Ayurveda

Current Status

In the early 20th century, Ayurvedic physicians began to organize into professional associations and to promote their case for national recognition and funding.[citation needed] This began to become a reality after Indian independence in 1947.[citation needed]

Use in personal care

Ayurveda is also being increasingly used in modern day formats in personal care. For instance, Medimix, a traditionally handmade soap using ayurvedic principles is one of the leading soap brands in India . In certain states in India, Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita are included in the curriculum of modern medical courses (M.B.B.S).

Modern scientific research

The efficacy of certain Ayurvedic regimens have been established by medical research, such as the Panchakarma, Kshar Sutra and the Triphala herbs.

More than 100 modern allopathic medicines are based on plant extracts, such as Cardiac Drugs (Digoxin from foxglove,Atropine from belladonna), Pain Killers (Morphine and Codeine from poppy,Caffein from coffee beans, Asprin from willow bark), Antibiotics (Penicillin from mold), and Laxatives (Senna from senna plant).

Some of the plants commonly used in Ayurveda have been shown to potentially combat certain ailments in double-blind clinical studies. One such study discovered that some of the plants commonly used in ayurvedic medicine prevent the breakdown of neurotransmitters, improving memory and concentration in people with Alzheimer's disease.

The traditional methods of teaching Ayurveda, such as undergoing a rigorous study of Sanskrit, is now discarded. Ayurveda is now taught as an integrated course with modern medical sciences and Ayurvedic sciences. These integrated degree-level courses consist of a duration of five and half years i.e. B.A.M.S. (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery), with one additional year of internship in hospital. Standard medical science subjects are taught along with Ayurvedic subjects i.e. Maulik Siddhant, Materia Medica, Kayachikitsa etc. in Ayurvedic medical colleges[citation needed]

Ayurvedic institutions and practitioners

Ayurvedic practitioners have been appointed as Honorary Ayurvedic Physician to the President of India. Every year on the occasion of Dhanvantari jayanti, a prestigious Dhanvantari Award is conferred on famous personality of Medical Sciences including Ayurveda. Today, Kerala is one of the states in India that promotes research and practices Ayurveda. This has been attributed to its well established Ayurveda centers and Ayurveda pharmaceutical companies. There are many Ayurvedic centers (known as Vaidya shala) all over Kerala.

Practice in the west

As a result of strong regulations in medical practice in Europe and America, the most commonly practiced Ayurvedic treatments in the west are massage, dietary and herbal advice.

In the United States, the National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine (established by Scott Gerson) is an example of a research institute that has made modern scientific progress in Ayurvedic practices. Gerson has published part of his work on the antifungal activities of certain Ayurvedic plants in medical journals.

Several Pharmecutical companies and Academic Institutions in the west have come into conflict with Indian academic institutions and traditional Ayurvedic practitioners over the intellectual property rights of herbal products researched by the western agencies. The Ayurvedic practitioners have known about the efficacy of such products for centuries and so contend that they carry precedence with regards to patent rights on such products.

On December, 1993, the University of Mississippi Medical Center had a patent issued to them by U.S patents and trademarks office on the use of turmeric (U.S. patent No. 5,401,504) for healing. The patent was contested by India's "Council for Scientific and Industrial Research" (C.S.I.R) on the grounds that traditional Ayurvedic practitioners were already aware of the healing properties of the substance and have been for centuries, making this patent a case of bio-piracy.

After a complex legal battle, the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office ruled on August 14,1997 that the patent was invalid because it was not a novel invention, giving the intellectual property rights to the principle back to the traditional practitioners of Ayurveda. R. A.

Mashelkar, director-general of the CSIR, was satisfied with the result, saying:

"This success will enhance the confidence of the people and help remove fears about India's helplessness on preventing bio-piracy and appropriation of inventions based on traditional knowledge[11]"

The turmeric patent was just one of the hundreds that the several academic organizations and Pharmecutical companies in the west have claimed by ignoring Ayurvedic knowledge. Vandana Shiva, a global campaigner for a fair and honest Intellectual Property Rights system, says patents on herbal products derived from Neem, Amla, Jar Amla, Anar, Salai, Dudhi, Gulmendhi, Bagbherenda, Karela, Erand, Rangoon-kibel, Vilayetishisham and Chamkura also need to be revoked.

Seven American and four Japanese firms have filed for grant of patents on formulations containing extracts of the herb Ashwagandha. Fruits, leaves and seeds of the Indian medicinal plant withania somnifera have been traditionally used for the Ayurvedic system as aphrodisiacs, diuretics and for treating memory loss. The Japanese patent applications are related to the use of the herb as a skin ointment and for promoting reproductive fertility. The U.S based company Natreon has also obtained a patent for an Ashwagandha extract. Another US establishment, the New England Deaconess Hospital, has taken a patent on an Ashwagandha formulation claimed to alleviate symptoms associated with arthritis.It is clear that the Ashwagandha plant is catching the attention of scientists and more patents related to Ashwagandha are being filed or granted by different patent offices since 1996.

Excerpt from the article "Ayurveda" by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Reference link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda#Development