Mishra - Scientific Basis for Ayurvedic Therapies

There has been increasing public interest in complementary alternative medicine during the past decade in the U.S. that led to the establishment of the Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, by the U.S. Congress to conduct scientific evaluation of these therapies. The Ayurvedic system of medicine (traditional medical system of India) is recognized by NIH as a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Ayurveda has been practiced in India for over 5000 years and is recognized as a complete medical system comparable with allopathic medicine by the government of India. In India, Ayurveda has a complete infrastructure, medical colleges, hospitals integrated with allopathic medicine, research institutes, and scientific journals devoted to Ayurveda. In addition, Indias Ayurvedic pharmaceutical industry is governed by the same food and drug laws that regulate conventional drugs. Research in pharmacology, biochemistry, phytochemistry, and clinical trials of Ayurvedic therapies currently constitutes a substantial portion of the total research conducted in government institutes and medical colleges in India.

There has been considerable scientific research effort in Ayurvedic therapies during the past 50 years. This research has not been adequately disseminated to Ayurvedic students and physicians. In order to accomplish the assimilation of this research into practice, three major goals were set for this book: (1) to provide information on pharmacological, biochemical, and clinical investigations on Ayurvedic therapies; (2) to explore the scientific basis of Ayurvedic concepts of diseases, diagnosis, and treatments; and (3) to develop new interpretation of Ayurvedic concepts of therapies based on modern knowledge where possible.

As editor of the book, I used my combination of medical education in Ayurveda and research experience in conventional medicinal pharmacy and pharmacology in developing this text. Disease topics were carefully selected based on the scientific studies available and the prevalence of a disease. Knowledgeable physicians and scientists in these fields were selected based on their scientific contributions in the field to review and evaluate the worldwide literature. In addition, I, along with one Ayurvedic physician, one biochemist, and one overall expert with knowledge in conventional and CAM research methods, read each chapter.

General topics such as Ayurvedic disease management, panchakarma, Ayurvedic bhasmas, the current status of Ayurveda in India, and clinical research design and evaluation of typical clinical trials of certain diseases were written by experts in their fields.

It is my hope that the book will prove useful to all Ayurvedic and conventional medicine physicians, students and scientists, and the general public. In addition, the book is expected to bring awareness to the community of health-care providers that Ayurveda is significantly more than a few home remedies, yoga, and meditation. It is a fully established system of medicine, has a considerable scientific base, and has therapies that can be used alone or as an adjuvant with conventional health care as practiced in India.

Lakshmi Chandra Mishra
Editor