Diabetes in Ayurveda

• Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease prevalent all over the world.

• Diabetes mellitus strikingly resembles Madhumeha which is one of the 20 types of Diabetes described in Ayurveda.

• In ayurveda, mainly 3 - kinds of Diabetes are as follow:

(i) sahaja prameha ( Genetic/ hereditary )

(ii) kalaja prameha ( Familial )

(iii) apathaja prameha ( Acquired by sedentary lifestyle )

• Diabetes mellitus is a clinical syndrome characterized by hyperglycemia due to absolute or relative deficiency of insulin.

• Diabetes is one of the most leading cause of the death.

• Madhumeha is found in obese patients who indulge in consumption of un-wholesome diet frequently.

• SYMPTOMS OF DIABETES : 

1. Polyuria

2. Turbid urine

3. Heaviness in chest

4. Constipation

5. Bed wetting in children

6. Whitish/ yellow urine

7. Sweetness in body and mouth

8. Thirst

9. Increased appetite/ hunger

10. Weakness

11. Fatigue

12. Delay in wound healing

13. Loss of body fat 

14. Increased sweating

15. Vertigo

• WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF DIABETES ? 

•  Intake of wrong kind of food at improper hours and in improper environment is the primary cause of Diabetes.

• Basic requirement for proper digestion and metabolism of food is mental peace and silent environment. Nut in modern times, this aspect is almost neglected and food is eaten while talking, walking, driving or discussing a problem.

• OBESITY :

• Diabetes can be occurs in both male and female.

• Person who are obese or fatty are more prone to the diabetes.

• Once diabetes occurs, an obese person losses weight and become lean and thin.

• Over-eating and consuming more carbohydrates and fat affect the function of pancreatic gland. Thus less insulin produced and person becomes diabetic.

• SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE

• Those person who do not perform physical exercise, those who indulge in sleep particularly during day time and those who takes more curds and meat of domesticated animals inhabiting marshy land are more prone to suffer from diabetes.

• HEREDITARY EFFECT ON DIABETES

• Diabetes can be hereditary.

• If father or mother or both have diabetes then there child is more prone to get diabetes.

• If genes of parents have undergone morbid changes, then child become a diabetic from birth. This is called infantile diabetes.

• Ayurveda describe this condition as asadhya or difficult to cure.

•  SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Diabetes progresses more rapidly in young person and children.

• Older person becomes diabetic for a long time without manifestation of any sign or symptoms.

• First sign of Diabetes is tendancy to urinate frequently.

• As blood sugar level increase, thirst increase and intake of more water activates production of a larger quantity of urine.

• As blood sugar level increase, the appetite/ hunger also increase and he tries to take more and more food. But inspite of eating larger quantity of food, he becomes weak and lose weight.

• Older person complain about tiredness, unusual fatigue and physical exhaustion.

• Patient suffer from different types of aches and pains.

Eye sight affected and skin becomes dry and he looks a little shrunken.

• If diabetes remain untreated, the fat accumulated in the body gets broken down into ketones and these ketones circulate in blood stream.

• Excess amount excrete through kidney.

• CONCEPT OF AYURVEDA

• According to Ayurveda, in Diabetes all three doshas vata, pitta and kapha are vitiated.

• Ayurvedic concept of food and it's composition is slightly different from the concept followed in modern medicine.

• TREATMENT

• Diabetic patients should avoid sedentary habits.

• Perform daily physical exercise.

• Should take more food that will help the action of enzymes.

• He advised to consume less of sweet things and eat more bitter vegetables such as bitter gourd, fenugreek and turmeric.