Ayurveda and Diabetes: A Holistic Approach

 

In the world of healthcare, treatment options usually differ per individual according to their beliefs, preferences and choice. Some prefer to be treated using traditional methods such as medication administration and seeing doctors while others prefer a more holistic approach like Ayurveda. The concept of Ayurveda originates as far back as 3000 years ago (Husney 2019). In this approach, people are encouraged to undergo a purification process which will cleanse their body, spirit and soul. According to some sources, if a person is promoting good health, then there is no need for their body to fight disease. This is true because the body learns to adapt to certain environments and if the environment is bad, then it can cause disease on the body. When good health practices are promoted, it's easier for the body to function properly. The cause of disease in Ayurveda is said to be caused by deficiency in things like water, air and light but in my opinion there may be other factors. I do agree that environment can cause stress which, after research is considered an “out of body experience” by Ayurveda and when the body is stressed, more disease can come about. In this paper I brought together the idea of how Ayurveda applies to conditions such as Diabetes and how metabolism factors in. 

When I think of the topic of metabolism, the first thing that comes to mind are questions about how cellular and chemical processes in the human body work together to sustain life. Metabolism, as defined by a medical doctor, is “a term used to describe all chemical reactions involved in maintaining the living state of cells and the organism” (Mandal, 2019). What I learned when researching this topic today is that nutrition plays a huge role in metabolism and it is important for people not only to eat well but also to eat a balanced diet. Nutrients break down to produce energy so that our bodies can be able to conduct daily activities. When nutrient balance in the body is disturbed then it causes a disturbance in metabolism and sometimes can even lead to things like tissue damage. 

I am currently taking a class at SUU titled “Adaptive Physical Education” and in this class we briefly discussed obesity and how in some countries they consider it a disability. Obesity is when the body has too much excess fat. One may argue that fat can easily be metabolized by the body and used a reserve for energy storage but this is not the case with obese people. Relating it to this topic, there are metabolic effects of obesity. Some hormones like adipokines, resistin and others modulate metabolic processes in the body and when a person is obese then there has to be increased production (Paul et al 2010). This in turn causes stress on the body and can lead to things like heart disease or diabetes. 

It is quite common for people to say things like “I have a slow metabolism that is why I am gaining weight”. After reading more about metabolism and weight gain on the Mayo Clinic website, I found that this statement is not true. I found that weight gain can be due to things like genetic makeup or even environment and lifestyle. There are several factors such as a person’s sex and age which can play a role in how metabolism can work in the body. During metabolism nutrients in food are combined with oxygen to create energy. Things such as increased physical activity can make it easy for metabolism to take place. 

There are several organs responsible for maintaining glucose levels in the bloodstream such as the pancreas and liver. When the body can't maintain or regulate sugar levels then someone is usually diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. The presentation outlined the two important hormones which are insulin and glucagon. The way I understood it is that when the body releases too much glucose, insulin stops that production from the liver and it is taken up by the cells. Glucagon on the other hand, causes the liver to continue the release of glucose. Insulin is not functioning properly when diabetes takes place, causing blood glucose to go higher. 

In terms of Ayurveda and diabetes, environment can be a factor. When people have unhealthy eating habits and minimal exercise then this disease can also happen. This all draws back to the issue of metabolism and why it is important to do everything we can to keep that process going in our bodies.  I learned that the cost of taking care of diabetes patients is more because of all the equipment and special medication that these patients need. Many doctors look at people with diabetes but fail to assess factors such as physical and social environments. If these can be considered then it becomes better to treat patients suffering with this in a more holistic way.

References

“Ayurveda.” Ayurveda | Johns Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ayurveda.

Husney, Adam. “Ayurveda.” HealthLink BC, 20 Dec. 2019, www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/aa116840spec.

Mandal, Dr. Ananya. “What Is Metabolism?” News, 26 Feb. 2019, www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/What-is-Metabolism.aspx. 

Singla, Parul et al. “Metabolic effects of obesity: A review.” World journal of diabetes vol. 1,3 (2010): 76-88. doi:10.4239/wjd. v1. i3.76