Isaac Thomson Curated Paper 1

Health is much more than just treating an illness; it's about keeping a balance between the body, mind, and everything around us. In a lot of ways, modern medicine and Ayurveda agree on this. Diabetes, for example, isn’t just about a malfunctioning pancreas. There are so many other factors at play—social, emotional, and environmental—that make managing this disease a lot more complex. Ayurveda, the ancient system of medicine from India, has always emphasized this balance. It’s based on the idea that the body’s energies, or doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—need to stay in harmony. When one of them gets out of balance, that’s when disease can occur. In a way, this perspective is pretty similar to the idea that diabetes management is more than just managing insulin levels. It’s about keeping everything—your life, your environment, and your body—in balance.

Looking at Type 2 diabetes, for example, it’s clear how lifestyle, diet, and even social inequalities play a huge role in how the disease develops and progresses. Ayurveda has its own way of explaining this. The Pitta dosha, which controls metabolism, needs to be balanced for someone to stay healthy. When it’s not, problems like diabetes can arise. This ancient approach seems to add another layer of understanding to what modern medicine tells us about the disease. Both systems, in their own ways, point out that the key to staying healthy is maintaining balance—whether it’s balancing insulin levels or managing the doshas.

When you think about diabetes today, especially in the U.S., one of the biggest challenges is how expensive it is to manage the disease. Insulin prices have skyrocketed, and people with Type 1 diabetes often struggle to afford the supplies they need to survive, like glucose monitors and insulin pumps. The healthcare system here tends to put profit over people, which makes it even harder for people to get the care they need. Ayurveda doesn’t directly deal with this kind of issue, but it does emphasize that we should live in harmony with our environment. This idea can be interpreted as a call for more balance in our healthcare system—where people’s well-being is prioritized over making money.

Food is another area where both modern approaches to diabetes and Ayurveda overlap. In many places, especially in low-income neighborhoods, people don’t have access to healthy, nutritious foods. They live in what’s called “food deserts,” where processed foods high in sugar and unhealthy fats are the easiest options. Ayurveda encourages eating foods that are in season, fresh, and aligned with your body’s natural needs. This idea can offer solutions for managing diabetes in a way that supports the body’s natural functions. Imagine if public health initiatives took these Ayurvedic ideas and applied them in communities where people have little access to healthy foods. It might create better outcomes, not just for those managing diabetes but for preventing the disease altogether.

For example, Ayurveda recommends eating foods that balance Pitta, the dosha that governs metabolism. According to Ayurveda, bitter greens help cool and pacify Pitta, which aligns with modern nutritional advice to eat more fiber and leafy vegetables for better blood sugar control. This small dietary shift, grounded in Ayurveda, could be a useful addition to how we think about nutrition for people with diabetes. It’s not just about reducing sugar or carbs; it’s about finding a deeper balance in what we consume.

Diabetes, especially Type 1, also comes with a heavy emotional burden. It’s not just the physical toll of managing blood sugar and insulin levels, but the constant mental strain of living with a chronic disease. People with diabetes often deal with anxiety, burnout, and even depression. Yet, these emotional struggles are not always considered in their treatment plans. Ayurveda, though, has long recognized that the mind and body are deeply connected. Stress and emotional disturbances can throw off the balance of Vata, one of the three doshas, leading to more physical health problems.

When Vata is elevated, people might experience anxiety, insomnia, or digestive problems, which are common symptoms for people trying to manage diabetes. Ayurvedic practices like meditation, deep breathing, and yoga aim to bring the mind and body back into balance by calming Vata. These practices could complement modern diabetes treatments by helping people manage the stress that comes with the disease. In fact, studies have shown that mindfulness techniques can lower stress hormones like cortisol, which can directly impact blood sugar levels. Combining these Ayurvedic practices with traditional diabetes care might offer a more holistic way to manage both the physical and emotional challenges of the disease.

Ayurveda isn’t just about treating disease after it happens; it’s about preventing it in the first place. This is one area where modern medicine and Ayurveda seem to differ, but they actually have a lot in common. While modern medicine often focuses on treating disease once it has developed, Ayurveda emphasizes daily routines and seasonal adjustments to keep the body in balance and prevent illness. This idea of prevention could easily be applied to efforts to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

In today’s world, people are becoming more sedentary, especially in urban areas. For many people, particularly those in lower-income neighborhoods, there aren’t safe or accessible places to exercise, and this contributes to the rise of Type 2 diabetes. Ayurveda teaches that we should live in harmony with natural rhythms, which includes regular physical activity and mindful living. These ideas are similar to what modern public health experts recommend when they tell us to exercise more and eat better to prevent diabetes. By encouraging people to adopt these Ayurvedic principles—such as staying active and eating in alignment with natural cycles—we could make significant strides in preventing diabetes.

Ayurveda’s personalized approach is another valuable insight that could complement modern medicine. Ayurveda tailors treatments and diets to each person’s dosha type, and this can be applied to how we think about personalized care for diabetes. For example, someone with a predominance of Kapha, the dosha associated with heaviness and stability, might be more prone to obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Ayurveda would suggest that people with Kapha dominance engage in more stimulating activities, eat lighter foods, and avoid too much rest—advice that aligns perfectly with modern recommendations for preventing insulin resistance and obesity. By integrating this personalized approach, we could offer more customized care that not only treats diabetes but also helps prevent it.

Both Ayurveda and modern medicine stress the importance of balance, whether it’s about insulin and blood sugar levels or the harmony between the body’s doshas. By bringing these two systems together, we can develop a more comprehensive way to manage chronic diseases like diabetes. Ayurveda’s emphasis on mental health, lifestyle changes, and prevention can enhance the biological treatments offered by modern medicine.

For example, insulin therapy is essential for managing Type 1 diabetes, but Ayurvedic practices can offer additional support for the emotional and mental challenges that come with the disease. Similarly, for people with Type 2 diabetes, combining Ayurvedic dietary principles with modern nutritional guidelines could improve disease management and even help prevent complications. On a broader scale, integrating Ayurveda into public health campaigns could lead to more sustainable and culturally sensitive ways of addressing chronic diseases like diabetes.

In the end, managing diabetes isn’t just about one approach. It requires a multifaceted plan that addresses the physical, mental, social, and environmental factors at play. Ayurveda and modern medicine, when combined, offer a fuller picture of how to manage and prevent diabetes. Both systems recognize that health isn’t just about treating symptoms—it’s about creating balance in all areas of life. By using insights from both, we can work toward more effective, equitable, and comprehensive care for people living with diabetes.