Herbs and hysteria

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http://atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/GG02Df01.html

 

 

 

 

Herbs and hysteria

 

By Ranjit Devraj

 

 

 

NEW DELHI - As ayurveda, India's ancient herbal system of longevity

and health, revives in popularity, it is coming under fire from

practitioners of modern allopathic medicine who accuse it of quackery

and its preparations of being loaded with toxic metals and even steroids.

 

" Increasingly I have my patients asking me if it is safe to take the

ayurvedic preparations I prescribe them, " Sujath Kumar, chief

physician of India's well-known Santhigiri Ashram chain of ayurvedic

clinics, said.

 

 

 

Kumar said he explains that the Santhigiri Ashram runs its own

herbariums and processes its own medicines according to ancient texts,

and there is little chance of their getting contaminated with heavy

metals or spiked with steroids.

 

There may be people who try to make a fast buck by adulterating

ayurvedic medicines or compromise on processing standards, but, he

noted, that is happening even with products in allopathic or

conventional medicine. Allopathy generally involves a focus on the

treatment of symptoms and excludes holistic, non-medical, non-surgical

treatments.

 

 

 

" What troubles me is that the efficacy of ayurvedic medicines depends

so much on the faith of patients in the medicines, and the last thing

the system needs is adverse propaganda by people who understand

nothing of this ancient science, " Kumar said.

 

Ayurveda, developed more than 5,000 years ago, uses herbs, medicated

oils and massage to stimulate the body's natural defense mechanisms to

overcome ailments, allergies and conditions after the physician first

assesses the patient's body type. Millions of people swear by the

system in India and elsewhere.

 

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