Ayurvedic treatment for asthma
Ayurvedic treatment for asthma, like for any other disease, consists of drugs that derive their potency from their taste. In Ayurveda, every drug has a taste that gives it potential.According to scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, substances that give some foods their bitter flavors can also act to reverse the contraction of airway cells. This reversal, known as bronchodilation, is used to treat airway obstructive disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The sense of taste is mediated by taste receptors in the tongue. These receptors were thought to exist only in the tongue, but recent discoveries have shown that they are expressed in various cell types throughout the body. In particular, bitter taste receptors exist in the smooth muscle cells in the airways.The fact that bitter substances can relax these smooth muscles suggests that they have the potential to halt asthma attacks, and in fact could even be an improvement over current treatments since the relaxation effects are quite fast.From the Ayurvedic point of view, this discovery explains how bitter-tasting herbs work in asthma. The reason why this study is monumental is that it opens a window of opportunity to explain how other tastes might be working in other diseases. There might be receptors for different tastes in different organs.However, the scientists say that this finding is not a cure as it does not address inflammation, which is the fundamental cause of the disease. On the basis of our clinical experience, we can say that it is definitely a cure.Properties of bitter taste, as mentioned in Ayurvedic texts in detail, counter the inflammatory process. However, bitter taste is not going to work in all cases of asthma, especially where a lot of mucus plugs are present as bitter taste will be rendered ineffective by mucus plugs. This is where
pungent (chilly) taste will work as it is known to have mucolytic and mucus-dissolving properties.Scientists also say that other types of diseases, like COPD and emphysema, could possibly be less responsive, as there is extensive damage to the lungs. This is very true, as sweet
herbs that have regenerative properties work well here. Although this is not that simple, as there are many other factors apart from taste which have to be kept in mind during
Ayurvedic treatment for Asthma.Western researchers, as always, search for active principles as opposed to Ayurvedic fundamentals, which are holistic. So here also, scientists talk of
‘substances which give bitter taste to food’ rather than talking of food or herbs as a whole. It is a proven fact that herbs used in Ayurveda for the treatment of asthma have no side effects as they are used as a whole rather than using active principles.
