Contribution of Ayurveda in prevention of Diabetes

The epidemic of infectious diseases is an known challenge for any medical system active at that given time since the existence of human beings. But epidemic of a lifestyle disease like Diabetes is originated only in the past decade and seems to be of great challenge to the medical fraternity in the coming years. With all the advent of new very fast acting oral and injectable  anti-diabetic medicines the modern medicine is still lacking in giving  solutions for putting hold on the rise in diabetes cases and prevention of diabetes seems to be a milestone much far than expected.  Known Diabetic cases worldwide are 256 million, which are projected  to rise to the figure 380 million till 2025.   4,110 people are diagnosed daily with diabetes and  as per the 2011 prevalence study; 25.8 million (diagnosed and undiagnosed) children and adults live in the United States which is about 8.3% of the population. (Source: American Diabetes Association (ADA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and The International Diabetes Federation). Of the total worldwide diabetes cases, Type II or maturity onset diabetes, also called noninsulin  dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) accounts for almost 90% of the diabetes cases.

The prevention policy for noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus advocated by the modern system of medicine is focused on controlling Obesity, which is definitely becoming a twin epidemic with diabetes.  Secondly the focus is on right nutrition which again in some or the other way addresses the obesity itself. Other important aspects of preventative approach includes regular exercise, reducing refined sugar, check the intake of alcohol, reducing stress and role of family history. These are all very much required but there are some more subtle but important factors which play important role in deciding who will be afflicted with diabetes condition.  Let’s unfolds some of the most important factors of etio-pathogenesis of diabetes mentioned in Ayurveda which can be very helpful to prevent this diabetic bombshell to explode.

Diabetes mellitus is identified in Ayurveda as ‘Madhumeha’, one of the types of the twenty varieties of ‘Prameha’ disease.  It is quoted that all the other nineteen varieties if not treated completely can get further aggravated and convert to Madhumeha.  The literally meaning of the word Madhumeha is 

Madhu -Sweet taste or Madhura rasa

Meha- excretion of excessive fluid waste through Mutra i.e. Urine

Madhumeha is increased urination with excessive sweet taste to the urine.  The pathology of this disease involves imbalance in all the three doshas, all the seven dhatus (body tissues) and Oja (Immunity) because of the various dietary and lifestyle factors. This leads to excessive production of all the body tissues which are not healthy and produces lots of metabolic wastes. And by nature these wastes are in the form of ‘Bahu drava sleshma’ i.e. excessive unhealthy fluid form of kapha and that’s why it is excreted in the urination.  Ayurveda has stated two types of it ‘Sahaja ’ (congenital) which is the Juvenile non-curable Insulin dependent  Type l and the  ‘Apathyanimittaja ’ which is acquired due to unhealthy Lifestyle which is now known as Non Insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus Type I.

When it comes to prevention of any aliment Ayurveda will play most important role as it incorporate involvement of all the genetic, external and internal factors. Some of the important contributions Ayurveda can do to understand the factors which are responsible for developing Diabetes in an individual are-

1.       The genetic contribution in the susceptibility of afflicting with diabetes in individuals born to diabetic parents and has identified close relatives having diabetes.  Such individual need to take outmost care in following the guidelines of prevention. Ayurveda can offer more knowledge on the susceptibility of diabetes in certain prakruti type and guide the different approaches in preventions depending upon the prakruti.  

2.       The internal factor is the subjectivity of an individual understood in terms of body and mind constitution i.e. Prakruti for the tridoshic body makeup and the state of mental gunas; Satva, Raja and Tama. The internal factors which relates to the state of health of the tridosha, seven dhatus, oja, elimination, digestion, sleep, sexual life etc,  depends on the diet and the lifestyle of an individual.  This will be the main contribution of Ayurveda as these are the main causes for Type II diabetes. The knowledge of properties of food items and how does it influence the doshas in relation with different seasons, how it is cooked, the way it is processed, the individuals prakruti who consumes it, the actual requirement of nutrition to what is consumed, and the subjectivity of how it is digested which in totality will define its role in prevention of diabetes is unique to Ayurveda. There is a vast deeper subtle knowledge of role of diet than what modern nutrition science has not even touched. The available understanding of the qualities of food in terms of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fibers, vitamins, essential elements etc is not enough to understand how the same food item shows different effect in different individual, why some can digest the same food while other person may not and how it may contribute to the pathology of generating diabetes.

3.       The external factors like environment,  the stress generated from the workplace socioeconomic conditions, expectations in relationship and the challenges to control the mind attributes like excessive thinking, worries, excess analysis and also important lower mental attributes like anger, jealousy, envy etc . play and very important role in ones health.  The role of Yoga in disciplining of mind to manage these day to day stress and other techniques of Ayurveda under the Satvavajay therapeutics would play a major role in preventing the psyche and the psychosomatic interactions which contribute to the generation of pathogenesis of Diabetes.  Also the external factors involve seasonal influences which can take care by taking appropriate measure in diet and lifestyle. The Ayurvedic knowledge of minimizing these influences on the health of an individual through protection, restoration of optimum health is an important tool of prevention of diseases.

4.       Other disease preventative measures in Ayurveda are the different techniques of detoxification which are advised for removing the particular doshas which are accumulated in the system  at certain time and periodicity which in itself is a unique concept. Proactively controlling the imbalance of the doshas can prevent many lifestyle diseases like diabetes.

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