When speaking of body systems and
their function, it is difficult to do so without the topic of homeostasis being
brought up. When we were asked to study Ayurveda,
at first, I was a little skeptical of the subject. Growing up in a home where vitamins and
supplements were seen as essential, I have moved away from things like that for
the most part. This is not to say that I
do not see any value in supplements or any other type of secondary medicine,
they most certainly have their place and I believe there are beneficial treatments
to be found within their scope. For the
most part though, I see modern medicine as the pinnacle achievement when it
comes to human health. The modern scientific model works and it works
well. We hypothesis, we test, we fail,
we try again, we make conclusions and then those conclusions are rigorously
tested and reviewed by our peers. Only
after this process has happened is medicine applied and used for the
public. This method is safe, it is well
organized and like I have mentioned, it is effective.
Going back to my earlier skepticism,
when I started researching Ayurveda, I was not sure what to think. In most articles I could find it is described
as a type of pseudoscience or alternative medicine. These are not the type of words one usually
likes to see when seeking to learn about genuine medicinal practices. As I did my research, I found that there was good
to be found in Ayurveda, maybe not as a scientific practice, but as an approach
to both health and wellness. The core idea
of Ayurveda is harmony and balance within the body. The name Ayurveda can be best translated to “Knowledge
of Life and Longevity.” When looked at in this light, I believe a great deal of
good can be accomplished by seeking balance in our bodies. As I mentioned earlier, you can scarcely have
a conversation about any body system without the topic being mentioned. This is because at the core of all our bodies
do, much of the purpose is to maintain homeostasis within the body. When things are out of balance, we see a
great deal of issues.
As we move on, I would like to look
at what we have established. In my opinion,
Ayurveda as a medical practice does not fit in to the scope that modern
medicine has established. Many of its practices
have very little actual research behind them and the ones that do usually have
mixed results. I mean no disrespect when
I say that we live in an age where we no longer have to rely on guesswork or
tradition to treat ailments and cure disease.
This is not to say such practices based on culture or religion do not
have their place. I would advocate for
any individual who wishes to practice their culture, as long as it does not
bring negative affects for those who do not desire any part in said traditions. As students and teachers of science, however,
we must choose to look at medicine and physical health in a way that is logical
and methodical. That is where the part
of Ayurveda I agree with comes in to play.
I agree in the importance of balance and harmony that is found within
all well-functioning body systems. This
core teaching of Ayurveda has a place in our research and should have a place
in our daily lives.
During the course of this class, we
have been learning about metabolic pathways.
Metabolic pathways are linked chemical reactions which occur in a series
in our body’s cells. As these reactions occur,
they function to maintain homeostasis within the body. Our bodies have a number of needs, the most abundant
of which can be divided into three macronutrients; Lipids, Proteins, and Carbohydrates.
Once ingested, these and all other nutrients must be broken down into the
molecules that we need for proper cell function. This is made necessary by the metabolic
pathways we have been researching. While
I will not go into great detail for all the metabolic pathways in our bodies, I
will be speaking a good deal more on the importance of carbohydrates for proper
bodily function.
After digestion, carbohydrates can
be found in the body in the form of simple sugars such as glucose. Glucose is the most important energy source
for our bodies. Without it, we could not
sustain ourselves and the balance found within our bodies would quickly get out
of harmony. As we know, glucose is a driving factor in the process of cellular respiration.
Without it, the Krebs cycle cannot start and we cannot produce the necessary amount
of ATP that our bodies need to drive the many energy dependent reactions that
take place in our body. I don’t think I
need to go into any detail about why having a dramatic decrease in ATP would be
detrimental to our function.
Once we get that glucose from the
metabolic reaction of breaking down carbohydrates, we then need a way for our
glucose to get into our cells. As glucose is a relatively large molecule, it
cannot passively pass through our cell membranes and must be facilitated
through by GLUT transporters. This process
is facilitated by the hormone insulin. Insulin, when triggered to be released from
the pancreas, signals for cells to uptake glucose found in the blood stream. This maintains a healthy level inside the
blood and provides our cells with the materials they need to produce ATP. When this
process does not work, we start to see a great deal of issues in the body and
we begin to see them fast.
Now, as I begin to discuss diabetes
and its implications, we will see how Ayurveda ties into the discussion. Diabetes as a disease is characterized by the body’s
inability to uptake glucose into its cells.
There are two causes of this. In
type 1 Diabetes it is caused by an issue in the pancreas where the body attacks
the cells that create the hormone insulin.
Without insulin to signal the cell to bring in glucose, the body cannot
do so. Type 2 Diabetes is caused by a
number of factors, the majority of which deal with poor diet, obesity, and low
levels of exercise. This causes for there
to be more insulin in the body than the cells can keep up with. Eventually the GLUT transporters start to
diminish and with it so does the body’s ability to uptake glucose into its
cells.
Type 1 diabetes is a genetic
condition that can happen to people regardless of lifestyle. Given this I will be focusing most of the
rest of the paper on type 2 diabetes and how it relates to an Ayurveda type lifestyle. As established, type 2 diabetes is mostly a
result of a person’s lifestyle. While
there are probably genetic factors which can increase one’s chance, the likelihood
of someone getting type 2 diabetes is largely dependent upon their own
choices. This by no means that I have
desire to shame those who have or who develop type 2 diabetes. As I continue, I simply hope to explore some
of the implications of diabetes on our system and how a balanced lifestyle can
help both to prevent, and to lessen to effects of type 2 diabetes.
It has been said by some that even
before Covid, the US and other countries in the world were already experiencing
a pandemic. That pandemic is often said
to be Diabetes. While diabetes cannot be
transmitted by a cough, blood to blood contact, or a bad needle; it can be
transmitted by the culture which permeates our society. We live in a culture where it is difficult to
find healthy food for an affordable price.
Some research has shown that healthy diets, on average, cost an extra
1.50 per day. This adds up when you take
into account families with many kids or relatives. Then there is the issue of knowing what to
buy and how to cook it. Then we come to the issue of actually cooking the food
and the time needed to do so. Given all
this, it is no wonder that there are fast food stores on every corner. People need food and they often need it fast,
easy, and cheap.
As a culture we have shown that in
many aspects we value productivity over health.
During the pandemic, many businesses switched to at home work. While this was a good decision from a
standpoint of not wanting to catch covid, I wonder the effects that it has had
on the activity levels of many people. Many studies have shown that obesity rates
increased during the pandemic. Obesity,
as we know, is a leading factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. I wonder if we were so focused on one
particular health issue that we have as a society neglected many others which
will come to fruition in the coming years.
Going forward, knowing that
diabetes is a large problem within our culture, what are the implications of
this on the medical system and the health of society as a whole? Some studies have suggested that as many as 40%
of those who died of covid had diabetes as a comorbidity. When calculated that is around 400,000 individuals
with diabetes whose deaths are also linked to Covid. 400,000 people who would have probably had a
much better chance of pulling through if not for their previous
conditions. While some of those would
have probably died regardless of their existing conditions, I cannot imagine a
world were having diabetes would have helped the problem. Going beyond covid, people
with Diabetes usually have medical expenditures that account to 2.3 times what it
would be if they did not have the condition. This is a huge toll, both on the provider
and on the person who is in need of the care.
Going along with these increased costs, it is estimated that around 69
billion dollars in reduced productivity is caused annually by diabetes, as
shown in data from 2012.
Diabetes has a heavy toll, not only
on society but on the individuals which are affected by it. Once diagnosed there is no cure and the
lifestyle and daily routines of those who develop it are changed for the rest
of their lives. While there is not much
we can do to change society as a whole, we can make changes in our own lives to
help prevent having to deal with this issue.
In order to prevent diabetes in ourselves and our immediate families, it
will take something that I have discussed at length in this paper,
balance. By incorporating this principle
from Ayurveda into our lives we can take control over our own personal wellness
and have an active effect on our health.
If we are not aware of the lives we live and the things we partake of,
we cannot hope to combat the issues which plague us as individuals and as a
society. When it comes to our bodies and
our health, metabolism is everything. It
is the basic of our function and has an effect on every other reaction and process
which takes place in the body. Knowing
this, it is our personal responsibility to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It will take a level of self-awareness and
determination but I do not think I would be alone in saying that it will always
be worth it.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hemochromatosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351443
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508/
Interesting take on how we see the world of westernized medicine. I would agree that we as a society have become able to plan and test things again and again to achieve the expected results. I do think that this take is exactly what is hurting people that are caught up in western medicine because we focus to greatly on the disease instead of the person. I was really glad to see that you mentioned people that have diabetes spend 2.3 times more in medical cost, and I think that even if it cost 1.50 extra pay to eat healthy then it would be worth it compared to the thousands of dollars in medical bills. Great post, very well written, and I loved the in depth explanations about the metabolic pathways that could help a non-biology person understand the inner workings of the body.
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