Some call them herbal pills, others herbal powder, medicinal schnapps or medicines. No matter what name we want to assign to Ayurvedic products, one thing is certain: no health system in the world has a variety of herbal products and recipes comparable to Ayurveda, click here ayurveda-paradies.ch for more informations.
The teaching behind these products is called “Dravyagunavijnana”, which translates as the “science of substances and their properties”. This science is based on a unique classification of food, medicinal plants and mineral products in six categories, on the basis of which the selection is made.
Over the past 2,500 years, thousands of formulations for strengthening health, physical cleansing and alleviating ailments have been developed in India and Sri Lanka. Some of them have been on the European market as food and nutritional supplements for a good three decades and are enjoying increasing popularity.
Ayurveda products in India and Europe – the legal status
Ayurveda is the traditional medicine of India. As a result, Ayurveda products are largely registered as herbal or mineral medicinal products in the country of origin.
In Europe, on the other hand, Ayurveda is primarily a health science for prevention and lifestyle changes and is also used by health professionals as complementary medicine. Ayurveda products are legally classified in Europe as food or dietary supplements and are subject to the relevant legislation.
Health claims on foods are generally prohibited unless they are approved by the European Commission as a “health claim”. Such information is available for vitamins and minerals, but not for Ayurvedic medicinal plants.
For this reason, Ayurveda products in Europe are not allowed to contain package inserts such as medicines or convey indications on labels. The application takes place exclusively according to Ayurvedic principles such as the five elements, the “Tridosha” Vata-Pitta-Kapha with its subspecies, “Agni” (body fire) or “Dhatu” (tissue).
Some therapists who want to achieve health effects for their clients through the use of Ayurvedic products find this – understandably – often annoying and irritating, as there are thousands of scientific studies on many individual medicinal plants that can be viewed on the Internet.
However, the legal restrictions imposed by the legislature also offer advantages. The typical western thinking that remedy X works against disease Y is profoundly alien to Ayurveda. Without well-founded Ayurvedic diagnostics, herbal products can only be used symptomatically, but not holistically. Ayurveda urgently advises against “self-medication” to treat illnesses. Rather, the focus is on strengthening our health, adaptability and body defenses.
Many classic recipes are over 2,000 years old and are still powerful today. The knowledge (Veda) of Ayurveda is timeless and valid regardless of location. Modern individual recipes complement the classic portfolio in order to meet all today’s needs.
Let yourself be examined by an experienced Ayurveda therapist and your constitution analyzed in depth. Knowing this, you can choose some health supplements responsibly. In workshops and seminars you can deepen your knowledge and take on more and more personal responsibility for your health.
Food supplements and the three pillars of our health
An Ayurvedic proverb says: If the diet is unsuitable, medicine cannot have any effect. If the diet is beneficial, you don’t need medicine. “
Health arises from a constitution and state-appropriate diet and lifestyle as well as mental balance. Herbal products can effectively support all three pillars, but never replace them.
Dietary supplements as a dietary recipe
We all know that: there is often not enough time to buy high-quality groceries in health food stores or at the producers’ market, to lovingly prepare an Ayurvedic menu, to consume it in peace and with self-respect. Instead, we rush to the canteen, eat out of the bag on the way or prepare the quick pasta with pesto.
As a result, deficiencies can arise, digestion and intestinal health can be impaired, body weight can increase and metabolic disorders can burden. One of the most common problems is excessive tiredness, especially after eating.
Ayurvedic food supplements such as Hingvashtaka, Triphala, Trikatu or Chitrakadi Vati stimulate the digestive glands, promote the movement of the food through the gastrointestinal tract and defecation. They prevent bloating, gas and cramps and increase our energy level.
Diet supplements as a lifestyle tool
In Ayurveda, the healthy way of life begins with the beneficial day-night rhythm. Many people sleep too short or too late, work too long and hardly take any breaks during the day. In short, the voltage regulation is disturbed, we are on the accelerator and brake too seldom. In many professions, people sit at desks in front of screens for 8-10 hours a day – and hardly move. Many diseases can develop without exercise and the targeted training of endurance, strength and flexibility.
In my experience, Ayurvedic food supplements work in two ways: on the one hand, they compensate for the negative effects of the lifestyle described above symptomatically, and on the other hand, they strengthen awareness of a healthy lifestyle. Anyone who takes powder mixtures, tablets, capsules, decoctions of tea or elixirs three times a day inevitably thinks about their health.
Many people feel the need to temporarily cleanse and rid their body (and mind) of accumulated residues. Numerous nutritional supplements are used for various detox programs carried out at home, supervised by a practice on an outpatient basis or as part of an inpatient cure.
Food supplements for mental balance
In the constant struggle for security, reputation and success, many needs fall by the wayside: we neglect social relationships, conflicts arise in families and partnerships and our ability to cope with stress is challenged. If this condition becomes chronic, we lose contact with our values ??and mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders or depression with physical consequences can arise.