Efficacy and side effects of Ayurvedic therapy

As an Indian traditional medicine system that has been circulating for more than 5,000 years, its clear efficacy has been verified by evidence-based research and practical operation. It is mainly concentrated in three directions: auxiliary conditioning of chronic metabolic diseases, emotional stress regulation, and improvement of sub-health status. Side effects mostly come from three types of problems: irregular operation, incorrect physical fitness, and excessive heavy metals in herbal products. Different schools have yet to reach a unified conclusion on the disputes about its applicable boundaries. There is no need to deify its efficacy or deny it entirely. I have been exposed to Ayurvedic healing for 6 years, and have followed three instructors from different schools. I have seen it help people get rid of chronic diseases that have been troubled for many years, and I have also seen many cases of blindly following the trend and stepping into the trap. Next, I will explain it clearly based on practical experience and public research data.

I spent three months in a traditional Ayurvedic clinic in southern Sri Lanka a few years ago. I witnessed a local doctor treating a local elderly man who had suffered from rheumatoid disease for more than 20 years. He took herbal baths three times a week and took customized herbal powder for internal use, along with strict dietary taboos. After half a year, the old man's knuckles, which were originally too swollen to hold his fists, were mostly reduced, and he was able to go out to buy coconuts on crutches. Existing small-scale clinical studies have also confirmed that the Ayurvedic diet + medication that matches the body constitution can be more than 55% effective in assisting in the treatment of metabolic problems such as prediabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome. I have three polycystic patients myself. After adjusting the diet for three months according to the Vata constitution, my aunt who was originally delayed for half a month can basically come on time, and her pain level has been reduced by most.

Many people’s impression of Ayurveda rests on internet celebrity spas. In fact, its mood-regulating effect is much clearer than the effect of relaxing massage. It’s the forehead oil-dropping program that often appears in internet celebrities’ check-in photos. It’s officially called Shirodhara. Research shows that doing it for 14 consecutive days can reduce cortisol levels by about 30%, and it can be 60% effective in improving chronic insomnia. I have a friend who works as an Internet operator. He was so bad that he had to take two tablets of melatonin to sleep for 3 hours. After doing it for two weeks, he can now fall asleep in half an hour while lying in bed. He even took half of the anti-anxiety medicine he brought with him.

Interestingly, many of the current controversies in Ayurveda stem from the differences between traditionalists and modern reformists. The traditional Ayurveda schools in Kerala insist that all therapies must be combined with strict physical assessment and adjustments to diet, work and rest, and the herbal medicines taken internally must be hand-processed and tested for heavy metals, otherwise it is not considered orthodox Ayurveda at all. However, the modern Ayurveda schools popular in Europe and the United States prefer to make it a mass relaxation program, weakening the requirements of physical classification. They believe that as long as it can help people relieve stress, it is not wrong. The two groups have been arguing for more than ten years without a conclusion.

To be honest, most of the side effects I have seen are actually man-made problems and not problems with the therapy itself. Last month, I met a girl who has a Pitta constitution that easily gets angry. When she went to an internet celebrity healing center, no one gave her an evaluation. She was given a hot oil therapy package with ginger and cinnamon. She had a nosebleed the same day after the treatment and suffered from insomnia for three days. In addition, the FDA has previously exposed that 1/3 of Ayurvedic supplements sold online contain excessive levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic. Long-term consumption will cause chronic liver and kidney damage. I once received an aunt who heard from a WeChat businessman that Triphala from Triphala can nourish the skin and detoxify. After taking it for three months, it was found that liver enzymes were elevated, and it took me a week to stay in the hospital before it came down. In addition, many people are allergic to sesame oil and certain herbal ingredients commonly used in Ayurvedic oil therapy. They did not do a skin test before the treatment, and they developed hives all over their body after the treatment. Such minor problems are even more common.

My own experience is that Ayurveda is more focused on lifestyle adjustments and is not a magic medicine that can cure all diseases. If you really want to try it, first don’t buy random products for internal use. Before doing the project, you must find a professional therapist to do a complete physical assessment. If you have basic liver and kidney diseases, are pregnant, or have allergies, explain the situation clearly in advance and don’t blindly follow Internet celebrity projects. After all, whether it is traditional medicine or modern medicine, the one that suits you is the best. There is no need to pay IQ tax for the gimmick of "ancient inheritance", and there is no need to beat it to death just because of negative news.