Diabetes,” which was once considered to be a disease of middle-aged or older people, is now extensively seen in younger individuals. Due to dietary changes, sedentary culture, and urban stress, people in their 30s or 40s are affected by diabetes and are seen struggling to manage it.
Amid the hustle of work and demanding schedules, the fast-paced life today makes it challenging for an individual to manage diabetes or a prediabetic condition.
However, if we view diabetes through an Ayurvedic lens, it doesn't look that complicated either. This is because once you understand this condition from the Ayurvedic perspective, you can make things better without even putting in much effort.
Keep reading to explore the Ayurveda context of diabetes to naturally manage this condition effectively.
Ayurveda Lens for Diabetes
As per Ayurveda, diabetes is not a modern-day disease; rather, it is described in ancient herbal texts. It is essentially a progressive disorder arising from metabolic irregularities and disturbed doshas. Let's understand how diabetes progresses as per Ayurveda.
● Dominance of Kapha dosha
It has been found that an aggravated Kapha dosha is associated with feelings of heaviness and sluggishness. It features an increase in the accumulation of fat and fluid in the body, along with a decrease in metabolic rate. Over time, this reduced metabolic activity is suspected to curb the body’s ability to respond to insulin. Hence, resulting in insulin resistance.
● Accumulation of Kleda
The body’s excess moisture and fluid component accumulation is known as Kleda accumulation. This is the fat tissue and metabolic imbalance that contributes to the progression of diabetes. That is, when the body’s ability to process and get rid of these entities is impaired, it creates an environment of metabolic congestion and accumulation. In modern science terminology, these concerns are commonly referred to as an abnormal lipid profile and chronic low-grade inflammation.
● Dysfunction of Agni
Ayurveda denotes Agni as representing the body’s capacity to digest, transform, and metabolise. That is, when the Agni is weak or irregular, nutrients are not processed effectively. Also, the metabolic waste (Ama) is not efficiently eliminated and hence accumulates. This impairment of metabolic processing is known to contribute to the body’s inability to maintain healthy glucose balance. Moreover, the unmetabolised glucose accumulation is found to cause hyperglycemia (increased blood glucose levels).
● Aggravation of Vata Dosha
Vata dosha is particularly known to regulate functions of the nervous system. Also, this dosha is found to be associated with depletion and dryness that occur when the tissues are progressively weakened. In the advanced stages of metabolic disorders, the imbalanced Vata may be related to concerns about the nerves and other delicate tissues. In modern science, these complications are referred to as neuropathy, retinopathy, tissue degeneration, etc that may be caused by longstanding diabetes.
Herbal Diabetes Management
After understanding the herbal angle, you must have gained a clear picture that herbal diabetes management requires reducing the kapha dosha, detoxifying the body, enhancing the Agni, and balancing the Vata dosha. This can be done through a combination of basic lifestyle interventions as well as support from herbal products or remedies. Let's have a look at them.
● Support natural detoxification
The Ayurvedic perspective is found to majorly emphasize supporting natural elimination of metabolic waste, thereby keeping the body’s channels clear. Unlike the quick detox methods available today, Ayurveda deems detoxification a steady and gentle process. That is, Ayurveda encourages improvement of digestion and elimination processes while eventually reducing the factors that lead to metabolic accumulation.
Herbal detox remedies such as Panchakarma help to remove excess toxins or metabolic wastes from the body, along with pacifying the Kapha dosha. Also, seeking support from natural therapeutic herbs is a good option for natural detoxification. Neem and Giloy are traditionally valued to support cleansing and balancing of the body’s processes. Hence, having these herbs as part of your healthy routine may help reduce the chances of toxin accumulation and thereby support diabetes management.
● Supporting Agni
Ayurveda makes it very clear that if your Agni is in check, then metabolic health is sorted. This is because when digestion and metabolism function efficiently, the body becomes more capable of processing nutrients rather than allowing metabolic waste to accumulate.
Taking a balanced diet, eating warm foods, and doing some physical activities such as yoga or just normal walking can help an individual improve the Agni and support digestion. Also, traditional herbs such as Karela, Methi, Gudmar, Cinnamon, etc can help in supporting digestion, balancing metabolic functions, and thereby sustaining healthy blood sugar levels.
● Balancing Kapha & supporting Vata
As the imbalance in Kapha dosha leads to sluggishness or heaviness, encouraging movements, maintaining a fixed, appropriate routine helps at lot in pacifying this dosha. Moreover, juice benefits are no longer the best-kept secret for diabetes. Hence, utilising herbs such as Jamun, Amla, etc can be beneficial for metabolic wellness.
Individuals with progressed diabetes must emphasize balancing the Vata dosha, because at this stage, nourishing the body’s tissues becomes important. Amla is also useful here as it is known for its nourishing and rejuvenating qualities for supporting vitality.
Takeaway
Managing diabetes is not just about watching numbers on the glucometer and reducing the sugar intake for a few days. Rather, it's about deeply understanding the imbalances that may influence the body’s processes such as digestion, metabolism, etc.
Small but consistent changes in lifestyle, along with the right herbal support, can take you towards a more mindful approach to naturally managing diabetes. Herbs such as Karela, Jamun, Gudmar, Methi, Amla, etc have been traditionally valued for their role in promoting healthy metabolism and glucose balance.
For those looking to include a highly supportive Ayurvedic Sugar Control Juice in their routine, Soham’s Ayur Dibet Juice is the right product to look at. Composed of carefully selected, therapeutically rich Ayurvedic ingredients, this Ayurvedic extract amazingly supports metabolic wellness and sugar control.
At Soham Siddhatatvam, we are up for transforming lives with Ayurveda. Are you with us on this journey?
FAQs
● Which Ayurvedic herbs are traditionally valued for managing diabetes?
Karela, Jamun, Gudmar, Methi, Amla, Cinnamon, etc are some of the traditionally valued herbs for metabolic support and diabetes management. All of them and a few other medicinal herbs are used in the formulation of Soham Ayur Dibet Juice.
● Can I manage diabetes with Ayurveda?
Diabetes can be effectively managed with Ayurveda, as herbal products/remedies are meant to complement the conventional treatment for diabetes care by supporting digestion and other metabolic processes of the body. Though Ayurveda is a supportive approach, it never means replacing the prescribed medicines for diabetes.
● Can Ayurveda help me if I am prediabetic?
Ayurvedic remedies or lifestyle practices are believed to encourage healthier eating, regular movement, weight management, and metabolic wellness. All of these are what is much needed for prediabetics so that they can potentially reduce their risk of progression to diabetes.