Ayurveda is a continuum of medicines rooted in India. The key ingredients are oral formulas, nutritional and behavioral changes, and Yoga and meditation. Herbs like Curcumin are useful but should be used under control. Yoga and Ayurveda assist in alleviating the side effects of cancer and its therapies.
Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and Veda (knowledge) and dates back over 3,000 years. Treatment is uniquely formulated and consists of oral formulas including plant, mineral, seasoning, and food components; purgatives; improvements in diet and lifestyle; and enhancement in mental health through Yoga or meditation.
Centered on these principles, Ayurvedic doctors prescribe individualized treatments consisting of medicinal substances or patented ingredients, and lifestyle guidelines for food, exercise, and other aspects. The ayurvedic practice may include several forms of treatments and therapies, including:
Cancer is the world's second-largest cause of death, and Chemotherapy is the most widely used form of diagnosis. Patients of cancer suffer from the adverse side effects of chemotherapeutic medications and turn to herbal therapies in search of treatment. Natural treatments such as Ayurveda, in cancer therapy, make use of plant-derived ingredients, which may minimize harmful side effects.
There is very little evidence of the efficacy of Ayurveda against cancer. Still, studies of individual treatments suggest anticancer properties and tentative effects as well as efficacy in treating symptoms as seen in these examples:
Ayurvedic practitioners in India undergo instruction in accredited programs or institutions. Ayurveda has been popular in the West, and in India, some practicing and teaching Ayurveda in North America are qualified practitioners. Ayurveda practitioners, however, are not regulated in Canada.
The International Society for Ayurveda and Health (ISAH), a US-based professional Ayurveda society, made these guidelines on usage of Ayurvedic medicine:
Similarly, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) cautions that certain Ayurvedic goods and activities can be dangerous if misused or administered without a qualified practitioner's supervision. We also urge patients to notify all their health care providers about any Ayurvedic goods and activities or other complementary and integrative medicine strategies that are in use.