Understanding Metabolism through Ayurveda

Ayurveda is an alternative, medicinal system that has stemmed from tradition and dates back to thousands of years. It first began in India and is deeply rooted with the whole person (body, mind and spirit). When it is regarding disease, it means there is an imbalance with the tridoshas (life energies). The three are Vata dosha (space and air); Pitta dosha (fire and water); and Kapha dosha (water and earth). Your Prakriti, which is the prime material energy of which all matter is composed, can help determine what specific diseases or illnesses you are most prone to. People that are composed of Kapha are more susceptible to tonsillitis or congestion in the lungs as a whole. Being made of Pitta would mean you have other vulnerabilities in the stomach or liver as well as be more inclined to have skin disorders. Vata people have a common origin for disease: the large intestine. It is also believed that a disease that exists within the body can present its symptoms in the mind. 

The environmental aspect to this plays a relevant part in the disruption of the tridoshas as well. There are specific emotions that correspond to each one of these and can better help those who practice Ayurveda understand where the problem lies. If there is excess pitta within the body, it will produce anger, hatred and feelings of envy. Pitta is fire and water, so there may be something going on in the stomach, liver or there’s a developing skin disorder not yet perceived. The main idea that is established by ayurveda is connectivity. Everything is made up of matter. Matter is present within us and outside of us. Our bodies are constantly performing functions to help keep us alive and balanced. If there is something wrong with the pancreas, for example, and it does not produce enough insulin to help your body function in normality, you will develop diabetes. In developing this, over time, the body will experience other disruptions. There are multiple pathways, but the idea is the same: there are connections in every part of our body, down to the very cells inside. 

This disorder of the pancreas is most commonly referred to as diabetes. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy (2020, para. 1). Most of the food that we ingest breaks down into sugar or glucose and those molecules are then carried through to the rest of our body by our blood. When there is too much sugar for the body to handle, there is a signal that notifies the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin is like the mediator: it helps cells get the energy they need, but also helps regulate the sugar in our system. With diabetes, there may be too much insulin, too little insulin or no insulin at all. There are 2 types: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is termed “insulin-dependent” and it is less common than Type 2 diabetes. It is speculated that it can be caused by a hereditary predisposition, endocrine diseases, drugs and chemical toxins, unfavorable environmental factors, damage or removal of the pancreas, autoimmune diseases, viruses and infections or by the autoimmune destruction of beta cells in the pancreas (which are responsible for creating and releasing insulin). As a result of these influences, those that suffer from Type 1 diabetes have an insufficient amount of insulin inside their bodies. As for Type 2 diabetes, this is the most common type for adults. This is also the one that most people have knowledge of. Some causes include a family history of diabetes (genetics), race/ ethnicity, history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, high body fat or body weight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, etc. There is no problem with insulin secretion, but the body becomes insulin resistant over time. Like a lock and key, insulin needs to bind to its receptors in order to allow sugar to go into the cells and provide them energy. Since this isn’t happening, there is an excess amount of sugar in the bloodstream and that leads to hyperglycemia. 

Diabetes does not remain in the pancreas: it affects other parts of the body as well. In an ayurvedic perspective, diabetes is an imbalance of kappa dosha that can cause other issues that stem in different places throughout the body.  In the eyes, it can cause cataracts, glaucoma or retinopathy, each of which can affect the longevity of your eyes and how well you see throughout time. In the kidneys, diabetes can cause high blood pressure, which can damage blood vessels and overwork the organ. The kidney can then become diseased (nephropathy). Being hyperglycemic (having too much sugar in the blood) can damage nerves in the peripheral nervous system, our “rest and digest” system. As a result, there may be pain and numbness in certain parts of the body, including the feet. Wounds may become infected and lead to gangrene and limbs may need to be amputated to prevent the infection from affecting other limbs. 

           Among the 15 leading causes of death in 2013, diabetes mellitus ranked number 7, along with cerebrovascular diseases (strokes) at number 4 and essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease at number 13. All of these diseases are attributed to lack of exercise and insufficient physical activity. Based on what has been previously written and reported by several sources, diabetes affects more than just blood sugar and insulin. Despite having factors like environment (low income, poor living conditions, low educational attainment, etc), and/or a genetic predisposition to diabetes, it is imperative to find ways to mitigate the onset of it. Accepting the “inevitable” is what furthers the issue. Exercise can help and is proven to lower blood pressure. Eating a healthy and balanced diet also assists in promoting good “gut” bacteria that enables the body to digest more quickly and efficiently. All foods have certain benefits when ingested. Similarly, Ayurvedic treatment for diabetes involves using herbal supplements (using plants that have medicinal properties to promote and enhance insulin sensitivity and balance) as well as exercise and weight management.  

Ayurveda is a practice but also a concept that is meant to enlighten and enhance medicinal approaches. Everything has energy: specific things may have better energy than others. Good habits like eating healthy, for example, would have good energy, as it can boost metabolism and digestion, help the body feel healthy and balanced, etc. Bad habits like drinking alcohol when your blood sugar is low or eating salty and sugary foods at nighttime are “worse” habits, if you will, and open up doors that lead to other problems. It is worth looking into this idea because it can reveal truths we may not have known or understood before. Life is complicated and the human body is complicated too. There are many things we don’t have knowledge about, and many missing pieces. Combining the structural, ever expanding, logic (Western medicine) with the spiritual, connective and natural (Ayurvedic) might help shed light on how to treat new diseases and how to mitigate the onset of others. 

Citations: 

Google. (n.d.). Ayurveda. Google. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ayurveda%3famp=true. 

Gordon, A., Buch, Z., Baute, V., & Coeytaux, R. (2019, August 7). Use of Ayurveda in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Global advances in health and medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6686320/.