Ayurveda, the Microbiome, and Diabetes

 

Ayurveda, the Microbiome, and Diabetes

Over the past month or so I have had the opportunity to research, reflect, and write about a number of different topics in my Biology Capstone course. These topics range from whole-body wellness concepts like Ayurveda to the different types of Diabetes. This has been a very eye-opening experience to me because it allowed me to view a number of different topics in a different light. It also allowed me to reflect on this new information and how it can apply to me. Last but not least, it allowed me to see how connected this world is. I had no idea that one could connect so many different concepts together. In the following paragraphs, I will explain the main different concepts that we have discussed thus far in the course, mainly Ayurveda and Diabetes/Metabolism, along with how these seemingly different topics actually fit together and their application to my life. 

The first concept that we talked about and researched in this course is called Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a traditional Indian approach to medicine and is considered an “all-encompassing” approach. This approach has been around for thousands of years and is a very common approach to lifestyle in India and the neighboring countries. The main point of the approach is that the mind, body, and soul are all different parts of someone, but are also all interconnected. In other words, they are all important and build off of each other. This concept is crucial in understanding Ayurveda because it affirms the idea that in order for someone to be truly healthy, that person needs to be healthy in all the different aspects, the mind, the body, and the soul. This was intriguing to me from the start because before the class, I always assumed that health was just the body, and that the mind and the soul didn’t have anything to do with health. But after researching the concept a lot on my own, I realized that this traditional approach to medicine had a lot of truth in it. In the following paragraphs, I will explain a few of the really interesting things that I found about Ayurveda. 

During my research on Ayurveda,  I found several intriguing aspects. One of those facets of Ayurveda involves its belief in the strong connection between the mind and body. Although this connection may not be physically visible like in an anatomy book, its impact is still very real. According to Ayurveda, a healthy mind translates into a healthy body. A great example of this was the correlation between depression or other debilitating mental illnesses and various physical health factors. Studies have shown a strong association between these mental health conditions and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. While the link between depression and obesity made sense to me, given the potential lack of motivation for going out and exercising, I was shocked by the connection to cancer. Before this research, I thought of getting cancer as more of a random occurrence, kind of like a game of “Russian Roulette”. While I knew certain factors like smoking increased the risk, I had never considered a tie to mental health disorders. This finding definitely demonstrates the interconnectedness between the mind and the body. This findings was just one among many interesting aspects I came upon in my Ayurveda research.

Another interesting aspect of Ayurveda that captured my interest was its emphasis on self-care and relaxation. As a busy college student, my schedule is typically filled with studying, homework, group study sessions, and work to allow me to continue studying and eating. However, diving into Ayurveda research revealed the importance of taking time for yourself to practice self-care and allow both the body and mind to unwind. It became evident that, in many cases, taking a little time for relaxation is just as important as the other things I mentioned earlier. Intrigued by this idea, I decided to put it to the test in my own life. Instead of studying non-stop for my summer classes, I made a conscious effort to set aside a small portion of each day to practice self-care. Surprisingly, this simple practice had a significant impact on my mental health and overall well-being. It allowed me to study for longer periods with increased efficiency. This finding was awesome since I had always been someone who believed in tirelessly pushing through tasks and keeping “my head to the grindstone”. However, using the Ayurveda approach allowed me to work effectively for extended durations without experiencing the usual crashes. This was another great thing that I found about the Ayurveda approach to life after researching it more thoroughly. 

On the other hand, I was also able to learn a lot about metabolism in the human body. I learned that metabolism is just a big word used to describe all the important cellular pathways that the body goes through in order to create energy through digesting food as well as other important mechanisms. One particular piece of metabolism that I found extremely interesting was that of the gut microbiome. Through my independent research, I've learned that the gut microbiome refers to the diverse community of microorganisms that lives in our GI tract. It's amazing to think that our body is home to trillions of bacteria that play a crucial role in our overall health. These tiny organisms not only help us in digesting our food, but also have significant effects on our immune system and weight regulation. The gut microbiome acts like a tiny little ecosystem, constantly talking with our body and influencing a number of different aspects of our health. I'm amazed by how this microbial community can be influenced by factors such as diet, stress, and medication. In addition, my research suggests that a balanced diet rich in fiber and fermented foods can have a strong impact on our gut microbiome and can make sure that it is running at top-efficiency. Learning about this interesting world of the gut microbiome has opened my eyes to the complex role these microorganisms play in shaping our health. 

Another interesting aspect of metabolism that I learned through this course was how metabolism relates to the onset of diabetes. Through my research I learned that diabetes is a complex condition that impairs the regulation of blood sugar levels in the body. What's really caught my eye is how metabolism intertwines with diabetes. I learned that individuals with a sedentary lifestyle can develop insulin resistance. This is where the body's cells become less responsive to the hormone insulin because of overstimulation. This, in turn, disrupts the efficient processing of glucose, leading to an increase of blood sugar. The complex relationship between metabolism and diabetes illustrates the interesting role that lifestyle factors play in diseases. However, the cool fact that captured my attention is that healthy habits, such as regular exercise and a balanced diet, can help manage and even prevent the onset of diabetes. Understanding the impact of metabolism on diabetes has pushed me to dig deeper into this fascinating subject.

Overall, the connection between the gut microbiome, Ayurveda, diabetes, and metabolism has been really interesting to study and has captivated my attention. All of the aforementioned topics build off of and break down from each other. It was really interesting learning about these connections as well as seeing the real-life examples that I discussed earlier like with depression and cancer. This really made me appreciate the complexity of the human body and how important it is to be healthy in all aspects of life. I definitely have made some changes to my life to accommodate this more and so far, have seen great results. I feel more energized, happier, and more excited about my future. All in all, this has been a great few sections in the course and I am excited to see what we will learn about next.