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Year 3 - Natural Products > 7 - Ayurvedic Medicine > Flashcards

7 - Ayurvedic Medicine Flashcards

1
Q

What is ayurvedic medicine?

A
  • Considered CAM therapy
  • “Whole medical system” - evolved over time in different cultures and apart from conventional or Western medicine
  • Ayurveda = life and knowledge/science (knowledge of life or science of life)
  • Aims to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit
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2
Q

What are the 3 types of ayurvedic professionals?

A
  • Practitioner
  • Therapist
  • Counsellor (can give advice about diet and lifestyle, but can’t prescribe herbs)
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3
Q

Describe the ayurvedic philosophy

A
  • Health is not the absence of disease, but state of balance between body, mind, and spirit
  • Health consists of balanced state between 3 doshas, 7 tissues, 3 wastes, and gastric fire
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4
Q

What are the 3 doshas and what is their function?

A
  • Vata, pitta, and kapha

- Govern all body’s physical and mental processes

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5
Q

What are the 7 tissues called and what is their function?

A
  • Dhatus

- Responsible for structure of body and functioning of organs

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6
Q

What are the 3 wastes, what are they called and what is their function?

A
  • Feces, urine, and sweat
  • Called malas
  • Produced and eliminated appropriately to balance health
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7
Q

What is the gastric fire called and what is its function?

A
  • Agni

- Heat energy that governs metabolism

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8
Q

What are the 5 elements?

A

Space, air, fire, water, and earth

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9
Q

Which elements are predominant in each dosha?

A
  • Vata = space and air
  • Pitta = fire and water
  • Kapha = earth and water
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10
Q

Describe prakruti

A
  • Aka constitution
  • Everyone is born w/ a unique proportion of doshas that is derived from the union of your parent’s doshas at time of conception
  • In most people, one dosha predominates and a second dosha has a strong influence (called dual-doshic constitution)
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11
Q

Describe vata

A
  • Energy of movement
  • Physical and mental qualities that reflect elemental qualities of space and air (quick-thinking, thin, fast-moving)
  • “King of doshas” - gives motion to pitta and kapha
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12
Q

Characteristics of vata

A
  • Dry (skin, hair, lips, tending toward constipation)
  • Light
  • Cold
  • Rough
  • Subtle (fear, anxiety, insecurity)
  • Mobile (fast walking, talking)
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13
Q

What does vata govern physiologically and psychologically?

A
  • Physiologically = breathing, talking, movements in muscles and tissue, circulation, urination, menstruation
  • Psychologically = communication, creativity, flexibility
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14
Q

What happens if vata is balanced and if it’s unbalanced?

A
  • Balanced = active, creative, gifted w/ natural ability to express and communicate
  • Unbalanced = anxiety, bodily disorders related to dryness (dry skin and constipation)
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15
Q

What are some common vata disorders?

A
  • Arthritis
  • High/low BP
  • Insomnia
  • Low energy
  • Low back pain
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16
Q

What can be done to balance vata?

A
  • Keep warm and calm
  • Avoid cold, raw foods and extreme temperatures
  • Keep a regular routine
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17
Q

Describe pitta

A
  • Energy of digestion and metabolism
  • Physical and mental qualities that reflect elemental qualities of fire and water (fiery personality, reddish complexion)
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18
Q

What are some characteristics of pitta?

A
  • Hot (good digestive fire, strong appetite, hates heat)
  • Sharp (teeth, distinct eyes, pointed nose, sharp memory and understanding)
  • Light
  • Oily
  • Spreading (rash, inflammation all over the body; want to spread name and fame all over the country)
  • Sour, bitter, pungent
19
Q

What does pitta govern physiologically and psychologically?

A
  • Physiologically = digestion and related to hormones

- Psychologically = joy, courage, willpower, anger, jealousy, mental perception

20
Q

What happens if pitta is balanced and if it’s unbalanced?

A
  • Balanced = joyful disposition, sharp intellect, courage and drive
  • Unbalanced = anger, rage, ego; infection, inflammation, rashes, ulcers, fever
21
Q

What are some common pitta disorders?

A
  • Heartburn
  • Ulcers
  • Diarrhea, GI disorders
  • Rashes and psoriasis
  • Infections
  • Eye and liver disorders
22
Q

How can pitta become balanced?

A
  • Avoid excessive heat, oil, and steam
  • Limit salt intake
  • Eat cooling, non-spicy foods and drink cool drinks
  • Exercise during cooler part of the day
23
Q

Describe kapha

A
  • Energy of lubrication and structure

- Physical and mental qualities that reflect elemental qualities of earth and water (solid body-frame, soft temperament)

24
Q

Characteristics of kapha

A
  • Heavy
  • Slow
  • Cold
  • Oily
  • Damp
  • Smooth, soft
  • Static
  • Viscous, cloudy
25
Q

What does kapha govern physiologically and psychologically?

A
  • Physiologically = moistens food, lubricates joint, gives bulk to tissues
  • Psychologically = love, patience, forgiveness, greed, attachments
26
Q

What happens if kapha is balanced and if it’s unbalanced?

A
  • Balanced = naturally good health, rugged body, mental peace
  • Unbalanced = obesity, nasal congestion, mucous, lethargy, depression
27
Q

What are some common kapha disorders?

A
  • Obesity, diabetes
  • Cold and flu, sinus congestion, allergies
  • Anorexia and bulimia
  • Asthma
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Excessive sleeping
28
Q

How can kapha become balanced?

A
  • Exercise
  • Avoid heavy foods
  • Vary your routine
  • Avoid dairy and iced foods and drinks
29
Q

What can cause an imbalance in a dosha?

A
  • Unhealthy diet or lifestyle
  • Too much or too little mental/physical activity
  • Being unprotected from environmental factors
  • Weather, chemicals, or germs
30
Q

How does diagnosis and treatment take place in ayurvedic medicine?

A
  • First must determine the persons prakruti (constitution)
  • Then determine their vikruti (current state of the doshas)
  • A person in excellent health will have the same prakruti and vikruti
  • Imbalance in a dosha will produce sx that are related to that dosha
  • Tx is based on categorizing and balancing an individual’s dosha
31
Q

What are the 3 doshic states?

A

1) Balanced (all 3 doshas present in their natural proportions)
2) Increased (one dosha is aggravated)
3) Decreased (one dosha is reduced or depleted)

32
Q

What are the methods of diagnosis for ayurvedic medicine?

A
  • Questions about diet, lifestyle and sx
  • Observation of teeth, skin, eyes, nails, tongue, and weight
  • Taking the pulse (each dosha thought to make a particular kind of pulse)
  • Examining stool and urine
33
Q

Goals of ayurvedic medicine

A
  • Eliminate cause of disease
  • Reduce sx
  • Correct and prevent doshic imbalances
  • Rebuild and support the body
34
Q

Tx options in ayurvedic medicine

A
  • Yoga, stretching, breathing exercises
  • Meditation (recommended for all 3 doshas)
  • Herbs
  • Specific foods and diets
  • Hands-on therapy (massage of “vital points”)
35
Q

Describe panchakarma

A
  • Cleansing to eliminate impurities

- Combination of tx including fasting, herbs, special diets, enemas, sweating, etc.

36
Q

What is yoga used to treat?

A
  • Depression, anxiety
  • Low back pain
  • HTN
37
Q

How does ginger help w/ digestion?

A
  • Increases pancreatic lipase and amylase activity and bile acid volume and secretion => improves digestion of fats and carbs
  • Increases pancreatic trypsin => improves digestion of protein
38
Q

What are the primary active agents in turmeric?

A

Curcuminoids

39
Q

What is turmeric used for?

A
  • Anti-inflammatory effects (arthritis, cancer prevention)
  • Digestive aid
  • Alzheimer’s
40
Q

What is ashwaganda used for?

A
  • Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties

- Possible benefit for anxiety

41
Q

Describe triphala

A
  • Remedy of dried fruits from 3 ayurvedic plants

- Amalaki for pitta; haritaki for vata; bibhitaki for kapha

42
Q

What is triphala used for?

A
  • GI health
  • Mild laxative, possible benefit in IBS
  • Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects
43
Q

What are the heavy metal concerns w/ ayurvedic medicine?

A
  • Sometimes intentionally combined w/ herbs to increase their potency, called “rasa shastra”
  • Often mercury, lead, or arsenic
  • Often exceed recommended daily intake levels

Year 3 - Natural Products (6 decks)

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