Diabetes – wholistic Ayurvedic Approach

Dear editors,

If you are reading this, you are among the many who are suffering personally or trying to help another overcome the burden of this silent, epidemic killer of modern era.

Statistics given by International Diabetic Federation declares 415 million diabetics today and an estimate of 642 million diabetics by 2040 worldwide. Picking up older records, WHO has published that “the number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. The global prevalence of diabetes among adults over 18 years of age has risen from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014. Diabetes prevalence has been rising more rapidly in middle- and low-income countries”.

This clearly indicates that actually, in spite of all the miracle medicines and dietary restrictions put on diabetics;the prevalence continues and the numbers are still growing. Where are we going wrong? What are we doing less to curtail this epidemic?

Ayurveda, the traditional Indian “Science of life” has a different way of looking at the patient. Rather than treat his/her symptoms, the Ayurvedacharys (doctors of Ayurvedic health sciences) will try to evaluate the triggers of the disorder or disease and correct them, with natural products which have been used from ancient times traditionally,sometimes with the help of natural herbs, potentized with different processes making them into medicines.

Let us evaluate the triggers: According to Ayurveda,the trigger and body response determine Prameha (early metabolic disorders) and if not kept under control, can lead to Madhumeha (diabetes melitus).1The classifications are based on the variations or mismanagement of Vata (energy flow phenomenon), Pitta (creative and digestive energy phenomenon), or Kapha (the tangible, foundation or solid aspect of energy), the 3 major humors of the body. Disease sets in due to imbalances caused from faulty lifestyle,stress beyond repair capacity, advancing age, toxicity in food, thoughts, environment and poor immunity that has the power to re-balance.

So what happens when a person is declared diabetic?

The body functions on the foods consumed, the nutrition derived and the ease with which it is transformed into the correct form of energy required for the cells, tissues, organs and different metabolic processes of the body. THIS FUEL IS GLUCOSE-SUGAR. Sugar is an essential component in every activity in the body. Insulin (produced by pancreas under mental/brain stimulus) triggers the process of activating cellular function to absorb this glucose fuel to be converted into energy in the presence of pancreas hormone – insulin.

Diabetes condition prevails when the inherent normal process of (sugar) glucose to energy cycle is disrupted either because there is a problem in insulin quality and quantity or the cells resist absorbing insulin. If this conversion system is disturbed or not available for balanced cellular function and maintenance, “catabolism” or breakdown of protein synthesis leads to muscle loss, energy loss, accumulation of internal toxins. Incorrect kind of insulin leads to incorrect kind of cellular fuel. The cellular chemical factory, the“Mitochondria” and ATP (energy molecule) are affected leading to excess toxin build-up.

The build-up of these acidic toxins including Ketoacidosis(acids from breakdown of fats as alternate fuel), become the trigger for the various symptoms of diabetes that includes weakness, loss of weight, inflammation, skin reactions/darkening, inability to recover from injury, eventual loss of internal recovery and natural rejuvenation.

All these are supported or triggered by hormones that greatly depend on the mental stimulus. And mental stimulus is a STRESS response. Stress to mental thoughts, stress to digest proper food properly, stress to resist incorrect lifestyle habits, stress to combat self inflicted (alcohol and tobacco) and external pollution, stress of competition,stress of emotional burdens, stress of forced immobility(sedentary life).

Unfortunately, by the time a person is declared diabetic,the derogatory response within the body has set in and cannot be reversed... but… it can be kept under control and the symptoms can be reversed.

Techniques that will work for controlling diabetes:

1. Change of lifestyle: these include lifestyle management techniques that are designed to evaluate the trigger and help patient slowly and surely make changes in MINDBODY together.

2. Remove or reduce the pollutions in and around the person. Detoxification is of paramount importance and building the immunity to fight disorder. This can be achieved with natural detox systems. Chemical/drug based detox will create a different kind of toxicity in the body. Detox is ideally achieved by cleaning the digestive track first, and then detox of the blood, other body fluids and major organs like lymphatic system,liver, lungs.

3. Build immunity with mind control, food control and natural foods that are designed in nature to improve immunity responses.

4. Consume the sugar-glucose in the body with adequate physical exercise.

5. Proper rest; as the body is rejuvenated when in deep sleep.

6. Ideal food intake should comprise of natural, fresh and local foods to nurture the body and help maintain the genetical/customary natural food to fuel transfer and improve detoxification cycles.

7. No food is good or bad: All depends on how well you can digest, convert food-fuel and eliminate toxins. And most important,

8. Change Mind, emotional and thinking patterns to POSITIVE thinking and continuous mental peace.

Ayurveda (dependence on natural options and disciplined lifestyle) and Yoga (beyond yogasana or exercises; a system that includes mind, body, society, culture and environment)are the best options to achieve all these. These respect balance and harmony, as they follow natural science; uses the natural harmony of Nature to heal and the treatment is based on the personal needs of the patient.

In modern times, based on statistical data from the world,it is not medicines that will make a change, but the manner in which we can deal with the pressures of modern lifestyle,mind patterns and internal immunity that will save us from the vagaries of epidemics like diabetes.

Integrating various healthcare facilities like Aahar (foods we consume: diet and thoughts we think); Viihar (lifestyle:our habits and ideologies); Vichar (mental responses and immunity powers to changes); Vyayama (adequate flexibility and health of physical body) and Aaushadhi (medicines as are required, both in type/quality and quantity).

1. Athavale VB. Prameha & Madhumeha in Ayurveda. Chaukhamba Sanskrit Pratishthan Oriental Publisher; 1999.

Sujata Vaidya1,2,＊

1 Clinical Trial Smt Kashibai Navle Medical College and General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India

2 Guru; Integrative Healthcare; Multiversity, Pune,Maharashtra, India