curated paper 1.

 The Role the Gut Microbiome Plays in Metabolic Disorders like Diabetes and its Relationship to Ayurveda Medicine Treatment

Ayurveda is an ancient medical approach originating from India and is sometimes referred to as the “science of life”.  The idea behind this approach is that there are connections between the mind, body, and soul, referred to as doshas, that must be balanced to maintain good health and prevent disease.  Practicers of Ayurveda claim that the imbalance between these components is what causes diseases. In conjunction, it is widely accepted in modern medicine that diseases occur when there is an imbalance or disorder of a particular bodily process.  These processes can be disturbed by both internal and external factors, including diet, emotions, and environment.  Because bodily processes are interconnected, a disturbance in one area of the body could easily affect another area. 

For adequate physiological regulation, the doshas must be balanced.  Lack of balance between the doshas results in disease and worsens with unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as exposure to physical and chemical agents, unhealthy diets, and mental and physical overexertion.  Treatment with Ayurveda not only addresses the disease but also the lifestyle and environmental factors that may be causing imbalance in an individual’s doshas.  Physical exercise, yoga, and massage are integrated with spiritual nurturing, breathing exercises, and the removal of excessive worry in an attempt to balance doshas.  The use of spices and herbs, as well as an improved diet, are used to treat chronic disorders, remove toxins, and cleanse the body of waste products to prevent reoccurrence.  

Ayurveda has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of diseases such as anxiety, arthritis, asthma, digestive issues, hypertension, eczema, high cholesterol, and problems associated with stress.  It has been proven that by participating in routine daily activities, eating a healthy diet, and leading a healthy lifestyle, diseases can be eliminated and prevented.  A major component of the body that is influenced by diet and lifestyle practices is the gut microbiome.  When this microbiome is disturbed, it can cause issues and diseases in other areas of the body. 

The microbiome consists of the overall community of bacteria that inhabits the gastrointestinal tract and varies between individuals.  The composition of bacteria types inhabiting the GI tract is influenced by several factors including diet, antibiotic use, and environmental exposure.  The microbiome is associated with numerous other processes in the body such as sleeping patterns, neurological development, and immunity.  Lacking a unique microbiome in childhood can negatively affect brain development, and disruption of the microbiome can alter responses from the immune system.  Additionally, an inadequate microbiome can contribute to obesity, affecting weight gain, weight loss, and metabolism.  The cardiovascular system can be affected by the metabolites produced by gut bacteria and bowel disorders like IBS and IBD are associated with certain microbiome bacteria.  Balance of gut bacteria is affected by genetics, diet, and environment, and is crucial to maintaining overall health.  

The gut microbiome is responsible for harvesting energy from food and creating neurotransmitters, enzymes, and vitamins which are all involved in immune and metabolic functions.  The proper functioning of the GI tract is crucial to maintaining health and productivity in other areas of the body.  Antibiotic use in early life alters the microbiota found in the GI tract and can shift the profile to one that promotes obesity, metabolic abnormalities, and autoimmune diseases. 

Research shows that a wide diversity of the gut microbiome leads to a healthier composition of bacteria and is mainly achieved through diet.  A diet that is varied with fruits and vegetables will have more diversity than a protein-based diet.  The enterotype, the classification of an organism based on the bacteriological composition of its gut microbiota, is developed as a result of long-term diet types and can change with shifts in diet.  The makeup of the gut microbiome can be altered solely through diet and could potentially help treat or resolve GI tract-related diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and IBD. 

Since the gut microbiota is responsible for maintaining balance in the body in several ways such as hormone regulation, immune dysregulation, and digestion, a disruption or lack of diversity in the microbiota can lead to serious complications and diseases.  Most notably, issues with the GI tract can have a profound effect on metabolism and lead to metabolic disorders such as diabetes.  These issues can also affect feelings of satiety, leading to an increase in appetite and contributing to obesity, another driving factor of diabetes.  

Metabolism describes all the chemical reactions that occur within a cell, and these reactions are often linked together in chains or pathways.  The pathways are firmly regulated to ensure a balance is maintained and that the flow of metabolites passes through them correctly.  Metabolic regulation is extremely important since the pathways’ activity changes under different conditions.  When metabolic regulation is no longer achievable, usually due to a metabolic disease like diabetes, our health is impacted in a major way.  

Diabetes, one of the most prevalent and chronic metabolic disorders in the world that affects nearly 422 million people, is considered a pandemic in the United States.  It is characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood which can lead to major damage in various other areas of the body.  Type 2 diabetes, the most common type and mostly occurring in adults, makes the body underproduce or become resistant to insulin.  Type 1 diabetes, usually found in children but able to affect those of any age, occurs when the pancreas makes little to no insulin on its own.  Since insulin metabolizes blood glucose, maintaining proper insulin levels is crucial to managing this disease.  

Diabetes is a classic example of imbalance or disruption of ayurveda in the body, showcasing how this imbalance can affect other pathways and organs whose proper function is required for optimal health.  Some pathways and organs that are affected by diabetes include the pancreatic beta-cells, defects in alpha-cells, immune dysregulation, and the kidneys, liver, stomach, colon, and brain.  Additionally, many organs and hormones are involved in the regulation of proper glucose levels in the body, so the effect diabetes has on their efficiency only compounds the disease.  

Diabetes can lead to eye problems such as retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma, and a kidney condition called nephropathy.  It can cause neuropathy and bad circulation in the extremities which can result in amputation and puts individuals at risk of hyperglycemic events.  There is an increased risk of stroke, coronary disease, hypertension, and cognitive impairment.  It can also lead to behavioral problems, such as anxiety and depression.  The comorbidities associated with diabetes highlight how the disruption of one aspect of the body can harm and cause disease in other areas.  The body has several working parts that are intertwined and rely on one another to promote optimal functioning and health of an individual, so maintaining a proper balance of the separate parts, or doshas, is crucial.  

Type 1 diabetes has several causes that are uncontrollable, such as endocrine and autoimmune diseases, damage or removal of the pancreas, and hereditary predisposition.  However, type 2 diabetes is a gradual process that can be avoided by eliminating risk factors that lead to the disease.  Some modifiable risk factors include physical inactivity, high percentage of body fat or high weight, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.  Considering obesity is one of the biggest drivers of type 2 diabetes progression, increasing physical activity and altering diet are the most crucial steps that can be taken to prevent the disease.  

Other than obesity, physical inactivity can result in different diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, hypertension, mood disorders, osteoporosis, arthritis, and of course, diabetes.  In fact, physical inactivity is the 4th leading risk factor of death.  Physical inactivity can be modified by environmental and behavioral intervention, which can lead to an eventual change in behavior that promotes one to habitually lead a more active and healthy lifestyle.  Utilizing these intervention techniques can prevent a multitude of diseases, including diabetes, and falls in line with Ayurveda treatment for disease.  

Despite the nature of the disease, whether it being physical or mental, Ayurveda medicine is designed to treat them all.  One success story comes from a retired orthapedic surgeon named Lorraine Day who claims to have beat her breast cancer by changing her diet, excercise patterns, the way she deals with stress, and also strengthening her relationship with a Higher Power.  She has been in remission for roughly 2 decades and resolved her disease without the help of traditional cancer treatments, such as radiation or chemotherapy.  Her journey to recovery using Ayurveda methods is convincing considering the lack of additional, modern medicine techniques.  

There is also evidence linking gut health to cancer.  When the relationship between the host and the gut microbiota is disturbed, it can affect tumor progression, oncogenesis, and host’s repronse to cancer therapy medications.  Knowing this, it is reasonable to conclude that changing one’s diet could directly influence the progression of cancer in an individual.  In conjunction with the other aspects of Ayurveda treatment, such as lifestyle changes and balancing of the mind, body, and soul, it is possible to treat and cure certain diseases that develop as a result of our current lifestyles.  Dr. Lorraine Day highlights that concept greatly in her books, that disease is caused by a disruption in our bodies that results from the way we treat them and live our lives.  By focusing on taking care of all aspects of our selves, we are able to maintain optimal health and avoid the diseases that come with leading unhealthy lifestyles.  

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World Health Organization. (2024). Diabetes. Health Topics. doi: https://www.who.int/health-topics/diabetes#tab=tab_1 

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