process or a drug, which make a man as healthy as a ox and able to undergo many hours of physical rigors." Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and tonic preparations for enhancing the condition of your hair, nails, and skin while strengthening your body and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to address the native inhibitory causes that affect hair, nail, and skin growth while helping both men and women reach their peak health and beauty through safe and natural means.
Results: The precise combination of ingredients in Radiancio along with a mind-body focus precisely addresses your health and beauty needs!
more information: http://www.radiancio.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
Nature has given us impulses that drive us towards procreation. Every creature, from the lowest organism to the most complex, desires not allowed. Dogs are attracted to each other’s smells.
Peacocks are attracted to each others’ plumages. Human beings are attracted to many things about each other – one of which is physical beauty.
Physical attractiveness can have very real effects. When a person is seen as attractive or unattractive, a whole set of assumptions are brought into play.
Many have asserted that certain advantages tend to come to those who are perceived as being more attractive, including the ability to get better jobs and promotions, receiving better treatment from authorities and the legal system, having more choices in romantic partners and therefore more power in relationships, and marrying into more successful families.
A survey conducted by London Guildhall University of 11,000 people showed that those that subjectively describe themselves as physically attractive earn more than others that describe themselves as less attractive. Less attractive people earned, on average, 13% less than more attractive people, while the penalty for being overweight was around 5%.
Both men and women use physical attractiveness as a measure of how 'good' another person is. Men often tend to value attractiveness more than women.
In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scans published in 2004 by Rutgers University, evolutionary anthropologist Helen Fisher discovered that there were clear differences in male and female brains, during the early intense stages of falling in love.
Men, on average, tended to show more activity in two regions in the brain: one was associated with the integration of visual stimuli, and the second was with penile erection. Conversely, women in these early stages exhibited increased activity in several regions of the brain associated with memory recall.
Although it is said that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", studies have shown that there are many universal or near-universal qualities which make men and women attractive. These qualities usually fit into one or more of three categories: Indicators of general good health. Indicators of reproductive fitness.
Healthy nails and thick, "lustrous" hair. Features that include a clear complexion and healthy, youthful-looking skin. A hair and its follicle make up one of the most complex and interesting systems in the body. Scientists are just now beginning to identify the key cells, proteins, hormones and genes that control the growth, loss, and regeneration of hair.
While inherent genetic coding is decidedly a factor in hair loss, other factors exist that accelerate the process, including stress, diet, pollution, and hygiene. Gradual buildup of residue from commercial hair care products and environmental toxins, along with a diet high in animal fats, prompts an over-secretion of sebum.
The sebum soon becomes oxidized and is transformed into a waxy substance clogging the follicle entrance. In time, the impacted sebum and other debris makes its way deep within the follicle, inhibiting the absorption of nutrients and impeding the growth of healthy hair. Stress contributes to this problem by causing tightness in the scalp, which inhibits blood circulation to this area. A chemical reaction takes place between an enzyme called 5-Alpha reductase and androgens present in the impacted sebum.
This results in the formation of a powerful hormone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
DHT binds to the follicle entrance, which eventually sends a message to the hair follicle to shut down. The result: thick and healthy hair begins to grow thin and weak, eventually dying altogether. Nails can be very attractive and serve many important functions. Women, more often than men, place a great deal of importance on how their nails look and spend a considerable amount of time and money on them.
Nails reflect an individual's personal and health habits - good or bad. Aside from their cosmetic appeal, nails serve many important functions. They help us pick up and manipulate objects, and they protect and support the tissues of the fingers and toes. Most importantly, nails often reflect our general state of health.
Nail problems usually increase throughout life and affect a high number of the elderly. This is due to the susceptibility of the nail to fungal infections, its increased thickness with age, circulation problems, and the use of medications. Many diseases and serious conditions can be detected by changes in the nails. Most doctors will check the nails carefully during physical examinations.
Major illness will cause a deep horizontal groove to form in the nails. Discoloration, thinning, thickening, brittleness, splitting, grooves, clubbing (convex), flatness, spooning (concave) can indicate nutrient deficiencies, drug reaction or poisoning, local injury, and other illnesses in the body. Nails can become extremely thick, loose, or degenerated.
They can also be infected with fungus which can come from dirty socks, certain types of aggressive exercise, walking barefoot, and exposing one's feet in a moldy environment. Our largest organ is our skin.
Others see our skin and assess our mood, physical state, and attractiveness. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner and more easily damaged. When this effect intensifies, the skin decreases its ability to heal itself. Sagging skin is caused by the fall in elasticity. Skin also receives less blood flow and lowers glandular activity.
Your skin supports its own ecosystems of microorganisms, including yeasts and bacteria, which cannot be removed by any amount of cleaning. In general, these organisms keep one another in check and are part of healthy skin. When the balance is disturbed, e.g., by antibiotics which kill bacteria, there may be an overgrowth and infection by yeasts. The human skin has many other important functions such as:
Protection: Your skin is an anatomical barrier between the internal and external environment in bodily defense. Sensation: Your skin contains a variety of nerve endings that react to heat, cold, touch, pressure, vibration, and tissue injury.
Heat regulation: Your skin contains a blood supply far greater than its requirements which allows precise control of energy loss by radiation, convection, and conduction. Dilated blood vessels increase perfusion and heat loss while constricted vessels greatly reduce cutaneous blood flow and conserve heat.
Control of evaporation: Your skin provides a relatively dry and impermeable barrier to fluid loss. Loss of this function contributes to the massive fluid loss in burns cases. Storage and synthesis: Your skin acts as a storage centre for lipids and water, as well as a means of synthesis of vitamin D and B by action of Ultra Violet energy on certain parts of the skin.
This synthesis is linked to pigmentation, with darker skin producing more vitamin B than D, and vice versa. Excretion: The concentration of urea is 1/130th that of urine. Excretion by sweating is at most a secondary function to temperature regulation. Absorption: Oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide can diffuse into the epidermis in small amounts. Skin is an important site of transport in many other organisms.
With such diverse roles, it is no wonder that the skin is subject to constant attack and can be afflicted by numerous ailments. The skin is the barrier between the world and our own body, between the outer and inner environment. There are many elements in the outer environment that can cause inflammation or breakouts.
There is now no questions that these accumulated toxins are behind nearly every disease, symptom, injury, and malfunction of the body. Free radicals are highly reactive chemical molecules and participate in unwanted reactions, causing tissue damage, and destructive effects on the human body.
Free radicals attack protein, lipid, and nucleic acids and lead to a reduction in their respective functions, thereby decreasing cell function, and finally causing organ failure. The road to disease can be paved with a slew of toxins and free radicals that can bind to enzymes at a cellular level and inactivate them so that the cell no longer functions optimally. When toxins are not eliminated, they are reabsorbed back into the liver.
The liver works by filtering toxins directly as well as altering them so that they can be removed during the various stages of detoxification. The liver filters toxins from about 1 liter of blood every minute. Some of these endotoxins (produced in the body), exotoxins (from outside the body), and wastes are sent to the kidneys or the colon. Other toxins, made up of compounds that are difficult for the liver to filter, must be broken down with enzymes so that they can be removed.
A properly functioning liver is vital to your health. Western medicine relies on aggressive prescription drugs and surgery to deal with many problems related to health and aesthetics. Unfortunately, these methods often result in unwanted and even dangerous side effects. And natural pills provide fleeting, inconsistent results.
Ayurveda, the science of life, prevention, and longevity, is the oldest and most holistic and comprehensive medical system available. Its fundamentals can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas - the ancient Indian books of wisdom written over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda uses the inherent principles of nature to help maintain health in a person by keeping the individual's body, mind, and spirit in perfect equilibrium with nature.
India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda. Vajikarana is "a process or a drug, which make a man as healthy as a ox and able to undergo many hours of physical rigors." Vajikarana prescribes the therapeutic use of various herbal and tonic preparations for enhancing the condition of your hair, nails, and skin while strengthening your body and overall well-being.
India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists combine a proprietary herbal formula based on centuries' old wisdom with advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation to address the native inhibitory causes that affect hair, nail, and skin growth while helping both men and women reach their peak health and beauty through safe and natural means.
Results: The precise combination of ingredients in Radiancio along with a mind-body focus precisely addresses your health and beauty needs!
more information: http://www.radiancio.com/index.htm?aff=dreddyclinic
Monday, October 15, 2007
Health Tip: Got Low Back Pain?
(HealthDay News) -- The effects of low back pain can range from a mild inconvenience to debilitating. Some pain may go away on its own after the back has had a chance to heal, but sometimes surgery may be needed.Here are potential treatments to help ease low back pain, courtesy of the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:
- Pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory medications.
- A cold compress immediately after the injury to reduce swelling.
- Heat on the back several days after the injury to help relax muscles.
- A short period of bed rest to allow muscles to heal.
- Gentle exercises to stretch and strengthen back muscles.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Hormone May Play Key Part in Creating Memories
(HealthDay News) -- When you experience an emotionally charged event, it's something that is etched into your memory, and now scientists think they know why.
In experiments with mice, researchers found that powerful surges of the hormone norepinephrine -- surges that occur during emotional episodes -- cause a series of events that strengthen the connections between neurons, sealing these events into the memory.
"The question we are addressing is why is it that you can remember some trivial events that occur at a time when there is high emotional arousal," said lead researcher Dr. Roberto Malinow, of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. "For example, everyone remembers where they were when they heard about September 11, even though [they may have been] in some trivial place."
The researchers found that norepinephrine can modify brain cell receptors, making them easier to go into synapses -- the tiny spaces between brain cells -- making it easier to learn and form memories, Malinow said.
In studies with mice, Malinow's group found that norepinephrine, coupled with emotional stress, plays an important role in lowering the threshold for certain brain cell receptors called GluR1.
This, in turn, causes a boost in memory, the researchers said.
When the researchers put lab mice through behavioral tests, they found that exposure to norepinephrine made normal mice remember events more clearly. But, mice with mutations of the GluR1 receptors that were exposed to norepinephrine did not show improved memory.
Norepinephrine is known to play a part in the emotional control of memory. During emotional stress, norepinephrine is released by neurons (brain cells) in many areas of the brain, including the hippocampus and the amygdala -- areas involved with forming emotional memories.
The findings are published in the Oct. 5 issue of Cell.
Malinow thinks this finding could lead to new treatments for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
"It is interesting to find out at the molecular level what emotion is doing," Malinow said. "But there are certain diseases like post-traumatic stress disorder for which we might find targets that have therapeutic benefit. These findings will enhance our knowledge of all diseases that deal with memory."
One expert see this study as an extension of similar work that showed that norepinephrine is involved in the memory of fearful events that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.
"In our own work, we have demonstrated that norepinephrine controls the ability of synapses in inputs to the amygdala implicated in cued fear conditioning to undergo long-term potentiation," said Vadim Bolshakov, director of McLean Hospital's Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, in Belmont, Mass. "This new study complements our work in emphasizing the role of norepinephrine release in the brain in learning and memory mechanisms."
The new research focuses on a different form of learning, Bolshakov said. "The new study nicely demonstrated that norepinephrine enhances a form of learning by facilitating synapses in a region of the hippocampus," he said.
More information
For more on memory, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
In experiments with mice, researchers found that powerful surges of the hormone norepinephrine -- surges that occur during emotional episodes -- cause a series of events that strengthen the connections between neurons, sealing these events into the memory.
"The question we are addressing is why is it that you can remember some trivial events that occur at a time when there is high emotional arousal," said lead researcher Dr. Roberto Malinow, of the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. "For example, everyone remembers where they were when they heard about September 11, even though [they may have been] in some trivial place."
The researchers found that norepinephrine can modify brain cell receptors, making them easier to go into synapses -- the tiny spaces between brain cells -- making it easier to learn and form memories, Malinow said.
In studies with mice, Malinow's group found that norepinephrine, coupled with emotional stress, plays an important role in lowering the threshold for certain brain cell receptors called GluR1.
This, in turn, causes a boost in memory, the researchers said.
When the researchers put lab mice through behavioral tests, they found that exposure to norepinephrine made normal mice remember events more clearly. But, mice with mutations of the GluR1 receptors that were exposed to norepinephrine did not show improved memory.
Norepinephrine is known to play a part in the emotional control of memory. During emotional stress, norepinephrine is released by neurons (brain cells) in many areas of the brain, including the hippocampus and the amygdala -- areas involved with forming emotional memories.
The findings are published in the Oct. 5 issue of Cell.
Malinow thinks this finding could lead to new treatments for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
"It is interesting to find out at the molecular level what emotion is doing," Malinow said. "But there are certain diseases like post-traumatic stress disorder for which we might find targets that have therapeutic benefit. These findings will enhance our knowledge of all diseases that deal with memory."
One expert see this study as an extension of similar work that showed that norepinephrine is involved in the memory of fearful events that can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder.
"In our own work, we have demonstrated that norepinephrine controls the ability of synapses in inputs to the amygdala implicated in cued fear conditioning to undergo long-term potentiation," said Vadim Bolshakov, director of McLean Hospital's Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, in Belmont, Mass. "This new study complements our work in emphasizing the role of norepinephrine release in the brain in learning and memory mechanisms."
The new research focuses on a different form of learning, Bolshakov said. "The new study nicely demonstrated that norepinephrine enhances a form of learning by facilitating synapses in a region of the hippocampus," he said.
More information
For more on memory, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Tips For An Ayurvedic Lifestyle
Feeling irresolute about wanting to make those New Year's Resolutions? Consider this: During your lifetime, advances in medical sciences will add about two years to your life, but changes in your personal behavior -- read lifestyle -- can add 15+ years. Isn't it about time to make some changes?
Ayurvedic healing, as you know, places the highest value on good lifestyle. Ayurveda describes four types of life: hita-ayu, ahita-ayu, sukha-ayu and dukha-ayu: Hita-ayu is life that is led for doing good to yourself and others. Ahita-ayu refer to actions which are not for the good of yourself or another person. Sukha-ayu refers to those healthful and blissful actions that you do for the good of your physiology, while dukha-ayu is leading a life that harms the physiology. Choose to lead the hita-ayu and sukha-ayu life, and your days will be filled with bounty in every way.
The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians shows you how to lead the hita-sukha lifestyle this year.
THE CUP THAT CHEERS
This year, discover the cup that really cheers: Kicking the coffee habit can be hard -- in fact some researchers today say that taken in moderation, caffeine can actually help fend off Parkinson's disease, increase alertness and improve moods. So if you're among the 160 million Americans who love coffee, that's grounds for celebration.
But… remember that all the research underlines coffee-consumption in moderation -- that is, not more than 2 cups a day. What when the urge for the 3rd cup hits?
Try Raja's Cup: a precise blend of four potent herbs -- Clearing Nut, Kasmard, Licorice and Winter Cherry -- this time-tested beverage helps promote well-being and vitality. Published research shows that Raja's Cup has hundreds of times the antioxidant power of vitamin C or vitamin E. And it tastes delicious too! In a blind taste test, coffee drinkers thought that Raja's Cup was actually coffee. Caffeine-free, with no grains, Raja's Cup can be enjoyed any time of day -- after meals, at breakfast or before bed.
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE
Make this year the year of spice: The confusion about what to eat is getting worse every day. The fashion and entertainment industry urges you to be thin, and commercials promote junk food. What's found to be healthy one day is proved by research to be unhealthy the next.
But one thing is for sure. Whatever other surprises research might throw up, it is never likely to prove that artificial, chemical-laden foods are good for you. This year let your resolution be to discard all those over-processed, milled, greasy foods from your kitchen cabinets. Eat fresh, organic, whole foods that are alive with nature's intelligence.
Learn to use spices and herbs in your daily cooking for more flavor, aroma and healing benefits. You'll derive maximum benefit from spices if you blend them to make sure you get all six flavors ayurveda recommends -- that is, sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Sounds like too much trouble? Try Maharishi Ayurveda Churnas, which are blended precisely to make sure you get balanced flavor.
USE GHEE
One of Maharishi Ayurveda's best kept secret's is the virtues of Ghee (Clarified butter) -- a time-honored alternative to ordinary cooking oil. Ghee is all-natural, salt-free and lactose-free. Chefs know that you can use half as much Ghee as ordinary oils. And it stays fresh for weeks at room temperature.
Ghee helps bring out the lipid-soluble portion of spices so you can gain the full benefit of the spices. Plus, ayurvedic doctors report that Ghee aids digestion and absorption of nutrients while reducing excess stomach acid.
Don't visit your doctor too often: A recent study that surveyed hundreds of American men found that 4 out of 5 men feel sick at least once in a month, and 1 in 5 goes to a doctor for some health problem. Don't be an unhappy statistic this year. Learn why disease happens, then strive to keep it away. Ayurveda believes that accumulated toxins or "ama" are the reason why all disease takes root.
Keep your body ama -free by following five simple steps:
Sip plain hot water frequently throughout the day. This helps the body digest food and eliminate ama efficiently.
Eat a warm, full meal at lunchtime, with all the six tastes on your platter -- sweet, bitter, salty, sour, pungent and astringent.
Take at least 20 minutes to eat, and sit quietly for a few minutes after you've finished your meal.
Eat a light, early dinner and drink only liquids after 8 p.m.
Build your immunity: Discover the power of Amrit. Amrit is a powerful, holistic nutritional supplement for mind and body. It provides comprehensive nourishment at fundamental levels, helping to strengthen each cell for optimum functioning. Forty-four rare whole herbs and fruits are combined in precise proportions in this powerful formula to keep the body functioning at peak efficiency and filled with vitality.
GET YOUR ZZZs
Get 365 nights of great sleep: Sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia: these are just a few of the recognized disorders that keep their afflicted from getting enough sleep. Nearly half of all Americans have difficulty sleeping.
Don't be one of them this year.
Turn to ayurveda for simple and practical solutions to help you sleep well. Herbs have long been known to calm the mind and improve the quality of sleep. Indian Valerian, Muskroot and Winter Cherry (Ashwagandha) are some of the star sleep-friendly herbs that Maharishi Ayurveda's Blissful Sleep herbal formula contains. The herbs in this synergistic formula produce a calming, balancing effect on the body, mind and emotions.
Blissful Sleep can be used in conjunction with the Worry Free formula if you tend to worry about being able to sleep well.
Besides the herbs, there's time-tested advice. Ayurvedic physicians have, for instance, always recommended a glass of warm milk before bedtime. Modern research explains the scientific reason for this: milk taken at this time helps the body absorb tryptophan, a sleep-promoting amino acid that releases melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep well.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
Heal the Self: The most important relationship in the world is that you have with your own self. In sickness and in health, for better or for worse. The stresses of daily life, however, make it a struggle to keep in touch with your natural reservoir of creativity, nurturance and intelligence. Result: your efforts to love and care for others become a struggle, leaving you empty and cold inside.
This year, resolve to get back in touch with the reservoir of love inside, so you can give without being exhausted, care without wanting to cling. A great way to achieve this is by learning Transcendental Meditation™, which is an effortless, proven way to take you back to the field of natural calm and peace. TM™ makes you more productive, energetic and positive-and when you're feeling so good about yourself, it's easy to feel loving towards other people.
HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF MOTIVATED
READ UP: Making a resolution is essentially about changing established unhealthy patterns-right from sleeping late to eating the wrong kind of foods. A superb way to motivate yourself is to read up on how lack of sleep damages your physiology and psychology; or how the wrong food combinations taken at the wrong time of day can play havoc with your entire system. Thanks to the internet, all this information is just a click away.
SHARE YOUR GOALS: Tell someone about your fresh resolutions, and seek their co-operation. Invite your friend/mother/boss to do what you are going to do. This way, you not only ensure that you are motivated, but also inspire others to live more healthfully.
BE REALISTIC: Don't go into your resolution with an all-or-nothing attitude. It's okay to slip up. What's more, think of ayurvedic lifestyle guidelines as bonus points: you benefit tremendously if you pick up more points, but not picking them up once in a while won't harm you in any way.
RECORD YOUR PROGRESS: A calendar with stars, or better still, a personal journal is an excellent incentive for tracking your successes and failures. A journal does more than keep records-it puts you back in touch with yourself, improving the way you feel about the whole world.
REWARD YOUR SUCCESSES: But don't punish yourself for failures. Although following a new healthful routine is in itself a reward, you will do better by rewarding yourself externally too. Promise to buy yourself a good book or a new dress at the end of a healthy week. When you have something good to look forward to, keeping up with that nightly glass of milk or timely lunch becomes a pleasure.
UNDERSTAND THE SPIRIT OF WINTER: Winter's dark, cold, slow-moving nature makes it the worst time of year to begin a vigorous workout schedule or stringent weight-loss program, like many of us do as New Year's resolutions. It is a time to conserve strength, to rest, and to build energy, not expend it. Just as plants reemerge in the spring, so should you. So whatever your resolve, make sure it is in tune with the season.
Ayurvedic healing, as you know, places the highest value on good lifestyle. Ayurveda describes four types of life: hita-ayu, ahita-ayu, sukha-ayu and dukha-ayu: Hita-ayu is life that is led for doing good to yourself and others. Ahita-ayu refer to actions which are not for the good of yourself or another person. Sukha-ayu refers to those healthful and blissful actions that you do for the good of your physiology, while dukha-ayu is leading a life that harms the physiology. Choose to lead the hita-ayu and sukha-ayu life, and your days will be filled with bounty in every way.
The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians shows you how to lead the hita-sukha lifestyle this year.
THE CUP THAT CHEERS
This year, discover the cup that really cheers: Kicking the coffee habit can be hard -- in fact some researchers today say that taken in moderation, caffeine can actually help fend off Parkinson's disease, increase alertness and improve moods. So if you're among the 160 million Americans who love coffee, that's grounds for celebration.
But… remember that all the research underlines coffee-consumption in moderation -- that is, not more than 2 cups a day. What when the urge for the 3rd cup hits?
Try Raja's Cup: a precise blend of four potent herbs -- Clearing Nut, Kasmard, Licorice and Winter Cherry -- this time-tested beverage helps promote well-being and vitality. Published research shows that Raja's Cup has hundreds of times the antioxidant power of vitamin C or vitamin E. And it tastes delicious too! In a blind taste test, coffee drinkers thought that Raja's Cup was actually coffee. Caffeine-free, with no grains, Raja's Cup can be enjoyed any time of day -- after meals, at breakfast or before bed.
SPICE UP YOUR LIFE
Make this year the year of spice: The confusion about what to eat is getting worse every day. The fashion and entertainment industry urges you to be thin, and commercials promote junk food. What's found to be healthy one day is proved by research to be unhealthy the next.
But one thing is for sure. Whatever other surprises research might throw up, it is never likely to prove that artificial, chemical-laden foods are good for you. This year let your resolution be to discard all those over-processed, milled, greasy foods from your kitchen cabinets. Eat fresh, organic, whole foods that are alive with nature's intelligence.
Learn to use spices and herbs in your daily cooking for more flavor, aroma and healing benefits. You'll derive maximum benefit from spices if you blend them to make sure you get all six flavors ayurveda recommends -- that is, sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Sounds like too much trouble? Try Maharishi Ayurveda Churnas, which are blended precisely to make sure you get balanced flavor.
USE GHEE
One of Maharishi Ayurveda's best kept secret's is the virtues of Ghee (Clarified butter) -- a time-honored alternative to ordinary cooking oil. Ghee is all-natural, salt-free and lactose-free. Chefs know that you can use half as much Ghee as ordinary oils. And it stays fresh for weeks at room temperature.
Ghee helps bring out the lipid-soluble portion of spices so you can gain the full benefit of the spices. Plus, ayurvedic doctors report that Ghee aids digestion and absorption of nutrients while reducing excess stomach acid.
Don't visit your doctor too often: A recent study that surveyed hundreds of American men found that 4 out of 5 men feel sick at least once in a month, and 1 in 5 goes to a doctor for some health problem. Don't be an unhappy statistic this year. Learn why disease happens, then strive to keep it away. Ayurveda believes that accumulated toxins or "ama" are the reason why all disease takes root.
Keep your body ama -free by following five simple steps:
Sip plain hot water frequently throughout the day. This helps the body digest food and eliminate ama efficiently.
Eat a warm, full meal at lunchtime, with all the six tastes on your platter -- sweet, bitter, salty, sour, pungent and astringent.
Take at least 20 minutes to eat, and sit quietly for a few minutes after you've finished your meal.
Eat a light, early dinner and drink only liquids after 8 p.m.
Build your immunity: Discover the power of Amrit. Amrit is a powerful, holistic nutritional supplement for mind and body. It provides comprehensive nourishment at fundamental levels, helping to strengthen each cell for optimum functioning. Forty-four rare whole herbs and fruits are combined in precise proportions in this powerful formula to keep the body functioning at peak efficiency and filled with vitality.
GET YOUR ZZZs
Get 365 nights of great sleep: Sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia: these are just a few of the recognized disorders that keep their afflicted from getting enough sleep. Nearly half of all Americans have difficulty sleeping.
Don't be one of them this year.
Turn to ayurveda for simple and practical solutions to help you sleep well. Herbs have long been known to calm the mind and improve the quality of sleep. Indian Valerian, Muskroot and Winter Cherry (Ashwagandha) are some of the star sleep-friendly herbs that Maharishi Ayurveda's Blissful Sleep herbal formula contains. The herbs in this synergistic formula produce a calming, balancing effect on the body, mind and emotions.
Blissful Sleep can be used in conjunction with the Worry Free formula if you tend to worry about being able to sleep well.
Besides the herbs, there's time-tested advice. Ayurvedic physicians have, for instance, always recommended a glass of warm milk before bedtime. Modern research explains the scientific reason for this: milk taken at this time helps the body absorb tryptophan, a sleep-promoting amino acid that releases melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep well.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING
Heal the Self: The most important relationship in the world is that you have with your own self. In sickness and in health, for better or for worse. The stresses of daily life, however, make it a struggle to keep in touch with your natural reservoir of creativity, nurturance and intelligence. Result: your efforts to love and care for others become a struggle, leaving you empty and cold inside.
This year, resolve to get back in touch with the reservoir of love inside, so you can give without being exhausted, care without wanting to cling. A great way to achieve this is by learning Transcendental Meditation™, which is an effortless, proven way to take you back to the field of natural calm and peace. TM™ makes you more productive, energetic and positive-and when you're feeling so good about yourself, it's easy to feel loving towards other people.
HOW TO KEEP YOURSELF MOTIVATED
READ UP: Making a resolution is essentially about changing established unhealthy patterns-right from sleeping late to eating the wrong kind of foods. A superb way to motivate yourself is to read up on how lack of sleep damages your physiology and psychology; or how the wrong food combinations taken at the wrong time of day can play havoc with your entire system. Thanks to the internet, all this information is just a click away.
SHARE YOUR GOALS: Tell someone about your fresh resolutions, and seek their co-operation. Invite your friend/mother/boss to do what you are going to do. This way, you not only ensure that you are motivated, but also inspire others to live more healthfully.
BE REALISTIC: Don't go into your resolution with an all-or-nothing attitude. It's okay to slip up. What's more, think of ayurvedic lifestyle guidelines as bonus points: you benefit tremendously if you pick up more points, but not picking them up once in a while won't harm you in any way.
RECORD YOUR PROGRESS: A calendar with stars, or better still, a personal journal is an excellent incentive for tracking your successes and failures. A journal does more than keep records-it puts you back in touch with yourself, improving the way you feel about the whole world.
REWARD YOUR SUCCESSES: But don't punish yourself for failures. Although following a new healthful routine is in itself a reward, you will do better by rewarding yourself externally too. Promise to buy yourself a good book or a new dress at the end of a healthy week. When you have something good to look forward to, keeping up with that nightly glass of milk or timely lunch becomes a pleasure.
UNDERSTAND THE SPIRIT OF WINTER: Winter's dark, cold, slow-moving nature makes it the worst time of year to begin a vigorous workout schedule or stringent weight-loss program, like many of us do as New Year's resolutions. It is a time to conserve strength, to rest, and to build energy, not expend it. Just as plants reemerge in the spring, so should you. So whatever your resolve, make sure it is in tune with the season.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Modern technology does make life seem simpler-but the increasing evidence is-it can also make life shorter, by reducing the need to interact with othe
Modern technology does make life seem simpler-but the increasing evidence is-it can also make life shorter, by reducing the need to interact with other human beings. Recent research studies prove that people who have a lot of human contact can live twice as long as those who are isolated.
A groundbreaking study of some 7,000 people in Alameda County, CA, showed that those with the fewest friends, family, community, and religious institutions were three times more likely to die over the 9 years in which the study was conducted.
Further, researchers who monitored 276 people between the ages of 18 and 55 found that those who had six or more connections with people were four times better than others at fighting off viruses that cause colds.
Ayurveda has never needed laboratory research studies like these to understand this truth its healers have observed and understood it quite literally for ages now. Here is the A-to-Z ayurveda guide on how to reconnect with your spouse, significant other or a special family member or friend so you both live long and joyful lives.
Apply the brakes. Don't be a time-struggler. The human body is not well suited to time struggle. Research strongly suggests that impatient clock watching is linked to hostility, resentment and relationship-breakdowns. Remember Lord Chesterfield's immortal words: "Take care of the minutes, and the hours will take care of themselves. That's exactly what ayurveda advocates. Some tools to help you slow down: Maharishi Ayurveda's wide range of relaxing massage oils, all-natural Aroma candles and time-tested herbal supplements like Blissful Joy.
Balance is a keyword in Ayurveda, be it in physical health or emotional issues. Ayurveda believes that inner disharmony and imbalance cause stress, a leading cause of failed relationships. What causes this imbalance in the first place? Overuse or misuse of the mind and/or body.
Stress vitiates Prana Vata, which governs the activity and energy of the brain. Once the pivot point is weakened, your ability to cope with stress is badly compromised. Restore your emotional balance with herbal healers like Blissful Joy and Worry Free.
Cook together. It's therapeutic. Besides nutrition, there's affection in cooking for another. In his e-magazine The Bridge, journalist Angshuman Dasgupta writes of herbs and spices thus: "They (herbs and spices) are hoary heritage from times long past, places afar. They waft through the breeze across continents, transcend barriers, borne on the backs of wayfarers. Let the spices you have grown up on be your new adventure. They can become flavorful blends in innovative hands. Give them a chance. New to the world of spices?
Kick-start your quest with the help of Maharishi Ayurveda's gourmet Churnas, precisely blended to balance the three doshas."
Drive thoughts of jealousy from your mind. These are toxic, and pile up negative "ama" inside you, leading to not only mental but also physical ailments.
Empty your kitchen cupboards of all milled, processed, preserved and fermented foods. Food in ayurvedic healing has a direct relationship with your consciousness. You are what you eat" is a maxim very dear to the ayurvedic healer's heart. To be a loving, caring person, you ought to eat foods that have been prepared with love and care-not instant and indifferent pre-packaged foods. When the urge to binge on "junk" foods strikes, give your body-and mind-a treat with drinks like Maharishi Ayurveda's Almond Energy drink. The Winter Cherry in this drink aids resistance to stress. Brahmi nourishes the mind. Poppy Seeds are a natural sleep aid and help relaxation. Almonds provide energy. What more can you ask for?
Follow your heart. Basically, we all want to be happy. And happiness comes when your heart, mind and body are all doing the same things. Picture this: your body is tired, but your mind says you have to finish your work by morning so you stay up all night. This fills the heart with resentment, and at the end of the night, you're anything but happy.
Gift your partner some good health. Maharishi Ayurveda products include personal care, foods and beverages and nutritional supplements. Choose your gift with care, and present it with flair. Our recommendations: well, they are too many to list, but you can choose from among scores of creams, lotions, oils, aromas and herbal supplements.
Halt your tongue as soon as you begin to feel your temper rise. Ayurveda recommends everything in moderation: be it love or anger.
Increase the quota of time you spend on yourself. Start your day with a warm all-body massage before your shower, and you will emerge feeling relaxed and vitally alive. A good self-image always makes you feel generous and loving towards others, and that helps build strong relationships. Massage is only one of the many ways in which you can look after yourself. Try a little bit of all of these: yoga, deep breathing, drinking plenty of water, taking frequent breaks from work. All of these will make you feel special and happy.
Joy is not in things-it is in us, said a wise man. Healers who followed ayurveda have expressed this sentiment in a variety of ways. To them, this thought mattered a great deal because they knew relationships can become victims of object-referral living. A vaidya, therefore, would whole-heartedly agree that "the real things in life aren't things at all.
Know the difference between loving and clinging. Laugh together as often as you can. Laughter really is the best medicine.
Meditate: Transcendental Meditation® is a wonderful way to connect with yourself, and subsequently with other people. The basic principle is this: when you make contact with your deepest needs, your inner self, you release the knotted-up tension from your heart. Through regular meditation, you can shed these pressures on a daily basis-which will make you feel more energetic, more positive and more loving.
Nature knows best. Follow this simple mantra, and your harried life will begin to flow smoothly. Be it hunger or sleep, listen to the rhythm of nature: appetite peaks at noon and the mind requests rest in the evening-that's the way nature has designed us, and going against its laws causes disturbances in our daily lives, and affects our relationships with others too.
Omit meat from your diet if you can. Ayurveda believes that the vegetarian diet is complete in itself, and foods that are not derived from animal slaughter are rich in "chetna" or consciousness. Such foods give rise to positive thoughts, build "satoguna", the highest-quality dosha of the mind.
Prevent disorders from taking root in the physiology with the greatest rasayana of all. Amrit is truly the golden cup of longevity, as its name means. It is a wonderfully effective formulation of 40 rare herbs and fruits. Not only does this incredible anti-oxidant rejuvenate the body, but also brings calm and peace to the person as a whole.
Quell your desire to eat a late-night meal or stay in bed till late in the morning. An old saying, "eat half as much in twice the time" makes a lot of sense to ayurvedic physicians. Similarly, sleep early and rise before 6 a.m.-this way, you will balance all your doshas. When the doshas are in harmony, one feels joyous, filled with bliss. When you are humming inside, you'll make others want to sing, too.
Resolve to pay more attention to the little things in a relationship: a kind gesture, a thank-you note, or even just a smile.
Sniff sesame oil (nasya) to lubricate and protect your nose and sinuses, which are the ventilation system for your brain. The oil helps clear mucus out of the sinuses. Just dip your little finger in the sesame oil you use for your massage and rub the oil inside of each nostril. Then pinch and release your nostrils rapidly while inhaling sharply. This not only clears the nasal passages but also your brain, making you think clearer and make the right choices with regard to yourself and others.
"Tend to the needs of your digestive system. Now good digestion wait on appetite-and health on both," Shakespeare's Macbeth is said to have exclaimed. Not for no reason. Ayurveda considers the health of the digestive system to be the key to overall well-being. Can you imagine being relaxed, friendly, and creative when last night's heavy dinner is still groaning in your stomach?
Understand the importance of touch. Ayurveda's prime diagnostic tool is nadi pariksha or pulse diagnosis, which connects the physician to the patient -anyone who has had a pulse diagnosis done knows how soothing and healing that touch feels. Not only that, the pulse can tell a physician what complex laboratory tests can sometimes fail to reveal. Similarly, people around us need to be healed with touch: a baby needs hugging, a friend needs a gentle squeeze of the hand.
Value the need of your body to rejuvenate and detoxify with each change of season. Ayurveda offers the pleasurable and highly beneficial Panchakarma therapy that can, every time the season changes, restore you in body and mind.
Work hard, but don't let your work overshadow other areas of your life that are equally important. Short breaks during periods of intense activity, planning and not allowing deadlines to rule your entire life can make work pleasurable and productive.
"Youth is unhappy because it is faced with this terrible choice: love without peace, or peace without love," wrote Beaumarchais. True, isn't it-that youth and peace often seem to be in conflict? It needn't be that way, if you listen to some simple ayurvedic advice. Youth, according to ayurveda, is the season ruled by dynamic Pitta. Keeping your Pitta balanced by eating calming foods, dressing according to the weather, and staying away from violent books and movies are small but effective steps toward a happy, peaceful and loving youth.
Zoom away together to a place where natural beauty abounds. Getting close to nature every now and then heals and restores the whole being.
A groundbreaking study of some 7,000 people in Alameda County, CA, showed that those with the fewest friends, family, community, and religious institutions were three times more likely to die over the 9 years in which the study was conducted.
Further, researchers who monitored 276 people between the ages of 18 and 55 found that those who had six or more connections with people were four times better than others at fighting off viruses that cause colds.
Ayurveda has never needed laboratory research studies like these to understand this truth its healers have observed and understood it quite literally for ages now. Here is the A-to-Z ayurveda guide on how to reconnect with your spouse, significant other or a special family member or friend so you both live long and joyful lives.
Apply the brakes. Don't be a time-struggler. The human body is not well suited to time struggle. Research strongly suggests that impatient clock watching is linked to hostility, resentment and relationship-breakdowns. Remember Lord Chesterfield's immortal words: "Take care of the minutes, and the hours will take care of themselves. That's exactly what ayurveda advocates. Some tools to help you slow down: Maharishi Ayurveda's wide range of relaxing massage oils, all-natural Aroma candles and time-tested herbal supplements like Blissful Joy.
Balance is a keyword in Ayurveda, be it in physical health or emotional issues. Ayurveda believes that inner disharmony and imbalance cause stress, a leading cause of failed relationships. What causes this imbalance in the first place? Overuse or misuse of the mind and/or body.
Stress vitiates Prana Vata, which governs the activity and energy of the brain. Once the pivot point is weakened, your ability to cope with stress is badly compromised. Restore your emotional balance with herbal healers like Blissful Joy and Worry Free.
Cook together. It's therapeutic. Besides nutrition, there's affection in cooking for another. In his e-magazine The Bridge, journalist Angshuman Dasgupta writes of herbs and spices thus: "They (herbs and spices) are hoary heritage from times long past, places afar. They waft through the breeze across continents, transcend barriers, borne on the backs of wayfarers. Let the spices you have grown up on be your new adventure. They can become flavorful blends in innovative hands. Give them a chance. New to the world of spices?
Kick-start your quest with the help of Maharishi Ayurveda's gourmet Churnas, precisely blended to balance the three doshas."
Drive thoughts of jealousy from your mind. These are toxic, and pile up negative "ama" inside you, leading to not only mental but also physical ailments.
Empty your kitchen cupboards of all milled, processed, preserved and fermented foods. Food in ayurvedic healing has a direct relationship with your consciousness. You are what you eat" is a maxim very dear to the ayurvedic healer's heart. To be a loving, caring person, you ought to eat foods that have been prepared with love and care-not instant and indifferent pre-packaged foods. When the urge to binge on "junk" foods strikes, give your body-and mind-a treat with drinks like Maharishi Ayurveda's Almond Energy drink. The Winter Cherry in this drink aids resistance to stress. Brahmi nourishes the mind. Poppy Seeds are a natural sleep aid and help relaxation. Almonds provide energy. What more can you ask for?
Follow your heart. Basically, we all want to be happy. And happiness comes when your heart, mind and body are all doing the same things. Picture this: your body is tired, but your mind says you have to finish your work by morning so you stay up all night. This fills the heart with resentment, and at the end of the night, you're anything but happy.
Gift your partner some good health. Maharishi Ayurveda products include personal care, foods and beverages and nutritional supplements. Choose your gift with care, and present it with flair. Our recommendations: well, they are too many to list, but you can choose from among scores of creams, lotions, oils, aromas and herbal supplements.
Halt your tongue as soon as you begin to feel your temper rise. Ayurveda recommends everything in moderation: be it love or anger.
Increase the quota of time you spend on yourself. Start your day with a warm all-body massage before your shower, and you will emerge feeling relaxed and vitally alive. A good self-image always makes you feel generous and loving towards others, and that helps build strong relationships. Massage is only one of the many ways in which you can look after yourself. Try a little bit of all of these: yoga, deep breathing, drinking plenty of water, taking frequent breaks from work. All of these will make you feel special and happy.
Joy is not in things-it is in us, said a wise man. Healers who followed ayurveda have expressed this sentiment in a variety of ways. To them, this thought mattered a great deal because they knew relationships can become victims of object-referral living. A vaidya, therefore, would whole-heartedly agree that "the real things in life aren't things at all.
Know the difference between loving and clinging. Laugh together as often as you can. Laughter really is the best medicine.
Meditate: Transcendental Meditation® is a wonderful way to connect with yourself, and subsequently with other people. The basic principle is this: when you make contact with your deepest needs, your inner self, you release the knotted-up tension from your heart. Through regular meditation, you can shed these pressures on a daily basis-which will make you feel more energetic, more positive and more loving.
Nature knows best. Follow this simple mantra, and your harried life will begin to flow smoothly. Be it hunger or sleep, listen to the rhythm of nature: appetite peaks at noon and the mind requests rest in the evening-that's the way nature has designed us, and going against its laws causes disturbances in our daily lives, and affects our relationships with others too.
Omit meat from your diet if you can. Ayurveda believes that the vegetarian diet is complete in itself, and foods that are not derived from animal slaughter are rich in "chetna" or consciousness. Such foods give rise to positive thoughts, build "satoguna", the highest-quality dosha of the mind.
Prevent disorders from taking root in the physiology with the greatest rasayana of all. Amrit is truly the golden cup of longevity, as its name means. It is a wonderfully effective formulation of 40 rare herbs and fruits. Not only does this incredible anti-oxidant rejuvenate the body, but also brings calm and peace to the person as a whole.
Quell your desire to eat a late-night meal or stay in bed till late in the morning. An old saying, "eat half as much in twice the time" makes a lot of sense to ayurvedic physicians. Similarly, sleep early and rise before 6 a.m.-this way, you will balance all your doshas. When the doshas are in harmony, one feels joyous, filled with bliss. When you are humming inside, you'll make others want to sing, too.
Resolve to pay more attention to the little things in a relationship: a kind gesture, a thank-you note, or even just a smile.
Sniff sesame oil (nasya) to lubricate and protect your nose and sinuses, which are the ventilation system for your brain. The oil helps clear mucus out of the sinuses. Just dip your little finger in the sesame oil you use for your massage and rub the oil inside of each nostril. Then pinch and release your nostrils rapidly while inhaling sharply. This not only clears the nasal passages but also your brain, making you think clearer and make the right choices with regard to yourself and others.
"Tend to the needs of your digestive system. Now good digestion wait on appetite-and health on both," Shakespeare's Macbeth is said to have exclaimed. Not for no reason. Ayurveda considers the health of the digestive system to be the key to overall well-being. Can you imagine being relaxed, friendly, and creative when last night's heavy dinner is still groaning in your stomach?
Understand the importance of touch. Ayurveda's prime diagnostic tool is nadi pariksha or pulse diagnosis, which connects the physician to the patient -anyone who has had a pulse diagnosis done knows how soothing and healing that touch feels. Not only that, the pulse can tell a physician what complex laboratory tests can sometimes fail to reveal. Similarly, people around us need to be healed with touch: a baby needs hugging, a friend needs a gentle squeeze of the hand.
Value the need of your body to rejuvenate and detoxify with each change of season. Ayurveda offers the pleasurable and highly beneficial Panchakarma therapy that can, every time the season changes, restore you in body and mind.
Work hard, but don't let your work overshadow other areas of your life that are equally important. Short breaks during periods of intense activity, planning and not allowing deadlines to rule your entire life can make work pleasurable and productive.
"Youth is unhappy because it is faced with this terrible choice: love without peace, or peace without love," wrote Beaumarchais. True, isn't it-that youth and peace often seem to be in conflict? It needn't be that way, if you listen to some simple ayurvedic advice. Youth, according to ayurveda, is the season ruled by dynamic Pitta. Keeping your Pitta balanced by eating calming foods, dressing according to the weather, and staying away from violent books and movies are small but effective steps toward a happy, peaceful and loving youth.
Zoom away together to a place where natural beauty abounds. Getting close to nature every now and then heals and restores the whole being.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Triphala
Q: Triphala, contained in MAPI's Digest Tone and a major ingredient in Cholesterol Protection, is one of the most famous herbal compounds in ayurvedic medicine. Can you tell us what it's made of?
A: Certainly. literally means "three fruits," "tri" meaning "three" and "phala" meaning "fruit. The three fruits contained in Triphala are Haritaki, Amalaki and Bibhitaki.
A: There is a saying in India that if a vaidya knows how to use Triphala properly, he can heal any disease. It is highly revered in Maharishi Ayurveda.
When these three fruits I mentioned are combined as Triphala, they form a very powerful rasayana. A rasayana is the most highly refined and powerful herbal and fruit combination in ayurveda, and is known to promote long life and rejuvenation. A rasayana promotes ojas, the material equivalent of bliss. Ojas is the finest product of digestion, and prevents disease, creates luster in the skin and rejuvenates the whole body.
Besides nourishing the mind and body and promoting longevity, Triphala has many specific effects. It is particularly rejuvenating for the digestive tract, and is a rasayana for the eyes and the skin.
Triphala balances Apana Vata, the subdosha of Vata that governs the colon, lower abdomen, menstrual flow and elimination. For most people Triphala is a mild laxative, and for that reason it is excellent for clearing toxins from the digestive system. In very rare cases it has a stronger laxative effect, but usually it is an ideal bowel cleanser precisely because of its mildness. In moderate doses it is gentle, and detoxifies the body slowly.
But because it is slow, you can take it for longer periods of time, and then it has a deeply purifying effect. It goes deeper into the physiology and releases the toxins at a much deeper level.
Q: What do you mean by "going deeper" into the physiology?
A: There are seven tissues (dhatus) in the body, and they form in a sequence. Starting with Rasa (the nutrient fluid derived from food), the tissue chain progresses from to Rakta (blood), Mamsa (muscle), Meda (fat), Asthi (bone), Majja (bone marrow) and Shukra (reproductive fluid) in a chain of reactions that is sequential and orderly.
Digest Tone cleanses toxins up to and including the fat tissue. You can see that this is a much deeper effect than just cleansing the bowel. It cleanses toxins from the nutrient fluid, the blood, the muscle and the fat tissues if used for a long enough time.
Because it detoxifies the blood, muscle and fat tissues, it is excellent for preventing skin disease. And because it removes ama from the fat tissue, Triphala also helps balance cholesterol.
Triphala can also repair any damage that has occurred in the intelligence of nature that governs the transformation from one tissue to the next. It is in the gap between the tissues that the intelligence of nature operates, and if there is any damage, Triphala can repair and reset the chain to enable proper transformation of one tissue to the next. That's what makes it a very great rasayana. Also, it has two of the three major herbs contained in Maharishi Amrit Kalash, which is the most highly refined and rejuvenating rasayana of all.
Q: What are the other benefits one can expect from taking Triphala?
A: Triphala also purifies the urine and prevents urinary tract disease (prameha). It enhances all thirteen agnis (digestive fires), especially the pachagni, the main digestive fire in the stomach. It pacifies Kapha and Pitta, and if taken regularly, is a powerful anti-aging rasayana.
Q: That's quite a list of benefits that are reported in the classical ayurvedic texts. Does modern research support these benefits?
A: Yes, it certainly does. One study (Food Chemistry Toxicology, 2002) showed that Triphala had an antimutagenic effect in vitro. This is interesting, because as I mentioned earlier, Triphala can repair damage to the sequence of nature's intelligence in the "gaps" in the tissues, in the mechanics of transformation from one tissue to another. In other words, if a type of tissue forgets its connection to nature's intelligence, or is in some way damaged, Triphala can repair that damage before it manifests as a disease. This could have implications for fighting the growth of cancer or other aberrant cells.
Another study (Phytomedicine 2002) showed that Triphala had a radioprotective effect in mice exposed to gamma-radiation. It delayed the onset of mortality and reduced the symptoms of radiation sickness in one group significantly more than the control group, which did not take Triphala. This demonstrates the ability of Triphala to act as a radiation-protective agent when administered in the proper doses.
A third study tested the effect of the three fruits used in Triphala on cholesterol-induced hypercholesterolaemia and atherosclerosis. Although all three fruits used in the Triphala formula were found to reduce serum cholesterol and cholesterol of both the liver and aorta, Haritaki had the greatest effect.Of course, these studies are limited in their ability to show the true effects of Triphala because they focus on the isolated ingredients. It may take years before modern science understands the importance of testing whole herbs and fruits that are combined in the right proportions according to traditional ayurvedic herbal methods--rather than the raw isolated ingredients or the so-called "active" components. The effects are much more balanced and holistic when the whole herb or fruit is processed properly and combined with other herbs in the traditional manner.
There is a verse in Charaka that explains this principle: "The understanding of the total nature of the subject does not arise from a fragmentary knowledge of it. (Charaka Samhita, Vimanasthana 4.5).
But in any case, these studies do point in the right direction.
Q: Yes, that is quite an impressive list of studies. What makes Triphala, contained in MAPI's Digest Tone, this powerful?
A: The ingredients that make up Triphala are powerful individually. When combined correctly, synergy enhances the healing quotient exponentially. The first ingredient is Haritaki--that is the Sanskrit name, pronounced har-ee'-tuck-ee. It's called Terminalia chebula or Chebulic Myrobalans in Latin. This fruit is mentioned in almost all ayurvedic textbooks. Charaka goes so far as to say that Haritaki is as nourishing and useful for everyone as mother's milk. He mentions that it's a rasayana for the eyes (netra ruja apaharini), and helps prevent eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts.
Haritaki is also a rasayana for the skin. It's known as a Twagamayagni, which means that it destroys skin disease. Sushruta Samhita, a classical ayurvedic text on surgery, says that Haritaki and Triphala are useful in cleansing wounds and promoting healing and regeneration from the inside. The famous ayurvedic surgeon Sushruta calls it branya, which means having the ability to heal an ulcer or wound.
Charaka also says that Haritaki is good for the digestive system. It helps enhance the absorption of nutrients in food. It is also a cardio-preventive, helping to promote heart health.
Another excellent quality of this fruit is that it cleanses the macro and micro circulatory channels, known as shrotas in Maharishi Ayurveda. In one verse of Charaka Samhita, it says Haritaki is "shrotovishodhini," which means that it can clear the channels, both big and small. The Bhavprakash Nigantu, an ayurvedic text on herbal science that is part of my own family tradition, mentions that Haritaki is a yogavahini, which means that it cleanses the channels and is absorbed quickly by the body.
Because of the yogavahini effect, Haritaki also enhances mental clarity and memory. Haritaki is a Medhya fruit, which means that it enhances coordination among the mental functions of dhi (acquisition of knowledge), dhriti (retention of knowledge) and smriti (recall of knowledge or memory). It enhances mental clarity and memory, and the stamina of the mind and senses. The Bavprakash Nigantu also mentions that it is good for the health of the spleen and liver, and is a famous preventive for any liver problems.
In addition, the Charaka Samhita says that Haritaki is sarvah dosha prasamani (all-dosha pacifying). Very few fruits and herbs have this designation. It also supports the body's immune system. On top of everything, Haritaki has an anti-aging value. Charaka Samhita calls it vayasthapani (anti-aging).
Q: You have detailed an extremely impressive list of qualities. Is there research to support these traditional claims?
A: Yes, there is quite an extensive body of research on Haritaki by scientists in universities throughout the world. In support of its bactricidal quality, research shows that Haritaki has anti-bacterial effect (International Journal of Cardiology, 1988). In this study the researchers tested the effect of extracts of Haritaki on a bacteria called Helicobactor Pylori.
The results indicated that water extracts of Haritaki contain a heat stable agent with inhibiting effects and possible therapeutic potential for fighting Helicobactor Pylori and other bacterial species.
As for the reduction of liver disease, one study examined the effect of an herbal formula that contained Haritaki as the main ingredient along with four other herbs.
The results showed that this formula enhanced the rate of recovery from hepatic amoebiasis by 73%, reducing the average degree of liver infection substantially (Journal of Ethno Pharmacology, 1996). The extract of this formula also was found to enhance cell-mediated immune response in golden hamsters with amoebic liver abscess.
So you can see that these benefits, which were known by the ayurvedic seers such as Charaka and Sushruta thousands of years ago, are now being recognized by modern science.
Q: That's amazing. Can you tell us about the second ingredient, Amalaki?
A: Yes. This fruit is called Amalaki in Sanskrit and in Latin it's called Emblica Officinalis Gaertn, Phyllanthus Emblica or Terminalia Emblica. Indian Gooseberry is the English name and Amla is what it's called in Hindi. But no matter by what name you call it, Amalaki has many remarkable qualities.
First of all, Amalaki is known as a divine plant in the ayurvedic materia medica. Amalaki is also a rasayana, which means that it has longevity-enhancing and disease-defying qualities. Usually rasayanas, which are the cream of ayurvedic herbal compounds, are made of more than one ingredient. It is extraordinary that this fruit all by itself is revered as one of the most powerful rasayanas. The Charaka Samhita says, "Amalaki is the best among rejuvenative herbs.
Amalaki fruit contains the sweet, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent tastes.
The only taste missing is salty. Because it contains five out of the six tastes, it is balancing to all three doshas.
Amalaki has a sour taste initially, but when it mixes with the saliva, its aftertaste (vipaka) is sweet. Both sweet and sour tastes pacify Vata dosha. Amalaki's virya or potency is cool, so along with the sweet aftertaste, this coolness pacifies the hot Pitta. The bitter, astringent and pungent tastes of Amalaki balance Kapha. So that's how this one fruit pacifies all three doshas.
Q: Can you tell us some of the benefits of Amalaki mentioned in the ayurvedic texts?
A: There are so many excellent qualities in Amalaki that it's hard to know where to begin. Let's start first by saying that Amalaki helps purify toxins from the body. One way Amalaki does this is by enhancing food absorption. When your digestion becomes stronger, the food you eat is converted to nutrition rather than staying undigested and producing impurities.
The unique thing about Amalaki is that it heightens digestion yet is not heating. That's why it's traditionally considered one of the best herbs for balancing stomach acid. By enhancing digestion, it helps eliminate toxins from the body.Another way that Amalaki helps purify toxins is by strengthening and stimulating the liver. If someone has accumulated toxins due to eating junk foods, leading an unhealthy lifestyle or being exposed to chemicals, Amalaki helps flush out toxins.
It also helps elimination. Amalaki strengthens and purifies Apana Vata, and thus supports the evacuation of the bowel, urine, and menstrual flow. Amalaki helps relieve constipation, so you can see why Triphala also has that quality.
The urinary system in particular is supported by Amalaki. This fruit is helpful in treating symptoms such as a mild burning sensation while urinating. It also acts as a mild diuretic, helping the body eliminate excess water in a natural way that is not disruptive or harmful to the body. These actions are helpful in purifying the urine of toxins.
Q: Amazing. What are some other benefits of Amalaki?
A: In addition to the overall flushing of toxins I just mentioned, Amalaki cleanses the tissues throughout the body, and also strengthens specific organs.
Amalaki is a powerful tonic for the lungs, which are a seat of Kapha dosha in the body. The Amalaki fruit balances Shleshaka Kapha, which regulates moisture and mucus in the lungs, and helps the body fight respiratory infections. It nurtures and strengthens the lungs overall.
It also enhances fertility in both men and women by balancing Apana Vata.
Regular and healthy menstruation, nurturing of the sperm and ovaries, strengthening of the uterus, and overall support for reproductive health are some of the ways Amalaki supports healthy conception, especially for women.It nourishes the brain and mental functioning, and is a Medhya herb, enhancing the coordination between acquisition, retention, and recall. This supports the development of a sharper intellect, stronger mind and heightened sensory awareness.
Amalaki also strengthens the cardiovascular system. It nurtures the heart, blood and circulation. Amalaki improves assimilation of iron, which is one way that it purifies and nourishes the blood.
This fruit is also excellent for the skin. Because it detoxifies the liver, and because it also cleanses the tissues of the skin and protects it from bacterial infection, it is very good for your complexion. It also moisturizes the skin, and is known to improve glow and luster.Muscle tone is also improved by Amalaki. Because it enhances protein synthesis, promotes a positive nitrogen balance and strengthens the muscles, it contributes to lean muscle mass.
The hair, nails, teeth, and bones also benefit from Amalaki, because it helps improve absorption of calcium and other nutrients. It also helps prevent graying and thinning of the hair.
The eyes are another organ that benefit from Amalaki. In fact, Amalaki is called chakshusya, which means "a rasayana for strengthening the eyes. This is because Amalaki enhances both Ranjaka Pitta (the subdosha of Pitta that governs liver function and the blood plasma) and Alochaka Pitta (the subdosha that governs the eyes and vision). The fact that it enhances all three doshas also helps nourish the eyes and protect them from disease.Amalaki is an excellent source of Vitamin C, and is the most concentrated and absorbable source of the vitamin in the plant kingdom. It also contains other absorbable minerals that nourish the skin, the blood and the whole body.
Because of its high content of Vitamin C, Amalaki is a powerful antioxidant. Scientific research shows that Amalaki is an extremely potent antioxidant, excellent at removing excess free radicals, which are at the basis of much degenerative disease and aging.All of these qualities make Amalaki a powerful immunity-enhancer.
Q: That sounds like a plant having an unsurpassed range of benefits! Is there modern research to support these claims?
A: Yes. There are many research studies on Amalaki. One dramatic study reported its detoxifying effect, showing that Amalaki restored cells of rats who had arsenic poisoning almost to their normal level of toxicity. (Phytotherapy Research 1999).
Other studies have shown that it reduces cholesterol (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1988; British Journal of Experimental Pathology 1981; and Journal of Ethnopharmocology 1996). Findings show that it helps protect the liver (Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2000). Research on its antioxidant activity has been most impressive (Phytomedicine 2000; Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 1999; and Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2000).
Q: What about the third ingredient, Bibhitaki?
A: This also is a famous fruit in Maharishi Ayurveda. Bibhitaki (pronounced Bib hee' tuck ee) is its Sanskrit name, Terminalia Bellirica is the Latin name, and Bahira is the Hindi name. There is not as much scientific research on this fruit, but it is famous in the classical ayurvedic texts for its many good qualities.
Both Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita mention Bibhitaki as a homeostatic, meaning that it helps create balance and pure blood in the body. Sushruta Samhita, a text on surgery, mentions that it is useful to staunch internal hemorrhaging.
Charaka also reports that it is ideal for pacifying both Pitta and Kapha. It is cool to the touch (pacifying Pitta) but is hot when you eat it (and thus pacifies Kapha). Charaka Samhita also says that Bibhitaki cleanses the Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa and Meda dhatus, which means the nutritive fluid, the blood, the muscle and the fat tissue. In addition, the Charaka Samhita says Bibhitaki is excellent for balancing and nurturing the vocal chords, is antibacterial, and is chakshushya (a rasayana for the eyes).
Sushruta Samhita also mentions that Bhibitaki is dry and hot. It's excellent for nourishing the voice and the eyes, and is antibacterial. Sushruta also points out the bhedana effect of this fruit, which means that because of its heating quality it clears the clogged channels almost as if drilling them clear.The Bhavprakash Nigantu also mentions that Bibhitaki is nourishing for the eyes, and says it is netra hitam, meaning that it is beneficial for the eyes. Bibhitaki also nourishes the hair, and strengthens the hair root, color, and stability (and thus prevents thinning).
So now you can see why Digest Tone is so powerful: it's because the three fruits that make up the formula have remarkable abilities to cleanse impurities, nurture the body and restore health.
Q: Truly, these ingredients appear remarkable, and because the whole is more than the sum of the parts, when these three fruits are combined the effect is even more pronounced. Can you tell us how Maharishi Ayurveda Digest Tone is different from other varieties on the market-and there are so many companies that offer Triphala!
A: I'm glad you asked this question, because at Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, we are committed to only using the highest quality ingredients, and to upholding the authenticity of the ayurvedic tradition no matter what the cost. This is the only way the full range of results indicated in the Vedic texts can be realized.
Let me give you one example of this. The Haritaki fruit comes in seven different varieties. While all are beneficial, most of them help with only one of the many benefits that the texts mention for Haritaki. One variety is good for the eyes, for instance, and another variety is good for clearing the bowels.
However, most buyers of Triphala don't realize that there is one variety, called Vijaya, that gives all of the results that we mentioned earlier. Vijaya is mentioned by all the great ayurvedic seers as best variety to use, which in itself is rare, as not many fruits and herbs are universally acclaimed by all the seers.
Vijaya is the only variety that is used in Maharishi Ayurveda's Triphala, because it is, quite simply, the best. But while it is the best, Vijaya is also the most rare. This scarcity makes it more expensive; in fact it is ten times the price of other varieties of Haritaki.
It's not often that people in the U.S. know about the dramatic differences in the quality of various varieties of Haritaki. So you may not realize that the Triphala that is available from various companies for a very low price can also be of a much lower quality. Low-cost Triphala does not contain the Vijaya variety of Haritaki, which is the only variety that brings the wide ranges of benefits mentioned in the ayurvedic texts. Therefore if you take low-quality products, you cannot expect to get the full range of effects as described in this article.
Q: What are some other ways that Maharishi Ayurveda maintains high standards of quality control?
A: Let's talk about the quality of the fruits. First of all, to replicate the classical formulas, the fruits must be gathered from unpolluted areas. If there are environmental toxins in the soil, air or water, or if pesticides and chemical fertilizers were used in the culture, this would destroy the natural intelligence of the fruits and make them unsuitable for medicinal formulas.
For this reason, at Maharishi Ayurveda we only harvest fruits from unpolluted, pristine areas. We guarantee that the fruits are grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or exposure to environmental pollutants.
Secondly, it's important to harvest the fruits only at their peak, when they are ripe on the tree. If they are picked green, they won't have the beneficial properties mentioned in the classical texts. And of course they must not be overripe, fallen on the ground or rancid. At Maharishi Ayurveda we educate the gatherers to collect only the tree-ripened fruits.
Further, once the fruits are collected, at the processing factory they are sorted and tested to make sure the batch is of the right degree of ripeness and the proper quality.
Third, supply is an issue. Haritaki and Bibhitaki take many years to grow and produce fruit. In order to keep an adequate supply of tree-ripened fruit, Maharishi Ayurveda has developed wide resources, so there is always enough ripe fruit to produce our products.
Fourth, once the fruits are ripened, sanitation is an important issue. At Maharishi Ayurveda we hire trained workers, and the standards of cleanliness are extremely high. The sophisticated gathering, sorting, preparation and processing systems that we have developed ensure that no foreign material is included in the formula. The fruits are washed and cleansed of traces of jute (jute bags are used to collect the fruit), dirt and dust. They are tested for foreign material, heavy metals and for bacteria before, during and after processing.
Fifth, the processing method must not destroy the natural properties of the fruits. Most automatic grinding machines create heat, for example, and high heat destroys the medicinal properties of the fruits. At Maharishi Ayurveda we have taken care to use only grinders that do not produce heat during processing.
In conclusion, I want to put out an alert: not every brand of Triphala tablets is of good quality. If you are going to purchase Triphala tablets, it would be wise to ask the manufacturer what their arrangement is with their supplier in India. You should ask them about their gathering, sorting and processing methods. If the gatherers are unskilled, if they are collecting immature fruits or fruit that has already fallen to the ground, then the poor quality of the fruit will reflect on your health. If the company cannot guarantee that the fruits are carefully sorted and the bad fruits thrown out, that the fruits are cleansed of bacteria, dirt, and grime, then obviously you don't want to buy that product. You also want to make sure that they are ISO certified. ISO is an international organization that sets standards for product quality. I recommend Triphala as it is contained in MAPI's Digest Tone,
Q: Are there any lifestyle or dietary tips to help support detoxification and the other benefits of Triphala while you're taking it?
A: Yes, certainly that is a good point. First of all, it's important to avoid building up toxins in your body in the first place. Avoid foods that include chemical preservatives, emulsifiers and additives of any kind. Also try to avoid foods that are grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers, as these toxins enter your body and get stuck there, forming the basis for disease. Eat fresh, organic, well-cooked foods whenever possible.
Avoid eating packaged, frozen, canned, "fast" or leftover foods, as these dead foods are hard to digest and create toxins when the body can't digest them properly. Then your body just has to work harder to remove them from the body.
There are other dietary changes you can make to improve your digestion and to avoid building up digestive toxins such as ama and amavisha (toxic matter). Avoid ice-cold drinks, as they reduce the digestive fire. Drink plenty of warm water throughout the day to help flush out toxins. Eat sweet, juicy fruits daily if possible, as these help cleanse the rasa (nutrient fluid) and the bowels.
Avoid exposure to environmental toxins as much as possible, including air pollution, chemicals in your household cleansers, and chemicals in your drinking water. Buy chemical-free detergents, use an indoor air purifier if you live in a smoggy area, and purchase a water filter to remove toxins from your drinking and bathing water. Avoid imbibing toxic substances such as cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.
Besides eating pure foods, there are many things you can do each day to reduce digestive toxins. For instance, go to bed by 10 p.m. so your body can rest during its natural purification period from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. That will go a long way in purifying your body of toxins.
Eat your main meal at midday, when your digestive fire is high. Eat lighter at breakfast and supper, when your digestion is not as strong. Save the harder-to-digest foods such as yogurt, meats (if you're not vegetarian), and potatoes for the noon meal.
Keeping a regular time for eating meals is best, because your body can prepare itself when the meals are eaten at the same time each day. Eat only when you're hungry, and wait a full 3 hours after a main meal before snacking. This will allow the food to digest properly. Take your time when you eat, and be sure to chew your food. Don't try to watch TV, read or work while you're eating, as that will only be a recipe for indigestion. Savor the flavors, enjoy the colors, aromas and textures of your food. Light, pleasant conversation with people you love is best for digestion. Avoid intense conversations or emotional topics while eating.
Eat only until you are 3/4 full. Usually it takes a few minutes for the brain to register that you're full, so if you eat until you're stuffed, you're probably going to feel uncomfortable a while later. Also, the digestive system needs some space to operate in, so stuffing yourself to the maximum will actually inhibit digestion. Allow five minutes to sit after the meal is finished to get your digestion off to the right start.
When you drink milk, boil it first with fresh ginger or cardamom pod, or add a pinch each of the ground ginger and cardamom spices. Let the milk cool to the temperature you like and then drink it. This is the ayurvedic way to make milk more digestible and to avoid the build-up of mucus. Avoid combining milk with salty foods, fish, and foods of mixed taste. It digests well when you drink it alone between meals, or with other sweet tastes such as cereal, desserts, or toast.
Q: Thank you. I think that this in-depth understanding of the benefits ofTriphala, contained in MAPI's Digest Tone, could help almost everyone.
A: Yes, Digest Tone can help almost anyone in his or her effort to prevent disease and enjoy a better quality of life. The only people who should not take Triphala are those who are allergic to any of these three fruits.
Research
Kaur S; The in vitro antimutagenic activity of Triphala--an Indian herbal drug; Food Chem Toxicol; 2002 Apr; 40(4): 527-34.
Jagetia GC, et al; The evaluation of the radioprotective effect of Triphala (an ayurvedic rejuvenating drug) in mice exposed togamma-radiation; Phytomedicine; 2002 Mar; 9(2): 99-108.
Thakur CP, et al; The Ayurvedic medicines Haritaki, Amala and Bahira reduce cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits; J Ethnopharmacol; 1996 Nov; 54 (2-3): 119-24.
Malekzadeh F, et al; Antibacterial activity of black myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz) against Helicobacter pylori; Int J Cardiol; 1988 Nov; 21 (2):167-75.
Sohni, YR and Bhatt, RM; Activity of crude extract formulation in experimental hepatic amoebiasis and in immunomodulation studies; Journal of Ethno Pharmacol; Nov. 1996.
Biswas S, et al; Phytother Res; 1999 Sept; 13 (6): 513-6.
Jacob, A, et al; Eur J Clin Nutr; 1988 Nov; 42 (11): 939-44.
Mishra, M. et al; British Journal of Experimental Pathology; 1981 Oct; 62 (5): 526-8.
Mathur R, et al; Journ Ethno Pharmacol; 1996 Feb; 50 (2): 61-
Jose JK, et al; Journ Ethno Pharmacol; 2000 Sept; 72 (1-2): 134-40.
Bhattacharya A, et al; Phytomedicine; 2000 April; 7 (2): 172-175.
Bhattacharya A, et al; Indian Journal of Experimental Biology; 1999 July; 37 (7): 676-80.
Scartezzinini P, et al; Journ Ethno Pharmacol; 2000 July; 71 (1-2): 23-43.
A: Certainly. literally means "three fruits," "tri" meaning "three" and "phala" meaning "fruit. The three fruits contained in Triphala are Haritaki, Amalaki and Bibhitaki.
A: There is a saying in India that if a vaidya knows how to use Triphala properly, he can heal any disease. It is highly revered in Maharishi Ayurveda.
When these three fruits I mentioned are combined as Triphala, they form a very powerful rasayana. A rasayana is the most highly refined and powerful herbal and fruit combination in ayurveda, and is known to promote long life and rejuvenation. A rasayana promotes ojas, the material equivalent of bliss. Ojas is the finest product of digestion, and prevents disease, creates luster in the skin and rejuvenates the whole body.
Besides nourishing the mind and body and promoting longevity, Triphala has many specific effects. It is particularly rejuvenating for the digestive tract, and is a rasayana for the eyes and the skin.
Triphala balances Apana Vata, the subdosha of Vata that governs the colon, lower abdomen, menstrual flow and elimination. For most people Triphala is a mild laxative, and for that reason it is excellent for clearing toxins from the digestive system. In very rare cases it has a stronger laxative effect, but usually it is an ideal bowel cleanser precisely because of its mildness. In moderate doses it is gentle, and detoxifies the body slowly.
But because it is slow, you can take it for longer periods of time, and then it has a deeply purifying effect. It goes deeper into the physiology and releases the toxins at a much deeper level.
Q: What do you mean by "going deeper" into the physiology?
A: There are seven tissues (dhatus) in the body, and they form in a sequence. Starting with Rasa (the nutrient fluid derived from food), the tissue chain progresses from to Rakta (blood), Mamsa (muscle), Meda (fat), Asthi (bone), Majja (bone marrow) and Shukra (reproductive fluid) in a chain of reactions that is sequential and orderly.
Digest Tone cleanses toxins up to and including the fat tissue. You can see that this is a much deeper effect than just cleansing the bowel. It cleanses toxins from the nutrient fluid, the blood, the muscle and the fat tissues if used for a long enough time.
Because it detoxifies the blood, muscle and fat tissues, it is excellent for preventing skin disease. And because it removes ama from the fat tissue, Triphala also helps balance cholesterol.
Triphala can also repair any damage that has occurred in the intelligence of nature that governs the transformation from one tissue to the next. It is in the gap between the tissues that the intelligence of nature operates, and if there is any damage, Triphala can repair and reset the chain to enable proper transformation of one tissue to the next. That's what makes it a very great rasayana. Also, it has two of the three major herbs contained in Maharishi Amrit Kalash, which is the most highly refined and rejuvenating rasayana of all.
Q: What are the other benefits one can expect from taking Triphala?
A: Triphala also purifies the urine and prevents urinary tract disease (prameha). It enhances all thirteen agnis (digestive fires), especially the pachagni, the main digestive fire in the stomach. It pacifies Kapha and Pitta, and if taken regularly, is a powerful anti-aging rasayana.
Q: That's quite a list of benefits that are reported in the classical ayurvedic texts. Does modern research support these benefits?
A: Yes, it certainly does. One study (Food Chemistry Toxicology, 2002) showed that Triphala had an antimutagenic effect in vitro. This is interesting, because as I mentioned earlier, Triphala can repair damage to the sequence of nature's intelligence in the "gaps" in the tissues, in the mechanics of transformation from one tissue to another. In other words, if a type of tissue forgets its connection to nature's intelligence, or is in some way damaged, Triphala can repair that damage before it manifests as a disease. This could have implications for fighting the growth of cancer or other aberrant cells.
Another study (Phytomedicine 2002) showed that Triphala had a radioprotective effect in mice exposed to gamma-radiation. It delayed the onset of mortality and reduced the symptoms of radiation sickness in one group significantly more than the control group, which did not take Triphala. This demonstrates the ability of Triphala to act as a radiation-protective agent when administered in the proper doses.
A third study tested the effect of the three fruits used in Triphala on cholesterol-induced hypercholesterolaemia and atherosclerosis. Although all three fruits used in the Triphala formula were found to reduce serum cholesterol and cholesterol of both the liver and aorta, Haritaki had the greatest effect.Of course, these studies are limited in their ability to show the true effects of Triphala because they focus on the isolated ingredients. It may take years before modern science understands the importance of testing whole herbs and fruits that are combined in the right proportions according to traditional ayurvedic herbal methods--rather than the raw isolated ingredients or the so-called "active" components. The effects are much more balanced and holistic when the whole herb or fruit is processed properly and combined with other herbs in the traditional manner.
There is a verse in Charaka that explains this principle: "The understanding of the total nature of the subject does not arise from a fragmentary knowledge of it. (Charaka Samhita, Vimanasthana 4.5).
But in any case, these studies do point in the right direction.
Q: Yes, that is quite an impressive list of studies. What makes Triphala, contained in MAPI's Digest Tone, this powerful?
A: The ingredients that make up Triphala are powerful individually. When combined correctly, synergy enhances the healing quotient exponentially. The first ingredient is Haritaki--that is the Sanskrit name, pronounced har-ee'-tuck-ee. It's called Terminalia chebula or Chebulic Myrobalans in Latin. This fruit is mentioned in almost all ayurvedic textbooks. Charaka goes so far as to say that Haritaki is as nourishing and useful for everyone as mother's milk. He mentions that it's a rasayana for the eyes (netra ruja apaharini), and helps prevent eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts.
Haritaki is also a rasayana for the skin. It's known as a Twagamayagni, which means that it destroys skin disease. Sushruta Samhita, a classical ayurvedic text on surgery, says that Haritaki and Triphala are useful in cleansing wounds and promoting healing and regeneration from the inside. The famous ayurvedic surgeon Sushruta calls it branya, which means having the ability to heal an ulcer or wound.
Charaka also says that Haritaki is good for the digestive system. It helps enhance the absorption of nutrients in food. It is also a cardio-preventive, helping to promote heart health.
Another excellent quality of this fruit is that it cleanses the macro and micro circulatory channels, known as shrotas in Maharishi Ayurveda. In one verse of Charaka Samhita, it says Haritaki is "shrotovishodhini," which means that it can clear the channels, both big and small. The Bhavprakash Nigantu, an ayurvedic text on herbal science that is part of my own family tradition, mentions that Haritaki is a yogavahini, which means that it cleanses the channels and is absorbed quickly by the body.
Because of the yogavahini effect, Haritaki also enhances mental clarity and memory. Haritaki is a Medhya fruit, which means that it enhances coordination among the mental functions of dhi (acquisition of knowledge), dhriti (retention of knowledge) and smriti (recall of knowledge or memory). It enhances mental clarity and memory, and the stamina of the mind and senses. The Bavprakash Nigantu also mentions that it is good for the health of the spleen and liver, and is a famous preventive for any liver problems.
In addition, the Charaka Samhita says that Haritaki is sarvah dosha prasamani (all-dosha pacifying). Very few fruits and herbs have this designation. It also supports the body's immune system. On top of everything, Haritaki has an anti-aging value. Charaka Samhita calls it vayasthapani (anti-aging).
Q: You have detailed an extremely impressive list of qualities. Is there research to support these traditional claims?
A: Yes, there is quite an extensive body of research on Haritaki by scientists in universities throughout the world. In support of its bactricidal quality, research shows that Haritaki has anti-bacterial effect (International Journal of Cardiology, 1988). In this study the researchers tested the effect of extracts of Haritaki on a bacteria called Helicobactor Pylori.
The results indicated that water extracts of Haritaki contain a heat stable agent with inhibiting effects and possible therapeutic potential for fighting Helicobactor Pylori and other bacterial species.
As for the reduction of liver disease, one study examined the effect of an herbal formula that contained Haritaki as the main ingredient along with four other herbs.
The results showed that this formula enhanced the rate of recovery from hepatic amoebiasis by 73%, reducing the average degree of liver infection substantially (Journal of Ethno Pharmacology, 1996). The extract of this formula also was found to enhance cell-mediated immune response in golden hamsters with amoebic liver abscess.
So you can see that these benefits, which were known by the ayurvedic seers such as Charaka and Sushruta thousands of years ago, are now being recognized by modern science.
Q: That's amazing. Can you tell us about the second ingredient, Amalaki?
A: Yes. This fruit is called Amalaki in Sanskrit and in Latin it's called Emblica Officinalis Gaertn, Phyllanthus Emblica or Terminalia Emblica. Indian Gooseberry is the English name and Amla is what it's called in Hindi. But no matter by what name you call it, Amalaki has many remarkable qualities.
First of all, Amalaki is known as a divine plant in the ayurvedic materia medica. Amalaki is also a rasayana, which means that it has longevity-enhancing and disease-defying qualities. Usually rasayanas, which are the cream of ayurvedic herbal compounds, are made of more than one ingredient. It is extraordinary that this fruit all by itself is revered as one of the most powerful rasayanas. The Charaka Samhita says, "Amalaki is the best among rejuvenative herbs.
Amalaki fruit contains the sweet, sour, bitter, astringent and pungent tastes.
The only taste missing is salty. Because it contains five out of the six tastes, it is balancing to all three doshas.
Amalaki has a sour taste initially, but when it mixes with the saliva, its aftertaste (vipaka) is sweet. Both sweet and sour tastes pacify Vata dosha. Amalaki's virya or potency is cool, so along with the sweet aftertaste, this coolness pacifies the hot Pitta. The bitter, astringent and pungent tastes of Amalaki balance Kapha. So that's how this one fruit pacifies all three doshas.
Q: Can you tell us some of the benefits of Amalaki mentioned in the ayurvedic texts?
A: There are so many excellent qualities in Amalaki that it's hard to know where to begin. Let's start first by saying that Amalaki helps purify toxins from the body. One way Amalaki does this is by enhancing food absorption. When your digestion becomes stronger, the food you eat is converted to nutrition rather than staying undigested and producing impurities.
The unique thing about Amalaki is that it heightens digestion yet is not heating. That's why it's traditionally considered one of the best herbs for balancing stomach acid. By enhancing digestion, it helps eliminate toxins from the body.Another way that Amalaki helps purify toxins is by strengthening and stimulating the liver. If someone has accumulated toxins due to eating junk foods, leading an unhealthy lifestyle or being exposed to chemicals, Amalaki helps flush out toxins.
It also helps elimination. Amalaki strengthens and purifies Apana Vata, and thus supports the evacuation of the bowel, urine, and menstrual flow. Amalaki helps relieve constipation, so you can see why Triphala also has that quality.
The urinary system in particular is supported by Amalaki. This fruit is helpful in treating symptoms such as a mild burning sensation while urinating. It also acts as a mild diuretic, helping the body eliminate excess water in a natural way that is not disruptive or harmful to the body. These actions are helpful in purifying the urine of toxins.
Q: Amazing. What are some other benefits of Amalaki?
A: In addition to the overall flushing of toxins I just mentioned, Amalaki cleanses the tissues throughout the body, and also strengthens specific organs.
Amalaki is a powerful tonic for the lungs, which are a seat of Kapha dosha in the body. The Amalaki fruit balances Shleshaka Kapha, which regulates moisture and mucus in the lungs, and helps the body fight respiratory infections. It nurtures and strengthens the lungs overall.
It also enhances fertility in both men and women by balancing Apana Vata.
Regular and healthy menstruation, nurturing of the sperm and ovaries, strengthening of the uterus, and overall support for reproductive health are some of the ways Amalaki supports healthy conception, especially for women.It nourishes the brain and mental functioning, and is a Medhya herb, enhancing the coordination between acquisition, retention, and recall. This supports the development of a sharper intellect, stronger mind and heightened sensory awareness.
Amalaki also strengthens the cardiovascular system. It nurtures the heart, blood and circulation. Amalaki improves assimilation of iron, which is one way that it purifies and nourishes the blood.
This fruit is also excellent for the skin. Because it detoxifies the liver, and because it also cleanses the tissues of the skin and protects it from bacterial infection, it is very good for your complexion. It also moisturizes the skin, and is known to improve glow and luster.Muscle tone is also improved by Amalaki. Because it enhances protein synthesis, promotes a positive nitrogen balance and strengthens the muscles, it contributes to lean muscle mass.
The hair, nails, teeth, and bones also benefit from Amalaki, because it helps improve absorption of calcium and other nutrients. It also helps prevent graying and thinning of the hair.
The eyes are another organ that benefit from Amalaki. In fact, Amalaki is called chakshusya, which means "a rasayana for strengthening the eyes. This is because Amalaki enhances both Ranjaka Pitta (the subdosha of Pitta that governs liver function and the blood plasma) and Alochaka Pitta (the subdosha that governs the eyes and vision). The fact that it enhances all three doshas also helps nourish the eyes and protect them from disease.Amalaki is an excellent source of Vitamin C, and is the most concentrated and absorbable source of the vitamin in the plant kingdom. It also contains other absorbable minerals that nourish the skin, the blood and the whole body.
Because of its high content of Vitamin C, Amalaki is a powerful antioxidant. Scientific research shows that Amalaki is an extremely potent antioxidant, excellent at removing excess free radicals, which are at the basis of much degenerative disease and aging.All of these qualities make Amalaki a powerful immunity-enhancer.
Q: That sounds like a plant having an unsurpassed range of benefits! Is there modern research to support these claims?
A: Yes. There are many research studies on Amalaki. One dramatic study reported its detoxifying effect, showing that Amalaki restored cells of rats who had arsenic poisoning almost to their normal level of toxicity. (Phytotherapy Research 1999).
Other studies have shown that it reduces cholesterol (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1988; British Journal of Experimental Pathology 1981; and Journal of Ethnopharmocology 1996). Findings show that it helps protect the liver (Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2000). Research on its antioxidant activity has been most impressive (Phytomedicine 2000; Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 1999; and Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2000).
Q: What about the third ingredient, Bibhitaki?
A: This also is a famous fruit in Maharishi Ayurveda. Bibhitaki (pronounced Bib hee' tuck ee) is its Sanskrit name, Terminalia Bellirica is the Latin name, and Bahira is the Hindi name. There is not as much scientific research on this fruit, but it is famous in the classical ayurvedic texts for its many good qualities.
Both Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita mention Bibhitaki as a homeostatic, meaning that it helps create balance and pure blood in the body. Sushruta Samhita, a text on surgery, mentions that it is useful to staunch internal hemorrhaging.
Charaka also reports that it is ideal for pacifying both Pitta and Kapha. It is cool to the touch (pacifying Pitta) but is hot when you eat it (and thus pacifies Kapha). Charaka Samhita also says that Bibhitaki cleanses the Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa and Meda dhatus, which means the nutritive fluid, the blood, the muscle and the fat tissue. In addition, the Charaka Samhita says Bibhitaki is excellent for balancing and nurturing the vocal chords, is antibacterial, and is chakshushya (a rasayana for the eyes).
Sushruta Samhita also mentions that Bhibitaki is dry and hot. It's excellent for nourishing the voice and the eyes, and is antibacterial. Sushruta also points out the bhedana effect of this fruit, which means that because of its heating quality it clears the clogged channels almost as if drilling them clear.The Bhavprakash Nigantu also mentions that Bibhitaki is nourishing for the eyes, and says it is netra hitam, meaning that it is beneficial for the eyes. Bibhitaki also nourishes the hair, and strengthens the hair root, color, and stability (and thus prevents thinning).
So now you can see why Digest Tone is so powerful: it's because the three fruits that make up the formula have remarkable abilities to cleanse impurities, nurture the body and restore health.
Q: Truly, these ingredients appear remarkable, and because the whole is more than the sum of the parts, when these three fruits are combined the effect is even more pronounced. Can you tell us how Maharishi Ayurveda Digest Tone is different from other varieties on the market-and there are so many companies that offer Triphala!
A: I'm glad you asked this question, because at Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, we are committed to only using the highest quality ingredients, and to upholding the authenticity of the ayurvedic tradition no matter what the cost. This is the only way the full range of results indicated in the Vedic texts can be realized.
Let me give you one example of this. The Haritaki fruit comes in seven different varieties. While all are beneficial, most of them help with only one of the many benefits that the texts mention for Haritaki. One variety is good for the eyes, for instance, and another variety is good for clearing the bowels.
However, most buyers of Triphala don't realize that there is one variety, called Vijaya, that gives all of the results that we mentioned earlier. Vijaya is mentioned by all the great ayurvedic seers as best variety to use, which in itself is rare, as not many fruits and herbs are universally acclaimed by all the seers.
Vijaya is the only variety that is used in Maharishi Ayurveda's Triphala, because it is, quite simply, the best. But while it is the best, Vijaya is also the most rare. This scarcity makes it more expensive; in fact it is ten times the price of other varieties of Haritaki.
It's not often that people in the U.S. know about the dramatic differences in the quality of various varieties of Haritaki. So you may not realize that the Triphala that is available from various companies for a very low price can also be of a much lower quality. Low-cost Triphala does not contain the Vijaya variety of Haritaki, which is the only variety that brings the wide ranges of benefits mentioned in the ayurvedic texts. Therefore if you take low-quality products, you cannot expect to get the full range of effects as described in this article.
Q: What are some other ways that Maharishi Ayurveda maintains high standards of quality control?
A: Let's talk about the quality of the fruits. First of all, to replicate the classical formulas, the fruits must be gathered from unpolluted areas. If there are environmental toxins in the soil, air or water, or if pesticides and chemical fertilizers were used in the culture, this would destroy the natural intelligence of the fruits and make them unsuitable for medicinal formulas.
For this reason, at Maharishi Ayurveda we only harvest fruits from unpolluted, pristine areas. We guarantee that the fruits are grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or exposure to environmental pollutants.
Secondly, it's important to harvest the fruits only at their peak, when they are ripe on the tree. If they are picked green, they won't have the beneficial properties mentioned in the classical texts. And of course they must not be overripe, fallen on the ground or rancid. At Maharishi Ayurveda we educate the gatherers to collect only the tree-ripened fruits.
Further, once the fruits are collected, at the processing factory they are sorted and tested to make sure the batch is of the right degree of ripeness and the proper quality.
Third, supply is an issue. Haritaki and Bibhitaki take many years to grow and produce fruit. In order to keep an adequate supply of tree-ripened fruit, Maharishi Ayurveda has developed wide resources, so there is always enough ripe fruit to produce our products.
Fourth, once the fruits are ripened, sanitation is an important issue. At Maharishi Ayurveda we hire trained workers, and the standards of cleanliness are extremely high. The sophisticated gathering, sorting, preparation and processing systems that we have developed ensure that no foreign material is included in the formula. The fruits are washed and cleansed of traces of jute (jute bags are used to collect the fruit), dirt and dust. They are tested for foreign material, heavy metals and for bacteria before, during and after processing.
Fifth, the processing method must not destroy the natural properties of the fruits. Most automatic grinding machines create heat, for example, and high heat destroys the medicinal properties of the fruits. At Maharishi Ayurveda we have taken care to use only grinders that do not produce heat during processing.
In conclusion, I want to put out an alert: not every brand of Triphala tablets is of good quality. If you are going to purchase Triphala tablets, it would be wise to ask the manufacturer what their arrangement is with their supplier in India. You should ask them about their gathering, sorting and processing methods. If the gatherers are unskilled, if they are collecting immature fruits or fruit that has already fallen to the ground, then the poor quality of the fruit will reflect on your health. If the company cannot guarantee that the fruits are carefully sorted and the bad fruits thrown out, that the fruits are cleansed of bacteria, dirt, and grime, then obviously you don't want to buy that product. You also want to make sure that they are ISO certified. ISO is an international organization that sets standards for product quality. I recommend Triphala as it is contained in MAPI's Digest Tone,
Q: Are there any lifestyle or dietary tips to help support detoxification and the other benefits of Triphala while you're taking it?
A: Yes, certainly that is a good point. First of all, it's important to avoid building up toxins in your body in the first place. Avoid foods that include chemical preservatives, emulsifiers and additives of any kind. Also try to avoid foods that are grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers, as these toxins enter your body and get stuck there, forming the basis for disease. Eat fresh, organic, well-cooked foods whenever possible.
Avoid eating packaged, frozen, canned, "fast" or leftover foods, as these dead foods are hard to digest and create toxins when the body can't digest them properly. Then your body just has to work harder to remove them from the body.
There are other dietary changes you can make to improve your digestion and to avoid building up digestive toxins such as ama and amavisha (toxic matter). Avoid ice-cold drinks, as they reduce the digestive fire. Drink plenty of warm water throughout the day to help flush out toxins. Eat sweet, juicy fruits daily if possible, as these help cleanse the rasa (nutrient fluid) and the bowels.
Avoid exposure to environmental toxins as much as possible, including air pollution, chemicals in your household cleansers, and chemicals in your drinking water. Buy chemical-free detergents, use an indoor air purifier if you live in a smoggy area, and purchase a water filter to remove toxins from your drinking and bathing water. Avoid imbibing toxic substances such as cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.
Besides eating pure foods, there are many things you can do each day to reduce digestive toxins. For instance, go to bed by 10 p.m. so your body can rest during its natural purification period from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. That will go a long way in purifying your body of toxins.
Eat your main meal at midday, when your digestive fire is high. Eat lighter at breakfast and supper, when your digestion is not as strong. Save the harder-to-digest foods such as yogurt, meats (if you're not vegetarian), and potatoes for the noon meal.
Keeping a regular time for eating meals is best, because your body can prepare itself when the meals are eaten at the same time each day. Eat only when you're hungry, and wait a full 3 hours after a main meal before snacking. This will allow the food to digest properly. Take your time when you eat, and be sure to chew your food. Don't try to watch TV, read or work while you're eating, as that will only be a recipe for indigestion. Savor the flavors, enjoy the colors, aromas and textures of your food. Light, pleasant conversation with people you love is best for digestion. Avoid intense conversations or emotional topics while eating.
Eat only until you are 3/4 full. Usually it takes a few minutes for the brain to register that you're full, so if you eat until you're stuffed, you're probably going to feel uncomfortable a while later. Also, the digestive system needs some space to operate in, so stuffing yourself to the maximum will actually inhibit digestion. Allow five minutes to sit after the meal is finished to get your digestion off to the right start.
When you drink milk, boil it first with fresh ginger or cardamom pod, or add a pinch each of the ground ginger and cardamom spices. Let the milk cool to the temperature you like and then drink it. This is the ayurvedic way to make milk more digestible and to avoid the build-up of mucus. Avoid combining milk with salty foods, fish, and foods of mixed taste. It digests well when you drink it alone between meals, or with other sweet tastes such as cereal, desserts, or toast.
Q: Thank you. I think that this in-depth understanding of the benefits ofTriphala, contained in MAPI's Digest Tone, could help almost everyone.
A: Yes, Digest Tone can help almost anyone in his or her effort to prevent disease and enjoy a better quality of life. The only people who should not take Triphala are those who are allergic to any of these three fruits.
Research
Kaur S; The in vitro antimutagenic activity of Triphala--an Indian herbal drug; Food Chem Toxicol; 2002 Apr; 40(4): 527-34.
Jagetia GC, et al; The evaluation of the radioprotective effect of Triphala (an ayurvedic rejuvenating drug) in mice exposed togamma-radiation; Phytomedicine; 2002 Mar; 9(2): 99-108.
Thakur CP, et al; The Ayurvedic medicines Haritaki, Amala and Bahira reduce cholesterol-induced atherosclerosis in rabbits; J Ethnopharmacol; 1996 Nov; 54 (2-3): 119-24.
Malekzadeh F, et al; Antibacterial activity of black myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz) against Helicobacter pylori; Int J Cardiol; 1988 Nov; 21 (2):167-75.
Sohni, YR and Bhatt, RM; Activity of crude extract formulation in experimental hepatic amoebiasis and in immunomodulation studies; Journal of Ethno Pharmacol; Nov. 1996.
Biswas S, et al; Phytother Res; 1999 Sept; 13 (6): 513-6.
Jacob, A, et al; Eur J Clin Nutr; 1988 Nov; 42 (11): 939-44.
Mishra, M. et al; British Journal of Experimental Pathology; 1981 Oct; 62 (5): 526-8.
Mathur R, et al; Journ Ethno Pharmacol; 1996 Feb; 50 (2): 61-
Jose JK, et al; Journ Ethno Pharmacol; 2000 Sept; 72 (1-2): 134-40.
Bhattacharya A, et al; Phytomedicine; 2000 April; 7 (2): 172-175.
Bhattacharya A, et al; Indian Journal of Experimental Biology; 1999 July; 37 (7): 676-80.
Scartezzinini P, et al; Journ Ethno Pharmacol; 2000 July; 71 (1-2): 23-43.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Do Diet and Exercise Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrence?
Do Diet and Exercise Prevent Breast Cancer Recurrence?I'm a breast cancer survivor. I read that a low-fat diet reduces the risk of a recurrence. I was treated three years ago. Do you think that the diet can help me? What about exercise?
A low-fat diet certainly couldn't hurt, and a new study shows that getting regular exercise can help a lot. The news that a low-fat diet reduces the rate of breast cancer recurrence comes from a study reported recently at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. It is the first study to demonstrate that diet directly affects breast cancer.
Of the 975 women who followed a low-fat diet, 96 (or 9.8 percent) had recurrences of their breast cancer over a five-year period compared to 181 (or 12.4 percent) of the 1,462 women who stayed on their usual diet. All of the women had undergone surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy) followed by radiation and then hormonal therapy or chemotherapy when indicated. The women were assigned to the low-fat diet at random.
Although researchers said that more study is needed before recommending low- fat diets to all breast cancer patients, there is no reason not to cut your fat intake. Doing so will also reduce your risk of heart disease, and, if necessary, help you lose weight. (Simply losing weight after breast cancer treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence.) Interestingly, the women whose recurrence rate was lowest on the low-fat diet were those whose breast cancers were estrogen receptor negative, meaning that they didn't depend on estrogen to grow.
Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles who conducted the low-fat diet study limited the women to an average of 33.3 grams of fat per day, a little more than one ounce of fat, compared to the 51.2 grams of fat per day consumed by the women who followed their usual diets. I still recommend that however much fat you eat, you try to choose the right kinds - monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, and omega-3-rich fat from cold water fish, flax (try freshly ground flaxseeds), and walnuts. Also choose low-glycemic carbohydrates and lean sources of protein.
As far as exercise is concerned, a study published in the May 25, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that it improved survival among women who have had breast cancer even if they walked as little as an hour a week. The authors noted that after a breast cancer diagnosis, women decrease their levels of physical activity by two hours a week and that even greater decreases have been seen among obese women.
The researchers found that the risk of death from breast cancer for women who have had breast cancer and walk at least an hour a week at a pace of two to 2.9 miles per hour was 20 percent lower than those who got less exercise or none at all. Those who walked three to five hours a week had a risk of death 50 percent lower than those who got little or no exercise. Those who got even more exercise also reduced their risk of death but, unaccountably, by somewhat less than 50 percent.
These findings make a lot of sense when you consider that physical activity affects circulating hormones. Lower estrogen levels among the physically active women might explain their improved survival, according to the study authors. (They noted that the benefit of physical activity was particularly apparent among women whose breast tumors were fed by estrogen.) Overall, the study makes a strong case for continuing to get regular exercise after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
A low-fat diet certainly couldn't hurt, and a new study shows that getting regular exercise can help a lot. The news that a low-fat diet reduces the rate of breast cancer recurrence comes from a study reported recently at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. It is the first study to demonstrate that diet directly affects breast cancer.
Of the 975 women who followed a low-fat diet, 96 (or 9.8 percent) had recurrences of their breast cancer over a five-year period compared to 181 (or 12.4 percent) of the 1,462 women who stayed on their usual diet. All of the women had undergone surgery (lumpectomy or mastectomy) followed by radiation and then hormonal therapy or chemotherapy when indicated. The women were assigned to the low-fat diet at random.
Although researchers said that more study is needed before recommending low- fat diets to all breast cancer patients, there is no reason not to cut your fat intake. Doing so will also reduce your risk of heart disease, and, if necessary, help you lose weight. (Simply losing weight after breast cancer treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence.) Interestingly, the women whose recurrence rate was lowest on the low-fat diet were those whose breast cancers were estrogen receptor negative, meaning that they didn't depend on estrogen to grow.
Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles who conducted the low-fat diet study limited the women to an average of 33.3 grams of fat per day, a little more than one ounce of fat, compared to the 51.2 grams of fat per day consumed by the women who followed their usual diets. I still recommend that however much fat you eat, you try to choose the right kinds - monounsaturated fat found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, and omega-3-rich fat from cold water fish, flax (try freshly ground flaxseeds), and walnuts. Also choose low-glycemic carbohydrates and lean sources of protein.
As far as exercise is concerned, a study published in the May 25, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association found that it improved survival among women who have had breast cancer even if they walked as little as an hour a week. The authors noted that after a breast cancer diagnosis, women decrease their levels of physical activity by two hours a week and that even greater decreases have been seen among obese women.
The researchers found that the risk of death from breast cancer for women who have had breast cancer and walk at least an hour a week at a pace of two to 2.9 miles per hour was 20 percent lower than those who got less exercise or none at all. Those who walked three to five hours a week had a risk of death 50 percent lower than those who got little or no exercise. Those who got even more exercise also reduced their risk of death but, unaccountably, by somewhat less than 50 percent.
These findings make a lot of sense when you consider that physical activity affects circulating hormones. Lower estrogen levels among the physically active women might explain their improved survival, according to the study authors. (They noted that the benefit of physical activity was particularly apparent among women whose breast tumors were fed by estrogen.) Overall, the study makes a strong case for continuing to get regular exercise after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
A Powerful Approach to Prostate Health
Most men hardly know they have a prostate until they reach middle age, when prostate health becomes a serious issue. Prostate enlargement is found in 50 percent of American men in their sixties, and up to 90 percent of men in their seventies and eighties.Worse, prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death by cancer in men, with about 80 percent of all cases of prostate cancer occurring in men over sixty-five.
Even though the prostate seems to be an older man's health problem, these imbalances begin much earlier in life. The good news is that most prostate problems can be prevented by making simple lifestyle and dietary changes to restore balance. In this interview, our ayurvedic expert provides an in-depth analysis of prostate health from the perspective of Ayurveda, and gives practical and effective advice for keeping the prostate healthy throughout life.
Q: Let's start at the beginning. What exactly is the prostate gland, and what does it do?
A: The prostate is part of the male reproductive system. The interesting thing is that even though it is called a gland, it is actually an organ made up of 70 percent glandular and thirty percent fibro-muscular tissue. About the size and shape of a walnut, it is located directly beneath the bladder and surrounds part of the urethra, the tube that drains the bladder. The prostate secretes a thin, milky substance contained in semen that protects and nourishes the sperm and lubricates the urethra. In ayurvedic terms, the prostate's secretion supports the flow of Shukra Dhatu, the reproductive tissue.
Q: How would you know if you had a prostate problem?
A: One major symptom is prostate enlargement, which is caused by imbalances that accumulate over time but become manifest with age. The initial symptoms include excessive urination at night, a weak urine stream, stopping and starting while urinating, a feeling that the bladder is never empty, difficulty in starting to urinate, and dribbling at the end of urination.
If a man has these symptoms, he should consult his doctor immediately. Often, when the symptoms are mild, the physician will say, "Wait and watch. This is the ideal time to get help from Ayurveda, when the problem is mild to moderate. At this point, there is still an opportunity to correct the imbalance that has caused the problem. Of course aging is the main etiological factor, or cause of the problem, but Ayurveda also identifies the lifestyle or dietary factors that act as a trigger, and if unchecked, can turn a mild problem into a serious one.
Q: Every man would naturally want to keep the problem from becoming serious. What are some of the causes, or triggers, of prostate problems?
A: There are several. One is overuse of Shukra Dhatu, or overuse of the sexual organs. Another is lack of adequate fluids in the body, due to not drinking enough water during the day.
Habitually suppressing the natural urge to urinate also can, over time, cause the urine to become more concentrated and, in turn, irritates the prostate.
Drinking too much alcohol or caffeinated beverages can also cause an imbalance. Alcohol, for instance, creates an abnormal increase in urine production, which aggravates Pitta and Vata doshas.
Another cause is taking too many over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants. These can cause the muscle that controls urine flow to tighten, making urination difficult.
Even your job can be a source of imbalance. If you have to sit for long periods of time without taking a break or stretching, this can create an imbalance in the reproductive area of the body. Not getting daily exercise, or eating a diet that creates impurities (ama) in the body, are other causes of prostate problem. If your diet does not contain spices that purify the urine daily (such as turmeric, cumin and fennel) that can also cause toxins to build up that lead to imbalances or infection.
Finally, if you don't have a healthy daily routine, for instance if you watch TV late at night or for other reasons don't sleep enough, or if you don't eat meals on time or your routine is very irregular, that can also cause ama to build up and disturb the immune system.
Q: It sounds like a wide number of factors can cause prostate problems.
A: Yes, they do sound like they are widely disparate on the surface, but actually there is an underlying principle that ties them all together.
One main factor is ama. Ama refers to the sticky impurities that are created when digestion is weak and food is not digested completely. Now, aging itself can create some weakening of the digestion, but most ama is created by poor dietary and lifestyle habits already mentioned -- eating foods that are old and heavy or eating meals at irregular times of the day.
If this kind of diet becomes a habit, then ama eventually mixes with the nutrient fluid (Rasa Dhatu) and even the blood (Rakta Dhatu). The urine, which is part of the body's purification system, also becomes overloaded with ama and thus more prone to infection. It becomes a fertile ground for bacteria, and can create additional problems of urinary tract infections, and that impacts the prostate. Weakened immunity also creates a problem for the prostate.
If the ama problem is not corrected, and ama reaches the muscle and fat tissue, then it creates an additional factor -- imbalance in cell production. This, compounded with testosterone levels declining due to age (or due to overuse of the sexual organs), is a major factor in prostate enlargement.
If the person also has an imbalance in Shleshaka Kapha (the subdosha of Kapha that governs lubrication of the joints, body fluids, and moisture balance in the skin), and ama is accumulating in the body fluids due to dietary mistakes, then Shleshaka Kapha and ama gets mixed with urine, creating a more irritated situation and further weakening the immune system.
Also, when Shleshaka Kapha is mixed with ama, it creates shleshma (a sticky, toxic mixture of Shleshaka Kapha and ama ). This condition is a common factor in imbalanced cell production. When combined with the problems of ama spreading to the tissues mentioned earlier, then the cell production becomes abnormal, and the prostate grows abnormally large.
Ayurveda tries to support health on all fronts: by balancing Apana Vata, the subdosha of Vata related to the downward flow of energy such as occurs with urination, stopping ama from being produced, strengthening the immune system, and cleansing the urine and nutrient fluid, and cleansing the blood, muscle and fat tissues of ama, and cleansing Shleshaka Kapha of amavisha.
Q: It certainly sounds like Ayurveda takes a holistic approach to prostate health and functioning. Can you tell us why age is such a critical factor in prostate health?
A: Again, this comes back to the doshas. Vata dosha increases as we age. The later part of life is actually known as the Vata Kala (or Vata time of life) in Ayurveda. Because Vata dosha is irregular, dry, and moving by nature, it can cause the digestion to become more irregular. This contributes to more ama being produced and spreading to the tissues.
Also, you have to consider that the prostate is located in the area of the body that is governed by Apana Vata, which includes the colon, lower abdomen, elimination and reproductive areas. Because the prostate is governed by Apana Vata, anything that aggravates Apana Vata creates pressure on the prostate.
Not everyone has to have problems with Apana Vata, of course, and some people will maintain balanced Vata even in old age. But if the person has been keeping an irregular routine, eating foods that are difficult to digest, and sitting for long periods of time at their job, the stage is already set. With the added factor of aging then the downward flow of energy in the body will become obstructed, affecting the organs in the reproductive system, including the prostate.
As the flow of energy and nutrients to the area gets blocked by ama, and the flow of impurities out of the area gets obstructed (as found in more concentrated urine), the prostate gets weaker and more and more imbalanced.
Q: So far we've only been talking about enlarged prostate. But is there a connection here to even more serious problems?
A: Yes. You see, initially, the imbalance in Shleshaka Kapha, called amavisha, causes enlargement of the prostate. But if the imbalance becomes more serious, and the person never adopts an ama -reducing diet or makes lifestyle changes to create more balance, then the common kind of amavisha becomes an even more toxic type of ama called amavisha.
Then the imbalance has become very serious. In other words, what if ama continues to be created, and mixes with Shleshaka Kapha, blood, muscle and fat tissue, and that occurs conjointly for a long period of time? If the person is not taking corrective measures to dissolve the ama, pacify Apana Vata, and restore balance to the entire area, then amavisha, the most toxic stage ama, spreads and really takes hold. Amavisha breeds free radicals and obstructs the natural flow of intelligence between cells, breaking down the connection between nature's intelligence and that area. This is how cancer tends to begin -- when the cell forgets its own nature and starts to grow uncontrollably.
Q: That is certainly a scenario we all want to avoid. So then an enlarged prostate or prostate imbalance could lead to cancer if the situation is not checked?
A: Yes, and that is why the doctor recommends that you keep checking, and keep testing on a yearly basis once you have an enlarged prostate. It's also why you should see a doctor immediately if you notice any of the symptoms that we mentioned earlier. But as you wait and watch, you can be using the Ayurveda approach, which is preventive and holistic in nature.
The role of Ayurveda is really prevention -- ideally to prevent a problem from starting in the first place, or to prevent a mild problem from becoming worse.
Q: What about stress, does stress play a role?
A: Stress can also create some problems. Because Vata dosha governs the nervous system, stress has a greater impact on Vata dosha, and therefore on anyone who is entering the Vata time of life. For instance, if you have a job that requires overuse of the mind, or jars the senses, this can aggravate Prana Vata, the subdosha of Vata that governs the brain, head, chest, respiration, sensory perception and the mind. When Prana Vata is out of balance, it easily brings the other aspects of Vata out of balance, including Apana Vata, creating disturbances in the prostate as well as other parts of the body.
Q: What are some dietary and behavioral recommendations to correct these problems?
A: First of all, it's important to understand that the right diet is very necessary to improve the health of the prostate.In choosing the right diet, there are several factors to consider. First of all, it's a good idea to eat Pitta pacifying foods, because the problem involves an imbalance in the blood tissue, which is governed by Pitta dosha. But at the same time, Kapha dosha must also be pacified, because Shleshaka Kapha is involved. And Vata dosha must also be brought into balance because this disease occurs during the Vata stage of life, and the prostate is located in the area governed by Apana Vata.
So prostate problems involve the combination of Pitta, Kapha, and Vata -- as without the Kapha imbalance there would be no abnormal growth, without the Pitta imbalance there would be no inflammation, and without the Vata imbalance there would be no discomfort. So all three doshas are involved, and therefore all the dietary and behavioral recommendations have to take all three doshas into account.
Q: What sort of diet would pacify all three doshas?
A: In balancing the three doshas simultaneously it's important to avoid any extremes. You don't want to eat anything that is too cold, too spicy, too dry, too bitter, too sweet, or too salty, as any taste taken in excess can create an imbalance in one of the doshas. You'll want to eat a diet that is moderate in every way.
To keep from aggravating Vata dosha, don't eat foods that are too dry and lack nourishment, such as too many crackers or dry cereals. Avoid long, leafy greens such as chard or spinach when they are cooked whole, as they are hard to digest and obstruct the natural movement of the intestine. If you chop the chard and spinach into small pieces and cook them well with spices, then they are easy to digest, help elimination and immunity, and do not aggravate Vata dosha. Avoid eating ice-cold drinks or cold foods such as cold salads, as these aggravate Vata dosha.
for Pitta, avoid extremely spicy foods that heat the blood tissue (such as hot chili peppers and cayenne found in some Mexican and Indian foods). Too much horseradish, garlic, onions and mustard seeds are other examples. Vinegar is another food that pollutes the blood tissue, and it is found in mustard, ketchup, salad dressings, and pickles.
To keep from aggravating Kapha dosha, avoid cold and heavy foods such as fried foods, ice cream, and other rich desserts. Aged cheeses and yogurt should also be avoided, as they are heavy and difficult to digest.
Q: That covers the extremes to be avoided. What are some foods to improve prostate health?
A: For prostate health, a diet of warm, cooked, easily digestible, light yet nourishing foods are best. Organic vegetables cooked in mild spices, whole grains, light proteins such as mung dhal soups, and sweet, juicy fruits will nourish the body and pacify all three doshas.
It's important to cook with mild spices that improve digestion, burn away ama, and pacify Vata dosha, but don't create heat in the blood tissue. Include a mixture of fennel, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and small amounts of turmeric (see recipe in box). Small amounts of black pepper and small amounts of fresh ginger also are healthy for maintaining prostate health and balance.
You may think that just adding these spices to your diet may not be that significant, but they are very powerful. Let me just explain a small amount of research on these common spices.
Turmeric is strongly anti-inflammatory, and intensifies the anti-cancer activity of other phyto-nutrients. Ginger and turmeric both have been found to have cancer-preventing qualities.
Turmeric is one of nature's most powerful antioxidants, has more DNA protective qualities than Vitamin E and betacarotene. It helps clear away amavisha, the breeding ground of free radicals, thus supporting the liver in its effort to clear itself of free radicals. By stopping the production of ama and amavisha, it balances Ranjaka Pitta, thus purifying the blood and urine.
Black pepper is another common spice whose effects in the diet have been well documented.
Research published in Cancer Letter in the August 16, 1993 issue reported that 20 days after adding black pepper to the diet, the subjects' liver detoxification systems were strengthened, aiding in purification of the blood tissue and enhancing the overall immune system.
The mixture of black pepper, long pepper and ginger (trikatu) is famous in ayurveda, because it is the most effective combination of spices to prevent ama and amavisha, and to clear them away. You can add small amounts of black pepper and ginger to your foods to help clear the channels and micro-channels of the body, which carry away waste and supply oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
Q: That's fascinating, how helpful the right spices are for prostate health. What kinds of vegetables do you recommend?
A: Squashes cooked with these mild spices are excellent for prostate health. The best squashes for prostate health are the types that are white inside, such as zucchini or loki (for more information on buying and cooking loki, visit the recipe section of our web site). Avoid the dark yellow ones such as pumpkin; however, squashes with a mildly yellow color are fine.
Asparagus is another vegetable that is recommended, because it helps support balanced hormones. Daikon is a mild type of white radish root that purifies the urine. Because it is spicy, it should be cooked with other vegetables more as a seasoning than as the main vegetable. You could combine it with squashes such as zucchini or shred it and add it to mung dhal soup.
Light dairy products such as milk, lassi (a drink made with one part freshly-made yogurt and three parts water), and occasional fresh cheeses such as panir or cottage cheese should be included in the diet, but avoid the hard-to-digest aged cheeses, such as Monterey Jack, mozzarella, cheddar, brie, blue cheese, and Gruyere.As for grains, quinoa is best because it is rich in zinc. Zinc supports seminal health, and because seminal health and prostate health are connected, zinc also supports prostate health.
Recipes for mung dhal soup, lassi and many vegetables are available in the recipe section of our web site.
Q: That doesn't seem so complicated after all. It seems like the whole idea is to avoid extremes that can aggravate the doshas.
A: Yes, and to eat wholesome, fresh foods that won't create ama. It's important to avoid the foods that create ama or impurities in the body because they are lifeless and hard to digest.
These include canned, frozen, packaged and processed foods, as well as leftovers. Buy your fruits and vegetables fresh, and if possible, buy organic foods. Non-organic foods contain pesticide and chemical residues that can irritate the blood tissue and pollute the body with toxins. This, in turn, overloads the elimination systems such as the urine and irritates the prostate. Warm, cooked, light, and mildly spiced foods, on the other hand, are easy to digest and thus help cleanse the body of ama.
Q: What about lifestyle, doesn't that affect the doshas as well?
A: Absolutely. Here, it's the same principle: avoid extremes in lifestyle and routine. Moderate habits and daily routine help remove ama and pacify all three doshas.
Lifestyle habits that aggravate Vata dosha include eating at different times of the day from one day to the next. You'll want to eat your meals at the same time every day, and eat your largest meal at noon, when the sun is at its zenith, as that is when your digestive powers are also the strongest. Take time to eat nourishing, appetizing meals.
Avoid staying up late (past ten o'clock), as night wakefulness aggravates all the doshas, but especially Vata. Go to bed at the same time every night, before ten o'clock, and rise before six o'clock in the morning.
Sleep is necessary to pacify Apana Vata and all aspects of Vata. It is also important in enhancing the immune hormones, eliminates ama and creates more ojas, the product of good digestion that promotes lightness, bliss, immunity, health, and longevity.
Be sure to exercise regularly, and be sure that the exercise you choose is suitable for your age and body type. Daily ayurvedic massage, called abhyanga, is another important part of the daily routine. You can do it in the morning to help improve circulation and digestion, remove ama from the body, tone the muscles, and increase energy.
Avoid too much mental pressure, such as a job that requires you to work long hours. Take time to enjoy life, and to maintain healthy relationships with your family and friends. Practice a technique to reduce stress, such as the Transcendental Meditation® technique. Dozens of research studies show that it reduces stress, increases inner happiness and creates more balance in the mind, body, and emotions. It is an important part of the daily routine to eliminate mental and physical ama and to balance all three doshas.
Q: This is certainly a holistic plan for improving the health of the prostate. The beautiful thing about such a prevention program is that your overall health and vitality will improve, and you'll start feeling younger. Are there any specific recommendations for men who are already feeling some mild symptoms of prostate problems.
A: Yes, here are some tips, which also summarizes what we just talked about:
Drink lots of water throughout the day, in between meals. This will keep the urine from becoming too concentrated. If you add some herbs to the water, it will flush out toxins, dissolve ama in the blood tissue and help purify the urine. Here's a recipe: Boil two quarts of water and put the water in a thermos flask. Add three leaves of holy basil, 1/3 t. fennel seed, 1/4 t.
coriander seed, and six white pumpkin seeds or six fresh cucumber seeds. Keep drinking this water throughout the day, but stop drinking it after 7:00 p.m. Stay away from fluids at night if you have a prostate problem, as a full bladder at night can cause pressure on the prostate and disturb your sleep with the need to get up frequently to urinate.
Each time you urinate, take the necessary time to empty your bladder completely. Because the urethra (the passageway through which the urine drains from the body) is already narrow, when there is some enlargement of the prostate, the urinary channel becomes even narrower. If you are in too much of a hurry, all of the urine might not be drained from the bladder. This is not a good thing, because the urine becomes more concentrated if it is not drained from the bladder each time you urinate. So take the time to empty the bladder completely.
Avoid drinking alcohol, because it creates imbalances in the blood tissue, as does caffeine. Both of these create abnormal urine production and irritate the bladder as well.
If you have to sit all day at your job, take short breaks frequently and try to stretch or take a short walk. This will restore the normal flow of energy, blood, and nutrient fluid to the prostate area.
When the weather is cold, take care to keep your head, neck, and body warm. If your body temperature drops, it leads to urine retention, which aggravates the prostate. So keep your body temperature in a moderate range.
Make sure that your bowel movements are regular. Constipation creates an obstruction in Apana Vata, in turn creating pressure on the prostate, increasing ama in the blood tissues, and creating excessive dryness in the whole area. To help with regular elimination, try having a stewed apple in the morning for breakfast with stewed figs, raisins, or prunes. You can also add more fiber and cooked vegetables to your diet, and have 2–4 teaspoons of psyllium seed husk with warm milk or water at night before going to bed. If these measures don't work, take 2–4 Herbal Cleanse tablets before bed with water.
Daily abhyanga or oil massage pacifies Apana Vata, and that is always good. Massage the hands and feet, in particular, as an effective preventative. Use Rejuvenation Oil for Men, which contains herbs and oils to rejuvenate the male physiology.
If you are having trouble sleeping at night, be sure to correct the underlying imbalance. If you are not able to fall asleep, take Blissful Sleep for Vata imbalance that causes this problem. If you wake up between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. with lots of energy, this is a Pitta imbalance, and Deep Rest can help.
Eat foods that are tri-doshic, which means that they pacify all three doshas. These include soaked walnuts and soaked almonds. Avoid foods that aggravate any one of the doshas: food that is too dry, too oily, too greasy, too cold or too hot, too spicy or not spicy enough. Avoid extremes.
Include lots of sweet, juicy fruits in your diet, as these help nourish the Rasa Dhatu (the nutrient fluid), purify the urine and help maintain a healthy flow of urine. They also create ojas, improving immunity and enhancing cellular intelligence. If stewed or cooked until they are soft, they are not only pacifying to Apana Vata, but also to Pitta dosha. They make an ideal breakfast when combined with prunes, figs, and raisins. If you have a Kapha imbalance, you can eat sweet, juicy fruits raw, but even then you should avoid eating raw fruit after sunset, as the digestion is not as strong after the sun goes down.
Q: That's quite a list. The man who adoptss these recommendations will be taking a giant step for his overall health, not just for his prostate. You had mentioned earlier that Ayurveda is really for prevention of disease. What would a man do if he didn't have any symptoms of prostate irregularity, but just wanted to avoid having any problems?
A: He should follow the same recommendations. In fact, this list of tips is really is more for prevention of prostate problems, but it can also help if the man is noticing some mild symptoms of prostate imbalance. But even if there are no symptoms there, I think that any man from 40 on up, especially if he has a body type that is Vata predominant, could benefit from this plan, as it is holistic and will create more good health, vitality, and balance when entering the Vata stage of life.
If a man has noticed some imbalance and tries this regimen, he should not expect a change overnight. He should give himself some time to make these dietary and lifestyle changes, and then give his body a chance to respond. It will take some time. That's why it's better to start out with a healthy diet and habits and in that way avoid the problem from starting in the first place.
Q: Ayurveda has formulated an herbal compound called Prostate Protection, based on the ayurvedic texts, to enhance prostate health. Can you tell us about its ingredients and benefits?
A: There are two main herbal ingredients in the Prostate Protection formula. These are Kachnar (Bauhinia variegata) and Guggul (Indian Bedellium). Kachnar is a famous herb for maintaining prostate health and function in Ayurveda. Both have a specific effect in clearing ama from the blood, muscle, and fat tissue, and help maintain the normal size of the prostate gland by supporting balanced cell production.
Other herbs enhance the flow of urine, and ease irritation and burning. White Sandalwood, Small Caltrops, Heart-leaved Moonseed (Guduchi), and Spreading Hogweed (Punarnava) are the herbs that support and balance the healthy flow of urine and reduce irritation.To enhance immunity in the prostate area is the role of Heart-leaved Moonseed, Turmeric, and Zinc Bhasma. The combination of Guggul and Zinc Bhasma is a traditional ayurvedic remedy for balancing the size and health of the prostate. Turmeric and Guggul are both effective anti-inflammatory herbs.
Mineral Pitch (Shilajit) and Barley Ash also help in maintaining the purity of the urine. Guduchi, Zinc Bhasma and Turmeric enhance immunity in the genito-urinary tract.
Another group of herbs supports the Shukra Dhatu and maintains testosterone production, including Small Caltrops, Country Mallow (Bala), and Shilajit. Bala, and Zinc Bhasma help balance the amount of testosterone and improve sexual desire. Research has shown that Small Caltrops has the overall effect of supporting the man's testosterone level.
The overall impact of this nutritional supplement is to prevent imbalances in the prostate, and to support the body's natural intelligence in maintaining prostate health and enhance overall functioning in that area. It helps break the cycle of pathogenesis for prostate imbalance.
Q: That is an amazingly well-rounded formula, with all aspects of prostate health being supported. It seems like this holistic, balanced herbal compound provides a lot more healing power than if you took one single herb. Could you tell us how Prostate Protection compares with a single herb such as Saw-toothed Palmetto in restoring prostate health?
A: That is a good question, and it is important to understand the distinction. Prescribing just one isolated herb to treat the prostate is a fragmented rather than holistic approach, and reflects a limited vision of the body and nature's intelligence. Saw-toothed palmetto is prescribed to enhance or modulate testosterone production, but as we've seen, that is only one small element in a rather complex physiological structure and function. It does not take into account the underlying imbalances of the doshas, tissues, and ama, and does not remove the underlying cause of the problem by recommending changes in diet, lifestyle, and stress management. You could say that such an approach does not take the whole picture into account.
Prostate Protection includes a sophisticated combination of herbs to not only balance testosterone production, but also to maintain the size and health of the prostate purify the urine, reduce inflammation and irritation, enhance immunity, and normalize cell production.
Prostate Protection also contains zinc, which is an important mineral for prostate health. The prostate needs ten times more zinc than any other organ. In fact, one of the reasons that American men suffer from prostate enlargement in such great numbers is because the food they eat is over-processed and lacking in essential minerals such as zinc. That is why Ayurveda recommends organic vegetables, and also why I mentioned quinoa in the dietary recommendations. A half-cup of cooked quinoa, for instance, contains three milligrams of zinc.
Yet important as zinc is, the recommendation is not that you take high doses of zinc, as that would be a simplistic, isolated approach that would only create further imbalance. Zinc is included in Prostate Protection, but it is combined with other herbs to help support the body's normal healing response.
As in every Ayurveda formula, Prostate Protection also includes secondary herbs to balance the primary herbs that are targeted for the prostate. Thus, there is no possibility that the formula targets one problem but creates an imbalance elsewhere. Everything is carefully balanced to create only a positive effect.Also, the entire herb is contained in every formula, not just the active ingredient. This is because nature packaged all the necessary elements to create balance, whereas if you extract the active ingredient, you can create an imbalance elsewhere in the body.
Q: The Ayurveda approach appears to be quite unique, in a time when most herbal formulas contain the active ingredient of one plant, which can create harmful side effects. Are there any other safe but effective herbal formulas that might be useful to men who wish to improve their prostate health?
A: If a man feels that he needs extra help in maintaining Shukra Dhatu and enhancing semen production, he could take Rejuvenation for Men, one tablet twice a day after eating. If you need extra help for the flow and purity of the urine, you could take Genitrac in addition to Prostate Protection. Take one tablet morning and evening. If you need an additional antioxidant to fight free radicals, take one tablet of ReGen Vitality with each tablet of Genitrac.
As mentioned earlier, ongoing stress can be an important factor in prostate health, and especially mental stress -- in the form of overuse or misuse of the mind -- can disturb the immune system and aggravate Apana Vata. For this, you could take Worry Free tablets and Tea along with Prostate Protection.
But if you feel that you need more than three of these products, you should consult a physician trained in Ayurveda, to make sure that you need that many products. The ayurvedic physician will also guide you in a personal dietary and lifestyle program to restore balance to the prostate and your mind, body and emotions.
© Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, Inc.
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