Ayurveda Perspective: The Underlying causes of Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation is the normal body’s response to protect itself from infection caused by any irritant or foreign invaders such as bacteria. It is also a way in which the body signals the immune system to heal and repair any tissue damaged because of an injury, disease, or illness.

As a result, the immune system reacts by increasing the production of white blood cells, immune cells, and substances called cytokines so it can help fight infection.

Short-term signs of inflammation include pain, swelling, and redness. Inflammation can also typically result from stress, physical inactivity, obesity, diet, and toxins found in the environment.

When inflammation becomes chronic, it can lead to many health conditions such as allergies, arthritis, diabetes, heart diseases, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), cancer, depression, gout, and stroke.

There can be several causes for chronic inflammation including lifestyle, auto-immune disorder, chronic diseases, among others.

However, according to Ayurveda, inflammation is caused by an imbalance in the pitta dosha that results in the accumulation of toxins (ama). This blocks the channels of microcirculation (sroto dushti) in the body.

Blocked circulation channels prevent the vata dosha from flowing throughout the body and nourishing the kapha dosha. This triggers an exaggerated immune response in the body, which leads to inflammation.

In Ayurveda, inflammation has a variety of names including Shotha, Shopha, Svayatu, Utsedha, and Samhata.

Learn everything about chronic inflammation and find all the natural solutions to treat it naturally, including various diet programs, alternative medicine, vitamins, supplements, herbal medicine, and home remedies.

Why Ayurveda helps reduce Chronic Inflammation

Ayurveda helps reduce inflammation in the body by balancing the derangements in the pitta dosha (the fire principle)  and cooling it down.

According to Ayurveda, a person is just like the universe, made of five elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth.

These elements combine in the body to create three energies or doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha.

- Vata dosha consists of the elements of space and air. It is the energy of movement

- Pitta dosha consists of the elements of fire and water. It is the energy of digestion and metabolism

- Kapha dosha consists of the elements of water and earth. It is the energy of lubrication and structure.

The doshas regulate every single process in the body. They control and maintain the body’s tissues (dhatu), waste products (mala), and digestion (agni).

How Ayurveda works for Chronic Inflammation

Ayurvedic medicine is suggested to work to treat inflammation by cooling down and even curing this imbalance in the pitta dosha.

This can be achieved by doing simple adjustments to the diet and changing the daily routine, along with using herbal supplements.

Ayurveda Treatment Protocol for Chronic Inflammation

Ayurvedic treatment for inflammation is specifically tailored to each individual’s case and looks at the dominant dosha in their constitution as well as their symptoms. However, Ayurvedic treatment for inflammation generally involves the following aspects:

A. Purvakarma treatments:

Purvakarma is Sanskrit for “foremost action.” It consists of herbal and oil treatments that loosen the accumulated toxins in the gut. Ayurvedic medicine believes these toxins cause inflammation.

Accordingly, purvakarma practices direct them to specific waste and elimination centers in the body. They help prepare people for Panchakarma (detoxification therapies).

Purvakarma consists of three treatments:

1- Pachana (digestion therapy): a practice where herbal treatments are administered to the patient. These herbal formulations help the body digest and eliminate toxins that have accumulated in the blood and the skin, triggering inflammation

2- Snehana (oleation therapy): a practice where oil, ghee (purified butter), or oils mixed with herbs are applied to the body internally or externally to loosen toxins that trigger inflammation in the body and lead them to a particular center in the body where they can later be expelled via panchakarma therapies.

3- Swedana (sudation therapy): is a practice that involves a thermal treatment to help release toxins through the skin. It typically occurs after oleation therapy as the oils help the body absorb the steam.

During swedana, the patient sits in a wooden box or room filled with herbal steam to help the patient eliminate the toxins in his or her body by sweating. Ayurvedic practitioners recommend having a warm shower after swedana therapy.

The herbs used in swedana are often anti-inflammatory and relieve inflammation in the body. Swedana also detoxifies the body and burns away the toxins that trigger inflammation.

B. Panchakarma treatments:

Panchakarma, which is Sanskrit for “five treatments,” is a five-step detox program in Ayurveda. These treatments help detoxify the body and restore balance to the vata, pitta, and kapha doshas.

To treat inflammation, Ayurvedic practitioners recommend undergoing all five Panchakarma therapies, including:

1- Vamana (medicated emesis): a practice where patients undergo forced vomiting to eliminate toxins that trigger inflammation in the intestine. Vamana also removes excess kapha dosha in the body that might trigger inflammation.

2- Virechana (medicated purgation): a practice where patients are given herbal treatments to induce diarrhea. This helps balance the pitta dosha and clears out toxins in the gut which prevents inflammation in other parts of the body.

3- Vasti/Basti (medicated enema): vasti is a practice where patients are given oils or liquids that help cleanse their gut. Basti is the practice where patients are given an herbal enema. Both oil and herbal enemas help decrease inflammation because they eliminate toxins in the gut that might lead to inflammation.

4- Nasya (nasal medication): a practice where oils are administered through the nose. It helps restore balance to the vata, pitta, and kapha doshas, which reduces inflammation. It primarily helps reduce inflammation in the sinuses.

5- Raktamokshan (bloodletting): a practice that involves withdrawing blood from the body via puncture wounds or incisions. This practice helps remove toxins from the blood and restores balance to the pitta dosha, which reduces inflammation in the body.

C. Rasayana (Rejuvenation treatments):

In Ayurveda, rasayana treatments help rejuvenate and nourish the mind and body. Rasayana practices include consuming herbal treatments or decoctions and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet. They also incorporate exercise, yoga, and a regular self-care routine (dinacharya) to maintain balance in all aspects of life and reduce inflammation.

The rasayana practices that help treat inflammation are explained in more detail below:

1- Dietary modifications:

The Ayurvedic diet aims to balance the vata (energy of movement), pitta (energy of digestion and metabolism), and kapha doshas (energy of structure and lubrication) in the mind and body. Patients should maintain a diet that restores balance to all three doshas to treat or prevent inflammation.

An Ayurvedic diet advises eating healthy foods to nourish the tissues affected by the inflammation in the body. The diet also prescribes specific foods as part of Purvakarma (preparatory treatments) before Panchakarma (detoxification therapies).

It helps loosen the toxins that block the vata dosha from moving smoothly throughout the body.  The removal of these toxins reduces inflammation in different areas of the body.

Patients should maintain the Ayurvedic diet even after they complete Purvakarma and Panchakarma therapies.

2- Herbal treatments:

Ayurveda prescribes herbs or herbal treatments to reduce or treat inflammation. The treatments are specifically tailored to the person’s symptoms. Practitioners prescribe different herbs depending on the person’s symptoms.

Some of these herbs or herbal treatments include:

- Ardraka (Ginger): an herb that cools inflammation and reduces swelling in the body.

- Tulsi (Holy Basil): an herb that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It works to reduce stress and prevent inflammation in the body.
- Haldi (Turmeric): an herb that contains the anti-inflammatory chemical curcumin, which helps relieve inflammation.

- Guggul (Commiphora mukul): an herbal extract that has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps reduce swelling and redness in the body.

- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): an herb that has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps the immune system fight off infections.

- Indian frankincense/Shallaki (Boswellia serrata): an herbal extract with anti-inflammatory properties which helps lower inflammation in the body.

3- Dinacharya (Routine):

Dinacharya or establishing a routine is one aspect of rasayana that helps treat chronic inflammation and restore balance to both the body and the mind.

It includes:

1- Adjusting dietary habits: Patients should eat foods at regular times. They should also eat healthy foods that help restore balance to the vata dosha (energy of movement) to prevent inflammation.

2- Regulating sleeping habits: Patients need to adjust their sleeping habits and begin sleeping at regular times every night. Routine helps stabilize vata energy, which is imbalanced when the body is inflamed. Getting enough sleep also regulates immune system function, which prevents inflammation.

3- Exercising regularly: Patients should engage in physical activity every day to stabilize all the doshas and reduce inflammation in the body.

4- Practicing yoga: Patients should practice at least 10 minutes of yoga every day to reduce any stress that may trigger inflammation in the body.

5- Practicing breathing techniques: Patients should practice breathing techniques or pranayama every day. Pranayama helps decrease stress levels, which helps reduce inflammation in the body.

Ayurvedic Medicine for Inflammation: recommendations

- Eat at regular times: Maintain a diet that restores balance to either one or all of the three doshas. It should include healthy whole foods and limit processed and refined foods. Eat all meals at regular times each day. Don’t skip meals.

- Sleep well: Maintain a regular sleep schedule and get at least 7 hours of sleep to reduce and prevent inflammation. Lack of sleep and sleep disturbances increase inflammation in the body.

- Practice yoga: Practice at least 10 minutes of yoga, including pranayama (breathing techniques), every day to reduce stress, one trigger of inflammation in the body.

- Practice activities that increase mindfulness: Practice meditation for at least 20 minutes every day. Meditation helps relieve stress that might trigger inflammation in the body.

Foods to eat:

According to Ayurveda, all foods possess certain gunas (qualities). The gunas in the foods are transferred into energies that influence the balance of the doshas in the body.

People who suffer from chronic inflammation should eat foods with cooling, dry gunas(qualities) to reduce the imbalance in the pitta dosha (energy of metabolism and digestion). These foods prevent the formation of toxins (ama) that cause inflammation.

These foods include:

• Grains: quinoa

• Fruits: pineapples, pomegranates, strawberries, blueberries, and cantaloupes

• Vegetables: leafy greens such as cabbage (both raw and cooked), spinach, and kale and broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers

• Beans: sweet peas

• Dairy products: ghee (purified butter)

• Dairy alternatives: almond milk, soybean milk, and tofu

• Oils: coconut oil

• Salt: Rock salt

Herbs to use:

Ayurveda recommends the following herbs with anti-inflammatory properties to treat or prevent inflammation in the body and restore balance to the imbalanced doshas.

- Ardraka (Ginger): an herb that cools inflammation and reduces swelling in the body.

- Tulsi (Holy Basil): an herb that has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It works to reduce stress and prevent inflammation in the body.

- Haldi (Turmeric): an herb that contains the anti-inflammatory chemical curcumin, which helps relieve inflammation.

- Guggul (Commiphora mukul): an herbal extract that has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps reduce swelling and redness in the body.

- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): an herb that has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps the immune system fight off infections.

- Indian frankincense/Shallaki (Boswellia serrata): an herbal extract with anti-inflammatory properties which helps lower inflammation in the body.

Ayurvedic Medicine for Inflammation: things to avoid

- Skipping meals: Skipping meals makes it harder to establish a routine for self-care. It also weakens agni (digestive fire), which affects digestion and causes toxins to accumulate in the gut.

- Avoid or limit alcohol consumption: consuming alcohol that contains a lot of sugar can disrupt the pitta dosha (energy of digestion) and cause the accumulation of toxins in the body which can trigger inflammation.

- Avoid soft drinks: these drinks contain refined sugar that disrupts the pitta dosha (energy of digestion) and increases inflammation in the body.

- Stop smoking: smoking causes the kapha dosha (energy of lubrication) to become imbalanced and increases mucus secretions in the nose and throat. It blocks the body’s respiratory channels, which also causes a vata (energy of movement) imbalance, increasing the risk of inflammation in the body

- Avoid sugar: sugar and sugary foods elevate blood sugar levels and disrupt the pitta dosha (energy of digestion and metabolism). They cause toxins to accumulate in the body, and increase the risk of inflammation.

- Avoid high-sodium foods: consuming lots of salt increases kapha (energy of lubrication) in the body. Excess salt can cause the blood to thicken, which may trigger inflammation in the gut.

Foods to avoid:

According to Ayurveda, all foods possess certain gunas (qualities). The gunas in the foods are transferred into energies that influence the balance of the doshas in the body.

People at risk for chronic inflammation should avoid foods with  hot and oily gunas (qualities) that aggravate the pitta dosha (energy of digestion and metabolism).

These foods include:

- Grains: wheat

- Meats: red meat

- Dairy products, milk, yogurt

- Sugar

- Processed foods

- Foods that contain excess salt

Ayurveda for Inflammation: precautions

Ayurveda uses natural and herbal remedies to treat diseases. However, if you want to use Ayurvedic medicines, herbs, supplements to treat a particular condition, you should consider the following precautions:

- Consult your Ayurvedic practitioner before taking Ayurvedic products on your own. Let them know if you have diabetes or are taking medication that may affect your treatment plan. They should adjust it to avoid any harmful interactions with the medication you are taking.

- Some Ayurvedic products and practices are banned in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve or review Ayurvedic products. Some herbal compounds or preparations may contain lead, mercury, or arsenic in toxic amounts.

They can cause serious illnesses in children and may be life-threatening for pregnant or lactating women and their babies. Other compounds from untrustworthy manufacturers may contain steroids, which may cause further health issues. 

- Some Panchakarma treatments aren’t suitable for all patients with chronic inflammation. Eligibility for panchakarma is determined by an Ayurvedic practitioner.

People who are classified as having “weak” or lean and thin bodies aren’t eligible for some panchakarma treatments. People who are anemic and pregnant women also aren’t allowed to undergo panchakarma treatments.

WARNING:

- Make sure to disclose to your primary care physician that you are seeing an Ayurvedic practitioner and are taking Ayurvedic formulations. This ensures you stay safe and avoid medication interactions that might cause serious side effects.

- If you are taking medication for diabetes, don’t stop taking them if you begin Ayurvedic treatment unless your doctor approves it.

- Some Ayurvedic practitioners may not be qualified to treat you. Make sure that your Ayurvedic practitioner is well-trained, certified, and has the relevant experience to meet your needs.

- Be careful when buying Ayurvedic herbs or formulas. Don’t buy Ayurvedic products unless they have a GMP (Good Manufacturing Product) stamp on them if you are buying them from India. Be extra careful when purchasing herbs online because online stores may be selling counterfeit products.

Ayurveda for Inflammation: side effects

Since Ayurvedic treatments are derived from natural herbs and plants, most treatments do not cause adverse events. However, if you take some Ayurvedic preparations or herbs, you may experience the following side effects.

- Some Ayurvedic products contain toxic amounts of heavy metals like lead, arsenic, or mercury, and they might cause heavy metal poisoning.

- Some Ayurvedic herbal formulations might cause headaches, nausea, gastrointestinal problems, diarrhea, rashes, or allergic reactions.