The concept of Acidity and Digestive Disorders in Ayurveda
Ayurveda believes that digestive disorders occur due to inappropriate food and lifestyle. It offers a rational and scientific approach for determining correct diet which is based upon an individual’s constitution. Vata, Pitta and Kapha ( tri-dosha – energy) This energetic constitution is the basis of determining which foods are best for maintaining physiological balance for a given individual.
Nutritional imbalances which leads to digestive disorders are :
** Quantitative deficiency – under nutrition due to insufficient food, and even starvation.
** Quantitative excess – excessive amounts of both health foods and even water.
** Qualitative deficiency – wrong food combination which results in malnutrition, toxic condition and lack of essential nutrients.
** Qualitative excess – emotional overeating of high fat foods which can result in obesity.
** Ama-producing – certain food combinations lead to toxemia and to certain digestive disorders.
** Prakriti – foods not appropriate for one’s constitution may reduce immunity and cause disease.
According to Ayurveda, every food has its own taste (rasa), a heating or cooling energy (virya) and post-digestive effect (vipaka). When two or three different food substances of different taste, energy and post-digestive effect are combined together agni can become overloaded inhibiting the enzyme system and resulting in production of toxins in the system. Combining foods improperly can result in digestive disorders like indigestion, fermentation, putrefaction and gas formation. For example, eating bananas with milk can diminish agni, change the intestinal flora producing toxins and may cause digestive disorders.
Lack of proper and systematic lifestyle also leads to chain of reactions caused by digestive system’s inability to cope up with irregular food habits added by agonies and worries. Ayurveda manages these digestive problems through balancing the doshas with the help of food and lifestyle choices.
Acidity – Life style
Our hectic lifestyle takes a toll on our health and we often feel a burning sensation in your stomach and chest i.e, acidity. Ayurveda believes that characteristics of Pitta include acidity so by following qualities that are opposite to pitta in diet and lifestyle help restore balance to Pitta dosha. And also it states that Agni (digestive fire) is the main protector of the body and ama (toxic) is the real cause of this disease. The below are the lifestyle recommendations to fight acidity.
General :
* * Stay cool–both physically and emotionally. Avoid going out in the heat of the day, especially on an empty stomach or after you have eaten tangy or spicy foods.
** Delaying meals can cause excess acidity, so eat on time every day. Do not skip meals, do not fast and do not wait to eat until you are ravenously hungry.
** It is important to get to bed early, so that you can get adequate rest each night. A cup of warm milk, with some cardamom, can be helpful before bedtime.
** Daily elimination is very important to prevent ama from accumulating in the body.
** Indulge in an ayurvedic massage every morning before you bathe or shower.
** Protect yourself from the heat. Stay cool in warm weather by wearing loose cotton clothing.
** Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect your eyes when you go out. Drink lots of room temperature water.
** Balance work and play. Set aside some time for Recreation everyday.
Diet :
** Start your day with cooked fruit, followed by some cereal. Eat a sustaining meal at lunch, and a lighter meal for dinner. Avoid food that has acidity and take foods rich in alkaline content.
Exercise & Yoga :
** Water-based activities are ideal exercise for Pitta-dominant people Avoid exercising when it is too hot.
Emotional and Spiritual Life :
** Set aside about 30 minutes each day for meditation, to help balance the heart and emotions and to enhance body-mind-spirit coordination thereby treats acidity at its root.
Ayurvedic herbal preparations like Indukantam qwath tablet, aptizoom syrup, indukantam ghrit, hinguvachadi tab, dadimashtaka churna, chitrakadi tablet, kalyana gulam, dasmoola haritaki leha is to be taken along with the above mentioned life style suggestions.
Acidity- Ayurveda suggestions
According to Ayurveda, a medical science, acidity, a condition in which there is an excess secretion of acid within the stomach is recognized as Amalapitta. Agni (digestive fire) is known to be the chief protector of the body and ama(toxic) is the real cause of the disease. The main reason is the indiscretion in taking food which incorporates its quality, quantity and timing, which leads to three types of doshic (physical energies) imbalance : one due to the intervention of vata, another due to kapha and the third one is attributed to the involvement of both of them.
Following guidelines along with the Ayurvedic herbal preparations like Indukantam qwath tablet, aptizoom syrup, indukantam ghrit, hinguvachadi tab, dadimashtaka churna, chitrakadi tablet, kalyana gulam, dasmoola haritaki leha is suggested :
- Foods that are rich in oils and fats, having acidic contents to be avoided.
- Smoking, Intake of coffee and tea are to be avoided.
- Immediately after eating one should avoid drinking water
- Fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and pulses which are good sources of fibre and which helps in digestion to be taken in plenty.
- Aniseed croomy (Saunf) and Coriander seed (500 mg) to be taken twice a day.
- Lemon water with equal amount of sugar and salt to be taken everyday.
- Koshna Jal (Luke warm) water should be drunk after 1/2 hour.
- Diet to be reduced to 3/4 th of regular diet
- Some sort of exercises to be done after a meal.
- One has to keep himself balanced as psychological reasons like anger, grief, anxiety and depression as potential reasons to trigger the onset of acidity.
Ayurvedic Treatment for Acidity
1. Vata Type of acidity
carminatives like asafetida and cloves are given. Preparations like Pachakshara choorna, Narayana choorna are prescribed.
2.Pitta Type of Acidity
Amalaki is initially prescribed in order to reduce the hyperacidity of the stomach. Then Shatavari tablet is prescribed. The medication is to be continued for two weeks.
3. Kapha Type of Acidity
The treatment begins with fasting to correct the digestive fire. Herbs are given in order to correct the digestive problems. Treatment with Shankha vati and Jeerakadyarishta is prescribed for three weeks.
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