Ayurveda and Metabolism

Everything is connected. Living or dead, it makes no difference, everything is connected and a change in one area of your existence could greatly change the way you feel in another. Ayurveda is the practice of bringing everything in your life into balance. Ayurveda is the traditional Indian medicine (TIM) and the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). TIM and TCM are two of the longest-living traditions that are still in practice across the world today. Ayurveda utilizes over 1,500 herbal remedies to treat patients individually in regard to their: bio-identity, socio-economical status, biochemical and physiological conditions. Looking at these factors allows providers to customize their patient care and even help each individual avoid illnesses.

Ayurveda derives from two Sanskrit words, ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge), meaning that the literal translation of Ayurveda is the knowledge of life. The primary goal of Ayurvedic medicine is to follow the ancient script of Charaka Samhita which describes the primary objective of “protect(ing) the health of the healthy and to alleviate the disorders in the diseased condition.” When participating in Ayurveda, there are certain lifestyle accommodations that your provider may recommend you make in order to regain a balance between your body, spirit, mind and environment. Utilizing yoga, meditation, herbal remedies, massage therapy and certain dietary restrictions, providers are capable of returning your body to its innate state of balance, eliminating all impurities, reducing symptoms of sicknesses, decreasing stress, and increasing the immune system’s ability to fight diseases.

When trying to balance one’s life, Ayurvedic practitioners focus on the five basic elements that exist in the universe; fire, water, earth, air, and space. These basic elements combine in the human body to form three essential life forces; Vata dosha (air and space), Kapha dosha (earth and water), and Pitta dosha (water and fire). These three doshas comprise what every person is made of, and are hardly ever in balance from the start. Ayurvedic practitioners take into consideration these doshas, especially the strongest one present in each, and prepare a treatment plan that is specifically designed for the individual to bring their doshas back into balance. Typically, the goal of treatment is a cleansing process known as “panchakarma.” In the United States, there has been a recent increase in the number of licensed Chinese medical providers specializing in TCM, bringing the topic of Ayurveda and its effectiveness to the attention of many Americans.

While Ayurveda is considered a form of medicine that is equal to Western medicine in India, there is no true recognition or license in the United States. This form of treatment is gaining more approval in certain states and has even started being taught in some states. Ayurveda has had positive results for several people, especially when combined with our more conventional Western medicine. Some components of Ayurvedic medicine can be harmful if used improperly or without the supervision of properly trained Ayurvedic professionals and the consultation of your standard care provider. While this has been growing in the United States, there is still no regulation on the practice of Ayurveda as a medical treatment and many of the supplements have been banned by the FDA, making many hesitant to believe in this tradition of healing that has lasted over 3,000 years.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your body loses control over glucose levels, in other words, the body loses its natural state of hormonal balance leading to spiraling effects throughout the rest of the individual’s life. There are two variations of diabetes, type one and type two. Type one is caused by genetics and often presents in younger individuals. Type two is typically brought on later in life, due to diet and activity levels. As we look at diabetes from an Ayurveda perspective, there are clearly areas of one’s life that can directly impact the balance of others.

Several types of metabolic disorders can be inherited from one's parents. Here are a few of the common diseases; Gaucher disease, Hemochromatosis, Maple syrup urine disease, Mitochondrial disease, Tay-Sachs disease, Wilson's disease, and Type I Diabetes. Gaucher disease causes bone pain, anemia, enlarged organs, bloated abdomen, bruising, bleeding problems, and could lead to severe brain damage and death. Gaucher disease has three forms, the most common in America being type 1, and is sometimes treatable. Hemochromatosis is a disease that causes your body to store mass amounts of iron which can cause damage to your heart, liver, and pancreas. Hemochromatosis cannot be prevented but can be treated and managed to slow organ damage. Maple syrup urine disease inhibited the body from breaking down three amino acids; leucine, isoleucine and valine. This leads to a buildup of these amino acids in the body and will reach a toxic level, causing a wide range of physical and intellectual disabilities. Mitochondrial disease is a disorder that occurs when a cell's mitochondria are unable to produce a sufficient amount of energy for the body to function properly. There are several symptoms of mitochondrial disease, including poor growth, muscle weakness and pain, sensory issues, neurological delays and disorders, issues with organs and many others. Tay-Sachs disease results when the offspring receives two defective HEXA genes. Symptoms of this include slow development and will lead to the death of the child at a young age. Wilson’s disease causes copper to accumulate in the blood and tissues of the body eventually resulting in liver disease and failure. Type I diabetes is an inherited trait where the pancreas fails to produce insulin in response to increased levels of glucose in the bloodstream. To treat type I diabetes, affected individuals require insulin injections in order to regulate their blood glucose levels, and complete the metabolic pathway. All of these diseases have no way to be prevented; however, some have functional treatments. None of these diseases can be cured and will persist in affected individuals until they pass away.

Type II diabetes is the clearest example of how the imbalance in an individual’s diet and activity level will directly affect the rest of one’s life. A diet high in saturated fats and sugars leads to a response in the body where an increased level of insulin is released into the bloodstream to allow the cells the ability to metabolize the sugars that were just consumed. Over time, the body continues to produce these increased levels of insulin and yet, will slowly react less and less to the insulin in circulation. The less the cells react to insulin, the slower the metabolic pathways work, and as a result, the less sugar that is used for the production of ATP. A slower metabolic rate can lead to fatigue, headaches, weight gain, constipation, depression, thin hair, brittle nails and dry skin.

Your metabolism constantly provides your body with the energy necessary to complete the everyday essential bodily functions, such as breathing, digestion, and brain function. The metabolism required to perform these everyday essentials is known as your basal metabolic rate, this is essentially the rate that your cells need to complete the metabolic pathways in order to provide enough energy for your body to continue functioning normally. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) accounts for approximately 65% of your total daily energy needs, meaning that only 35% is needed to do things such as walking and talking, moving your finger to type or even lifting heavy weights. If your body is unable to process the energy you put into it, your body will enter a starvation mode where all glucose that isn’t immediately converted into ATP will be turned into fat storage, leading to increased body mass and a higher body fat percentage.

One way to treat type II diabetes is with activities designed to increase the cellular metabolic rate. Drinking increased levels of water has helped individuals improve their metabolic rate. Eating more protein with every meal, (over 25 grams per meal) and introducing high-intensity workouts have shown to increase your metabolic rate. Getting a full night of sleep is another incredibly important aspect that will lead to increasing your metabolism. Implementing these four things significantly increases the rate at which your body performs cellular metabolism, and helps to reverse the insulin resistance certain cells have learned over time. Increasing your metabolic rate has several other benefits including; maintaining weight, lower body fat percentage, less restrictive dieting to lose weight and a greater abundance of energy. Maintaining your body weight becomes much more manageable when you have a high metabolism because your body is able to utilize all of the food you put in, have a lower body fat percentage, and have more energy being produced.

-Corbin Hampton