Ayurveda approach to Indigestion and concept of Agni

[Guest guest]

The word " Indigestion " is commonly used to describe the discomfort

in one's belly mostly caused after food consumption. Fullness,

bloating, nausea, heart burn are other symptoms of Indigestion.

 

Before discussing Indigestion, understanding the process of

digestion is very essential. The Ayurveda approach of explaining

digestion is very simple and effective. The food we eat is digested

by Agni or body fire which is present in our body. It is very much

similar to the way we cook the food. The Agni or body fire helps to

digest the food which is consumed, much like the fire of a stove

cooks the food kept on it. The Agni is mainly situated in Jatara or

in upper part of digestive system and is called as Jataragni. The

Agni is further categorized as Bhootagni (which digests the 5 pancha

mahabhoota factors present in food), Dhatwagni (The agni present in

tissues which help them to absorb required nutrients), Malagni (

the agni which helps in formation of body wastes like stools, sweat

and urine) . The Jataragni controls bhootagni, dhatwagni and

malagni. Through this it is evident that ayurveda approach of

digestion explains cellular metabolism too.

 

The factors which help agni to digest the food completely. :

Thridoshas -Vata , Pitta and Kapha help agni to digest the food.

 

If the process of digestion is compared to that of cooking rice,

the stomach,like the vessel., receives food. Vata provides the

necessary conditions like the air blower, Pitta acts like the stove,

providing optimum working conditions while Kapha provides the

moisture needed much like the water in the vessel. When all these

factors are normal and well balanced, an optimum condition is

created to digest the food completely.

 

When food is completely digested by all the agnis, the body tissues

will be well nourished and one is blessed with attractive

complexion, glow, longevity, strength, good health, growth,

enthusiasm, vitality and overall healthy development of body and

mind.

 

The indigestion occurs when agni is imbalanced by the factors

(tridoshas) which help agni to digest food. The variations of agni

due to tridoshas are of 4 types.

 

Samagni (balanced agni) :The agni which is well balanced due to

balanced tridoshas indicate the condition called Samagni . Samagni

digests the food completely and nourishes the body tissues very well.

 

Vishamaagni (varying agni):- When vata is predominant this condition

surfaces. The regular food gets digested normally on some occasions

and poorly on others. Vata increasing foods and lifestyles lead to

this condition. This variation of agni causes constipation,

flatulence, pain in abdomen and other vata predominant diseases. The

indigestion caused by this type of agni is called Vistabdhajeerna

 

Teekshnagni (increased agni) : This variation of agni occurs due to

predominance of pitta. Pitta increasing foods and lifestyle cause

this variation. This variation of agni causes increased hunger,

thirst, acidity, heart burn and loose motions. The indigestion thus

caused is called as Vidagdajeerna.

 

Mandagni (decreased agni): As increased moistness reduces the

intensity of fire, the increased kapha reduces the intensity of

agni. Kapha increasing foods and lifestyle cause this variation.

Feeling Heaviness of body, swelling of eyelids (lower), belching

which emit the smell of food consumed and water brash are few

symptoms which of indigestion caused by mandagni. The indigestion

caused by mandagni is called as amajeerna.

 

The decreased agni improperly digests the food and this indigested

food is sticky in nature and improperly nourishes tissues, causing

weakness of body. This sticky improperly digested food is called

ama. Ama due to its sticky nature blocks the channels of body,

vitiate doshas , contaminates tissues, imbalance body functions and

cause diseases.

 

Causes of imbalance of agni which lead to indigestion

 

1.Spicy foods, chilly, oily foods, medicines, milk and milk

products, tobacco and alcohol.

2.Irregular food habits and sleeping patterns.

3.Medications like pain killers, antibiotics, oral contraceptives

and steroids.

4.Intestinal parasites.

5.Diseases of pancreas, liver, gall bladder, intestinal infections

etc.

6.During pregnancy, premenstrual period, menopausal period in women.

7.Emotional upset like anxiety, stress, examination, family

tensions, etc.

 

Home Remedies for Indigestion

 

1.Fasting completely for one day helps to normalize imbalanced agni

and digest ama.

 

2.Consuming liquid foods, boiled vegetables or fruit juices for 2- 3

days also improves agni and relieves indigestion.

 

3.Avoid the factors (mentioned above) which cause indigestion.

 

4.Mix a ½ tea spoon of lemon juice, ½ tea spoon ginger juice and

little salt in a cup of water and consume thrice daily.

 

5.Drinking ½ glass of warm water once in 2 hours increases agni and

digests ama.

 

6.Cook ½ cup of rice with 4 cups of water with crushed ginger

(1 " ) and salt. Powder long pepper (2 or 3)and fry it in a spoon of

cow's ghee and add it to gruel. Consume this when it hot. This is

very light to digest and relieves colic pain.

 

7.Abdominal Massage also helps to relieve indigestion. It loosens

the tight muscles and increases the blood supply to digestive

system. American Journal of aphysical medicine and rehabilitation

mentions that " Abdominal massage has positive effects on some

clinical aspects of neurogenic bowel dysfunction in patients with

spinal cord injury. "

 

Consuming well balanced food balances doshas and agni and hence

keeps the body healthy and free from diseases.

 

This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an

Ayurvedic Physician and web master of http://www.ayurhelp.com

Read complete article at

http://www.ayurhelp.com/articles/Indigestion.htm

[Guest guest]

ayurveda , " Dr.Savitha Suri "

<savithasuri wrote:

> Causes of imbalance of agni which lead to indigestion

>

> 1.Spicy foods, chilly, oily foods, medicines, milk and milk

> products, tobacco and alcohol.

 

The spicy foods enhance digestion and burn ama, according to:

http://health.ayurveda/message/593

 

Also if milk was supposed to bring in imbalance of agni, all children

taking milk should be suffering. Does mother's milk also cause agni imbalance?

indian cow milk appears to be

good as per opinion of a vaidya, see:

 

http://health.ayurveda/message/4735

 

For some persons, author has experienced that their fertility gets

boosted by moderate use of milk products. In fact many proteins,

cooked with milk are excellent fertility foods. Author is confused by

your one sentence given above.

 

can you please clarify these doubts?

[Guest guest]

The article refers to spiced (cumin, coriander, fennel, etc.) foods,

not spicy hot foods. There is a difference!

 

 

Patti Garland

Ayurvedic Chef and LifeStyle Coach

Bliss Kitchen

http://www.BlissKitchen.com

(760) 902-7020

 

 

 

On Sep 24, 2007, at 10:07 AM, Shirish Bhate wrote:

 

The spicy foods enhance digestion and burn ama, according to:

http://health.ayurveda/message/593

[Guest guest]

ayurveda , " Dr.Savitha Suri "

<savithasuri wrote:

>

> The word " Indigestion " is commonly used to describe the discomfort

> in one's belly mostly caused after food consumption. Fullness,

> bloating, nausea, heart burn are other symptoms of Indigestion.

>

This is nice article on digestion - thanks.My grandfather always said

Lord Agni is the ruler of human body - he did fire puja every day of

his life.

 

This brings to mind one of the long time controversies in medical

history. Rishis have said that disease starts in the stomach but the

Chinese say that disease starts in the kidneys. The Chinese agree that

poor digestion is the beginning of disease because it causes

stagnations of fluid and acids in the stomach which affect

stomach/spleen functions - but they say that it is only when the

polluted blood caused by this meet the kidneys and cause their

malfunction that disease actually begins. It is clear that both ideas

are correct - when we eat inappropriate foods and food combinations in

wrong times and quantaties this causes acid stagnations in the stomach

which are absorbed into the blood and pollute the kidneys and liver -

this is the pathway of most acquired disease processes. Ayurveda and

TCM point out the importance of not creating acidic conditions of the

blood and both emphasize the role of genetics or primordial (a

priori)conditions in the tendancy to have low digestive fire - so in

the long run each system is saying the same thing with a different

emphasis.

 

Low Agni is not an obstacle to having good life it simply means one

with low agni must be more careful in how they eat and care for

themselves. Learning to protect and support best agni possible is a

basic skill of life since this is the best way in which we protect and

support ojas. All praise to Lord Agni.

 

Dr Vinod Kumar

[Guest guest]

> Also if milk was supposed to bring in imbalance of agni, all children

> taking milk should be suffering. Does mother's milk also cause agni

imbalance? indian cow milk appears to be

> good as per opinion of a vaidya,

 

I agree with Dr Bhate here - milk is a divine food and has been taken

by the greatest of humans as food. This does not mean that milk does

not have it's rules for use (all food items do - even water has it's

rules for use). The biggest problem with milk is that modern methods

of raising and feeding cattle create unhealthy ama laden animals

(caused by grains and other unnatural foods for cattle along with

other unnatural practices)these animals produce milk difficult to

digest. Good quality milk is not harmful to those healthy people with

kapha prakriti but poor quality milk has great potential for causing

problems for those people. One should be very careful about eating

dahi according to the rules - dahi should be eaten fresh and never too

sour. One classic therapy for low agni is to go on milk diet for short

time - this means good natural milk - unhomogenized.

 

Dr Vinod Kumar

[Guest guest]

My name is vikram jacob age-31 weight-73kg married with a child

 

i dont have any previous medical problem,my greatest problem is

my stomach,the moment i do any exercise or even go for walking i get

bad pain in lowwer abdomen & my digestion increases due to which i have to go to

toilet quite a few times,i have met many doctors they just gave me

medecines,some said i have ulcer,some say its indigestion but,i recently

finished a dose of medecines with no results,

 

i am very upset with life i dont know what to do,i feel like ending my life,sir

i have the below mentioned symptoms--

 

1- regular pain below my right side of therib-cage its a streching-

muscular pain,which started when i was doing some yoga 2yrs ago

2-pain when i press,in the center of the ribcage,just below the rib

cage where the stomach starts

3-pain in my lower abdomen,on right & left side

4-general discomfort in the entire stomach

5-i also feel hungry quite often

6-pain in the stomach like a " muscle pull "

7 i dont know what to do i cant enjoy anything i have doen all

kinds of tests,sonography,xray taken large anti-biotics with no results

 

sir i beg you to please guide me so that i can live my life,i read

on the web site about naval-displacement,is that what i have

 

Regards

Vikram jacob(Pune)India

 

_______

ayurveda , " Dr.Savitha Suri "

<savithasuri@> wrote:

 

The word " Indigestion " is commonly used to describe the

discomfort

in one's belly mostly caused after food consumption. Fullness,

bloating, nausea, heart burn are other symptoms of Indigestion.

__________________ _____________________________

 

My grandfather always said

Lord Agni is the ruler of human body - he did fire puja every day of

his life.

<snip>

Dr Vinod Kumar

[Guest guest]

drink pomegranade juice,

the peel of the fruit just 10 grams ground to paste

mix with butter milk drink.

or dried poweder of pomegranate fruit with butter

milk.

the seed inside mango fruit, powder it mix with butter

milk.

 

meet a ayurvedic doctor , get jasada bhasma

rajada bhasma each three grams

thrikadugu (trikatu?) choornam 20 grams blend with above

 

take this twice daily with honey. this is enough for

one month use. pomegranade is anupana. i

guarentee you 100% cure, your health will be far

better.

 

_______________

My name is vikram jacob age-31 weight-73kg married

with a child

 

my greatest problem is

my stomach,the moment i do any exercise or even go

for walking i get

bad pain in lowwer abdomen ...i have to go to toilet quite a few

times

[Guest guest]

Dear Vikram

 

I understood your problem. Will you please explain your diet in

details and please write about consistancy of stools

You can start Mahashankhavati or Shankhavati 2 tab before breakfast,

lunch and dinner with warm water.

I would like to study your horoscope. If you please provide details

of your birth i.e date, time and place [ with nearest city] then

that will help me in diagnosis and treatment.

Vaidya Upadhye

www.astrotreat.blogspot.com

www.astroayurvedalogy.com

 

 

 

 

 

My name is vikram jacob age-31 weight-73kg married with a child

 

i dont have any previous medical problem,my greatest problem is

my stomach,the moment i do any exercise or even go for walking i

get

bad pain in lowwer abdomen & my digestion increases due to which i

have to go to toilet quite a few times<snip>

[Guest guest]

hi friend,

u r suffering from ajirna(Vishtaabdhajirna)

treatment

1. take a dal only,take a worm water for 2 days.

2. medicine- lasunadi vati(tab) 2 t.d.s for 1 weeek

do not take milk product,cold water,heavy food.

[Guest guest]

i suggest that you visit an ayurvedic doctor. till then you can start with

dashamoolarishtam- 3tsp with 12 tsp of water 15 mins. before food, twice a day

and also hinguvachadi gulika- 1 tab. twice a day after food. do not take red

meat in your diet. have a light diet but do not keep your stomach empty for more

than 3 hours.

 

i dont have any previous medical problem,my greatest problem is

my stomach,the moment i do any exercise or even go for walking i get

bad pain in lowwer abdomen & my digestion increases due to which i have to go to

toilet quite a few times