A medical system that originated in India several thousand years ago. Ayurveda is based on theories of health and illness, and on ways to prevent, manage, or treat health problems. Ayurveda aims to integrate and balance the body, mind, and spirit (thus, some view it as “holistic”). This balance is believed to lead to contentment and health and to help prevent illness. A chief aim of Ayurvedic practices is to cleanse the body of substances that can cause disease, and this is believed to help reestablish harmony and balance.

• Ayurveda or Ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India.
• Treatment options are varied and can include yoga, acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage therapy and dietary changes.
• Cases of lead poisoning as a result of taking Ayurvedic treatments imported from India have been reported in Victoria.
• Always check with your doctor before starting complementary therapies and never stop taking your conventional medicine or alter the dose without the knowledge and approval of your doctor.

Ayurveda or Ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India, whichuses a range of treatments, including panchakarma (‘five actions’), yoga, massage, acupuncture and herbal medicine, to encourage health and wellbeing.

Panchakarma treatments may be harmful when performed by an inexperienced practitioner. Ask them to explain their qualifications and experience.

The ancient Indian medical system, also known as Ayurveda, is based on ancient writings that rely on a “natural” and holistic approach to physical and mental health. Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world’s oldest medical systems and remains one of India’s traditional health care systems. Ayurvedic treatment combines products (mainly derived from plants, but may also include animal, metal, and mineral), diet, exercise, and lifestyle.

Ayurvedic techniques include:

• Dietary changes
• Herbal medicine, including combining herbs with metals, minerals or gems (known as rasha shastra medicines) that can take the form of pellets, tablets and powders of various colours and scents)
• Acupuncture (practiced by some practitioners)
• Massage
• Meditation
• Breathing exercises
• Panchakarma (‘five actions’) – a specialised treatment consisting of five therapies including emesis (vomiting), enemas and blood-letting, which are meant to detoxify the body and balance the doshas (in Ayurveda, the body’s three vital energies)
• Sound therapy, including the use of mantras
• Yoga.

Ayurveda practitioners believe their approach is effective in treating a range of disorders, including:

• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Arthritis
• Digestive problems
• Eczema
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol levels
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Stress.

Is Ayurvedic Medicine Safe?

Some Ayurvedic preparations may contain lead, mercury, or arsenic in amounts that can be toxic.

Is Ayurvedic Medicine Effective?

A few studies suggest that Ayurvedic preparations may reduce pain and increase function in people with osteoarthritis and help manage symptoms in people with type 2 diabetes, but most of these trials are small or not well-designed. There is little scientific evidence on Ayurveda’s value for other health issues.

How much do we know about Ayurvedic medicine?

Although Ayurvedic medicine and its components have been described in many scholarly articles, only a small number of clinical trials using these approaches have been published in Western medical journals. About 240,000 American adults use Ayurvedic medicine.

Few well-designed clinical trials and systematic research reviews suggest that Ayurvedic approaches are effective.

• Results from a 2013 clinical trial compared two Ayurvedic formulations of plant extracts against the natural productglucosamine sulfate and the drug celecoxib in 440 people with knee osteoarthritis. All four products provided similar reductions in pain and improvements in function.

• A preliminary and small NCCIH-funded 2011 pilot study with 43 people found that conventional and Ayurvedic treatments for rheumatoid arthritis were similarly effective. The conventional drug tested was methotrexate and the Ayurvedic treatment included 40 herbal compounds.
• Outcomes from a small short-term clinical trial with 89 men and women suggested that a formulation of five Ayurvedic herbs may help people with type 2 diabetes. However, other researchers said inadequate study designs haven’t allowed researchers to develop firm conclusions about Ayurveda for diabetes.
• Turmeric, an herb often used in Ayurvedic preparations, may help with ulcerative colitis, but the two studies reporting this were small – one, published in 2005 included 10 people while the other, published in 2006, had 89.

• Some Ayurvedic preparations include metals, minerals, or gems. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns that the presence of metals in some Ayurvedic products makes them potentially harmful.
• A 2015 published survey of people who use Ayurvedic preparations showed that 40 percent had elevated blood levels of lead and some had elevated blood levels of mercury. About one in four of the supplements tested had high levels of lead and almost half of them had high levels of mercury.
• A 2015 case report published in the Center for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report linked elevated blood lead levels in a 64-year-old woman with Ayurvedic preparations purchased on the Internet.
• Although rare, Ayurvedic products may cause arsenic poisoning.

• Don’t use Ayurvedic medicine to postpone seeing a conventional health care provider about a medical problem.
• If you have a health condition, talk with your conventional health care provider before using Ayurvedic products.
• There is no significant regulation of Ayurvedic practice or education in the United States, and no state requires a practitioner to have a license. For more information on credentialing complementary health practitioners, see the NCCIH fact sheet Credentialing, Licensing, and Education.
• If you’re pregnant or nursing, be sure to consult your (or your child’s) health care provider as some Ayurvedic products may contain products that could be harmful.
• Tell all your health care providers about any complementary or integrative health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.