Curated Paper 1- Maia Florence

Ayurveda is a holistic approach to health. It focuses on maintaining balance within the body and with the environment. Science classes often teach us about homeostasis and how all living things must maintain homeostasis, bringing balance to a system. An organism must maintain balance with itself and the environment to survive. There can be deadly consequences if balance is not maintained. 
    Last fall, I took an immunology class in which we discussed the immune system in depth. We learned about the importance of balance within the immune system. If an antigen enters the body, it can lead to imbalance and the immune system must fight to restore homeostasis. Sometimes balance is not restored and a person may die. It is fascinating how our body is a system and everything is interconnected. 
When you view the world through an interconnected lens, you can see how everything has a purpose. Our bodies are connected with the environment and changes to the environment can lead to changes in our bodies. There is a cause and an effect with all things. Understanding this concept can help one better understand the need for balance. A change in one aspect of our lives can lead to another, which could lead to imbalance and disease. 
One such disease is physical inactivity. Some argue that physical inactivity should be viewed as a pandemic. Many measures were implemented to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. More can and should be done to overcome the physical health pandemic. Improving physical health often improves other aspects. Healthcare would drastically change, mental health would improve, and economic costs would be reduced. 
The top two leading causes of death in the United States are due to physical inactivity-related diseases. This could be overcome and prevented if we actively make changes to our society. This could help to decrease the amounts of preventable deaths. My grandma was not in the best state of physical health and it had a great impact on her quality of life. She was often unable to do many activities and she suffered from several heart conditions. These are things that she could have worked on to improve. 
    Generally, the physical health of adults in the United States is declining. It was fascinating to view the obesity maps of the country spanning seven years. In the beginning, several states were in the green for having lower levels of obesity, but after a few years, only three were classified as green. Things will continually get worse unless changes are made. Those changes can be made at an individual level.
    Diabetes can be quite expensive. I have seen this firsthand in my extended family. My aunt and cousin have Type 1 diabetes. My aunt has had it since she was a college student and my cousin was diagnosed when he was a pre-teen. There were multiple times my cousin was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night because his insulin levels were too low. The medical bills from these hospital visits were not cheap. Another expenditure for my cousin was having their dog trained to be a diabetic-alert dog. The extensive training that their dog, Hercules, went through made it possible for him to detect when my cousin’s glucose levels were too high or low. Hercules would then alert my aunt or uncle and they would help my cousin. 
        According to an article that discusses the economic costs of diabetes, individuals with diabetes pay 2.6 times more in medical expenses. People with diabetes have to purchase insulin and other medications to maintain their blood glucose levels. These are direct costs associated with the disease. There are also indirect costs such as reduced employment and a decrease in productivity. It is interesting to see how diabetes affects all aspects of an individual’s life. They are unable to participate in normal activities and their quality of life can be negatively affected. For those with serious health conditions, they may have a premature death, which would impact those in their circle of influence. 
        There are often stigmas associated with people who have Type 2 diabetes. Those with this condition may have blamed themselves or may feel blamed by those around them. Although changes in diet and exercise could help to prevent Type 2 diabetes, some things are out of people’s control such as age, socioeconomic status, and family medical history. It is vital to treat people with kindness and empathy. We should strive to not view them as their disease. This could help those who need to seek help and follow through with diabetic treatment. 
        The gut microbiome also includes the concept of Ayurveda. The microbes in our body bring balance to metabolic functions, neurotransmitters, and energy levels. If things get out of balance there can be negative effects. It is essential to maintain homeostasis. The microbiome has often been thought of as a stabilizing force for organisms.
        The gut microbiome is very diverse. There are thousands of different types of microbes. Events from a person’s life and the environment determine which microbes will be present. I did not know that how a baby was delivered would play a role in the makeup of gut microbiota. Knowing this stresses the idea that everything helps to contribute to the larger picture.
        The idea that antibiotics can affect the makeup of a person’s gut microbiome was also mind-blowing. A series of chain reactions determines the composition of an individual’s microbiome. If a person takes certain antibiotics or experiences certain life events, they will have different microbes. It reminds me of the signaling cascades that I learned about in biochemistry. A simple compound could cause a series of chain reactions that lead to a change in the organism. The same is true for our gut microbiome. 
Individuals in the United States have a less diverse gut microbiome than those in less developed countries.     Americans are exposed to different elements from those living in less developed countries. Studies have found that a more diverse microbiota is better for overall health. Similar findings have been found in ecosystems, The more species present in an ecosystem, the healthier the ecosystem is.
        Our diet contributes to the makeup of our gut microbiome. In Western civilization, many of the foods that are consumed daily are highly processed. These types of foods can damage the gut and lead to inflammatory diseases. A recent trend is to eat clean by consuming natural foods. The gut microbiomes of individuals that eat natural foods versus processed foods will differ. The microbes in the gut need to be able to digest the foods we consume. It was interesting to learn that organisms living near the harbor in Japan have microbes in particular for digesting seaweed. As a college student, I know that many improvements could be made to my diet. 
        The human microbiome is ever-changing. Coevolution takes place between the host and microbiome. The relationship is symbiotic, meaning both members benefit. The microbiome can harm the host if there is an imbalance. A healthy relationship can become dangerous when things get out of hand. The need for Ayurveda is constantly being reinforced. Individuals with microbiome imbalances can develop diabetes, obesity, or cancer. The microbiome is something that should not be overlooked. It can determine a person’s quality of life. 
        Changes to the microbiome can be instantaneous. It was found that an immediate change took place in the microbiome when individuals changed from animal to plant diets. Instant change is necessary because different microbes are needed to digest certain foods. It may not be the most effective to change diets instantly because it gives little time for the microbiome to adapt. Rather it may be more effective to introduce small changes over an extended period of time. There is still so much that can be learned about the human microbiome and the concept of Ayurveda.