Ayurveda is the ancient school of medicine in India practised by Hindus for millennia. Siddha is also an ancient school of medicine practised in Tamil Nadu. Both these schools of medicine are recognized by govt of India and have advanced medical universities with full capacity enrolment. Yet both these branches are not as developed as allopathy because of poor research facilities and no testing on animals. There are many restrictions if we are to follow Ayurvedic medication. Same applies for Siddha. I see Ayurvedic produce on display in the US, Middle east etc., where their locals don’t do thorough research on the Ayurvedic products and gulp them down without a second thought. For instance, the Siddha medication can be taken only if you forgo caffeine completely. Similarly Ayurvedic medicine is based on our Vayu, Pitha, Kabha (our body’s gas, heat and cold) each of which is contradictory to the other. There may be contraindications when you use ayurveda without doctor’s advice. The ayur products use plants and seeds that are extremely potent and can damage our liver and kidneys if used indiscriminately. Ayur sugar prescription is just a leaf powdered. Its extremely powerful prescription. Unless you give up the allopathic diabetic pill or insulin, you are not supposed to swallow this. I got a siddha sugar preventive seed. No way one can take this on empty stomach or with borderline diabetes. You chew this dried seed, you can sense your sugar going down dramatically within minutes. Both Ayur and Siddha are nature based but work very efficiently. Without guidance, one should not be taking them. Some ayur products may contain residual metals not harmful for human consumption. But if you already have a high metal content in body and are taking other mineral supplements, you must not take Ashwagandha etc. Should ashwagandha work for you, you need no further supplement in life. Even when you buy ashwagandha in India over the counter, they give you the caution to space it out and not gulp it every day. Same for Pankaja Kasturi, the ayur medication for wheezing. It totally stops for children but again long term use of pankaja kasturi is not advised. Like any branch of medicine, Ayur needs consultation.
About the turmeric misuse, I have this to say: We grow up consuming turmeric in our food from the times we are infants. Our metabolism has evolved in such a way that we Hindus/Indians can digest all spices without hickups. But I see the turmeric latte, etc., sold indiscriminately in the west. In our food, we don’t use turmeric beyond a pinch everyday. Its a very sensitive spice. If misused, it can give you jaundice. I am vegetarian from birth. What will happen to me if I am to become meat eater suddenly. My metabolism won’t accept that. My liver is incapable of ingesting meat protein. If god forbid I have to eat meat, I have to start slow. Its the same with exotic spices. You cannot rush.
Until I was upto to 12 years or so, I don’t remember usage of chemicals in our domestic everyday life. I used only besan (gramflour) for bathe after a mild daily rubbing of coconut oil in the body every morning. NO shampoo almost until my 30th year = only shikakhai. I used shampoo for the first time during our residence in Malaysia where I had no access to shikakhai. For cough, we were given hot milk with turmeric and peppercorn powdered into it with a pinch of saffron. There is this ayur thing called ‘athi mathuram’ which is extremely sweet. We added this too. Instant stop to cough and cold. No paracetamol. Only ‘kashayam’ made at home for temperature with herbs. My grandma grounded some spices and made this tonic like hot stew that we had to swallow. The toxic chemical doctor prescriptions I started following very late in life. Even today a friend of mine is taking only ayur medicine for very high bp.
I use mostly ayur skin care and minimal chemical skin care produced in France or wherever. I have used Bodyshop for a while in the middle east because they claimed to be organic. But I found them to be the contrary. I use ayur skin care that actually can decay within months. The lipsticks made of cow ghee cannot last for over 2 to 3 hours. But we have the western makeup materials lasting through the day. Same for chemical hairdyes that work well. We use mostly henna-indigo in India that may be totally organic without side effects. That won’t give you the chemical hair dye effect. Now I use minimum western skin care along with maximum ayur skin care. Works fine for me. Even the shampoos I try to use organic. If I am in India, ONLY AYUR SHAMPOOS. We get that now in middle east as everyone wants it. In total demand over the much sophisticated Loreal etc. Fastest sellout. That is why I am not bothered about international tariffs. A simple ayur shampoo wins hands down over international brands such as Loreal so effortlessly.
So much my parents made sure that there was least chemical usage in our broughtup. Yet I enjoy very poor health. That is because my constitution is weak from birth. Today I gulp maximum pills just to stay alive. Allopathic. I wonder what my parents would have to say upon this should they be around today.
Remember this from my 4th or 5th year. Got measles. NO medication. Made to sleep on a mattress made of neem leaves only. Drank neem water that was bitter. Buttermilk. Extreme food restrictions. Got well in a few days and returned to school. Even today in rural India, we don’t treat measles, poxes etc., with allopathic medication. Same for jaundice or yellow fever. Only a green called ‘keazhanelli’ used to be given the patient and oil had to be avoided. That centuries old natural medicine is now patented as their discovery by Europeans!
Even today millions of Indians are using only Ayur medication for even lifestyle conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and others such as thyroid, kidney stones, arthritis, asthma, skin diseases etc. For external applications, ayur is best. Ayur medication if used with caution can be the most natural way to treat ailments without side effects associated with allopathy. End stage cancer patients return to ayur because that can lessen their pain and extend their life by a few months. Even allopathic doctors in India advise that for them.
In miraculous cases, there have been complete cancer remission for patients on taking ayurvedic medication. For that one has to completely put the trust in ayur and quit allopathic treatment. Very few come forward to do that. For stage 1 to 3 of cancer, ayur works best but has to be practised with patience and perseverance, adhering strictly to doctor’s advice, giving up consumption of many comfort foods such as caffeine etc. No food intake with even mildest preservatives. Siddha medication can be taken only if you cook and eat food from clay pots. In the west, people buy ayur but don’t follow the rules underlined. Without following the basics, you cannot expect for results. Besides the medication can backfire and actually harm you in that case.
Someone known to me followed Siddha for conception. She had had many miscarriages. For 3 months being working woman, she even cooked her meals and ate from clayware without polishing (not using gas stove but woodfires). Gave up all her comfort foods. Its very tough practising siddha. Finally she did have a successful pregnancy delivering a health baby.
I got supplements for the first time in my life last year but yet to pop a single pill. Its vegan collagen. I thought I needed something extra for my bones and joints. Lost the nerve. Expiry date is next year. Lets see.
People don’t realize that whatever has more preservative chemicals and longlasting like lipstick for 24 hours, may contain arsenic, lead etc. The anti-ageing formula is actually addictive. You stop that for a couple of months: you will see your skin drooping badly. A mild moisturizer is all we need. Ayur fits my bill perfectly with its most natural ingredients. Cannot use it for over 10 months or you can see a moss forming in the lotion or cream. Whereas the western skin care lasts for years. Ayur skincare actually ROTS within months!! That’s what makes it organic. Now based on this, some countries actually rule that ayur is toxic or has high mineral content. Even the US etc., have banned some ayur prescriptions/medications/supplements. What is needed is strict advice on their consumption. They are most natural and least harmful to human body to be taken with utmost care. You have to drop every other thing for ayur to work for you. Everyday lipstick and shampoo used by women around the world contain most hazardous chemicals including cancer causing formaldehyde, don’t they. But these are all available freely everywhere. Only Ayur needs to be victimized because of its growing popularity in world market. Ayur supplements to be taken with extreme care and definitely not as an everyday dose for newbies.
Herbal medicine, herbal skincare etc., require enormous patience. They don’t work overnight. They are a lifestyle practice. If you are to follow the underlying rule, you have to change your everyday routine to make place for them. But with time, they can work wonders for your skin and health. Someone taking insulin for type 1 diabetes can completely give up the daily shots switching over to ayur/siddha. But you have to give up so many other things for that. I do see many in India making that sacrifice and switching over to healthier natural medicine. The insulin dependency is completely avoided. But how can you expect the allopathics to accept that? Unfortunately even the allopathic hospitals in India won’t admit you if you are on ayur medication. You need to follow allopathy for an admit and this is where we have the stumbling block. There are ayur hospitals too in India and even siddha hospitals. Some ayur treatments require extended stay of months in resort like settings that can completely cure the patient of illness. No outside food and strictly sticking to ayur procedures that include medication, food and massages. Its a complete package really. Many retired citizens choose such packages for overall health.
For me personally, I adopt ayur for skincare routine and mild cold, cough etc. Others require constant monitoring and strict adherence to their prescribed lifestyle that I cannot afford to. So I follow allopathy.
vijiravindran's 