subject: Defeat Genetic disorders with Ayurveda [print this page] Genetic disorders are incurable or atleast considered difficult to cure. These ailments have roots in the chromosomes that contain blue prints of cellular functions. A chromosome is genetic material within the nucleus of a cell. Damage to the nucleus prevents the cell from behaving normally. A genetic disorder is an illness caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes. Genes are inherited as units, with parents dividing out their genes to their offspring. You can think of this process like mixing two hands of cards, shuffling them, and then dealing them out again. An egg then joins with a sperm to give a child with a new set of genes.
The disease according to ayurveda is lack of equilibrium of dosha, agnis, dhatus and malas. Disease results from biological system failure. The human diseases are classified in to several categories such as (i) Adibalapravitta due to Beeja dosha (defective genes) of parents; (ii) Janambalapravitta due to unfulfilled desires and poor nutritional status of mother. If during pregnancy the vata dosha becomes imbalanced, the fetus might suffer from various deformities like kyphosis (hunchback), blindness and dwarfism. The increased pitta might cause alopecia and yellowish pigmentation of skin and aggravated kapha might cause albinism.; (iii) Doshabalapravritta (constitutional) due to any kind of imbalance in the three doshas and three gunas that further results in disturbance in the diet and behaviour The constitutional disorders are of two types: somatic (Sharirika) & psychic (Manasika).; (iv) Sanghatabalapravritta (traumatic) due to any trauma or stress; (v) Kalabalapravritta due to various seasonal changes; (vi) Daivabalapravritta (infectious and spiritual) due to invisible forces of the nature. These infectious and spiritual diseases can also be contacted through sexual & physical relationships. These diseases can also be a result of jealousy and negative thoughts occupying ones mind.; and (vii) Swabhavbalapravritta (natural) due to functional, organic and natural changes in the body. According to Ayurveda even the healthiest person suffers from natural weakness and diseases like hunger, thirst, sleep, death and weakness with the age.
There are a number of diseases that are caused by defects in genes important for the formation and function of muscles, and connective tissues. (Connective tissue is a broad term that includes bones, cartilage and tendons.) Two diseases that originate through a defect in the muscle cells themselves are Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and myotonic dystrophy. DMD involves a defect in the cytoskeletal protein, dystrophin, which is important for maintaining cell structure. Dystrophin is required inside muscle cells for structural support; it is thought to strengthen muscle cells by anchoring elements of the internal cytoskeleton to the surface membrane. Without it, the cell membrane becomes permeable, so that extracellular components enter the cell, increasing the internal pressure until the muscle cell "explodes" and dies. The subsequent immune response can add to the damage. Myotonic dystrophy is an inherited disorder in which the muscles contract but have decreasing power to relax. With this condition, the muscles also become weak and waste away. Myotonic dystrophy can cause mental deficiency, hair loss and cataracts. Onset of this rare disorder commonly occurs during young adulthood. However, it can occur at any age and is extremely variable in degree of severity.
The sequence of the human genome is providing us with the first holistic view of our genetic heritage. The 46 human chromosomes (22 pairs of autosomal chromosomes and 2 sex chromosomes) between them house almost 3 billion base pairs of DNA that contains about 30,000 - 40,000 protein-coding genes. Most of the genetic disorders are the direct result of a mutation in one gene. But what are the forces beyond our genetic mutation? This will be a fundamental quest in future biomedical research.
Ayurveda is basically a preventative healing for lasting well being and equiped with unique remedies, detox and rejuvenation therapies. The ayurvedic treatment consists of four basic forms- phyto- therapy, panchakarma procedures psychotherapy using yogic and dietary support. The purpose of Ayurveda is to promote balance and equilibrium in every level of life, from Beeja shakti (? Genes) to Koshanu (Cells) and Dhatus (Tissues). One of the most important relationships, where balance is desirable, is between our body and the life style including food and drinks. Ayurveda recognises food (eating, drinking and digestion) as being central to health. Ayurveda sees food and digestion as the major factor in creating balance or imbalance in the body.
