Ayurgenomics and Modern Medicine

Effects of Ayurvedic practices on quality of life of health professionals in Brazil: trends from a quasi experimental study

Integral health encompasses the way individuals live, considering their quality of life. An inadequate lifestyle can harm human health, increasing the risk of developing chronic non-communicable diseases, which represent 71% of the causes of death worldwide and 54.7% in Brazil. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to impacts on quality of life, resulting from lifestyle changes, especially among health professionals. This constitutes an important factor in the health-disease relationship and the core of the healthcare approach embraced by Ayurveda. The present study evaluated the role of daily Ayurvedic practices in improving the quality of life of health professionals working in the Family Health Strategy of SUS in Paty do Alferes/RJ, Brazil. Ayurveda practices based on Trayopastamba were introduced to 30 health professionals through lectures and guided activities from July to October 2021, spanning three months. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire before and after the intervention. An improvement in perceived quality of life was observed in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains (p > 0.05), while the social domain did not show statistically significant results. The physical domain demonstrated the most substantial score increase (10.95). Conversely, the social domain displayed the smallest rise in scores (5.83). In conclusion, the daily Ayurvedic practices demonstrated the potential to enhance the quality of life in this group, contributing to health promotion in a practical and economically accessible manner.

Chronic inflammation: Cross linking insights from Ayurvedic Sciences, a silver lining to systems biology and personalized medicine

Precision in personalized medicine is a crucial subject that needs comprehensive discussion and scientific validation. Traditional healthcare approaches like the Ayurvedic Sciences are often contextually linked with personalized medicine. However, it is unfortunate that this knowledge concerning Ayurveda and personalized medicine is restricted to applying systems biology techniques to 'prakriti' the phenotypic expression and characterization detailed in the literature. There are other significant constructs besides prakruti that interest an Ayurvedic physician, which accounts for crafting precision in evidence-based medicinal practices. There is this influential model of Ayurvedic healthcare practice wherein the physician maps specific personalized characters in addition to prakruti to deduce the host responses to endogenous and exposome conditions. Subsequently, tailored protocols are administered that bring about holistic, personalized outcomes. The review aimed to determine the effective methods for integrating Systems Biology, Ayurvedic Sciences, and Personalized Medicine (precision medicinebased). Ayurveda adopts a holistic approach, considering multiple variables and their interconnections, while the modern reductionist approach focuses on understanding complex details of smaller parts through rigorous experimentation. Despite seeming extremes, ongoing research on lifestyle, gut health, and spiritual well-being highlights the evolving intersection between traditional Ayurvedic practices and modern science. The current focus is on developing the fundamental concept of Ayurveda Biology by incorporating Systems Biology techniques. Challenges in this integration include understanding diverse data types, bridging interdisciplinary knowledge gaps, and addressing technological limitations and ethical concerns. Overcoming these challenges will require interdisciplinary collaboration, innovative methodologies, substantial investment in technology, and cultural sensitivity to preserve Ayurveda's core principles while leveraging modern scientific advancements. The focus of discussions and debates on such collaborations should be breakthrough clinical models, such as chronic inflammation, which can be objectively related to specific stages of disease manifestations described in Ayurveda. Validating patient characteristics with systems biology approaches, particularly in shared pathologies like chronic inflammation, is crucial for bringing prediction and precision to personalized medicine.

Ayurgenomics in Anti-Viral Therapy: A Literature Synthesis

This review focuses on Ayurgenomics (AG) used in antiviral therapy. According to Ayurveda, three doshas govern Prakriti, the natural organizational structure of humans. AG is a new field in modern medicine that focuses on establishing individualized self-care. It is a modern therapeutic and preventive method that enhances a person's mental and physical well-being. Due to the threat of emerging lethal viruses and the significant role of Ayurveda in the pandemic, modern genetics studies have emerged. Prakriti, an Ayurvedic notion that AG incorporates, correlated with three doshas (phenotypes) called vata, pitta, and kapha. Each Prakriti individual had a specific balance for each dosha. To date, the most recent field of AG, which aims to characterize Prakriti types in terms of current genetics and physiology, has provided the best definition. Four databases were searched for studies on this topic using the keywords "Ayurgenomics" and "Anti-Viral Therapy." Four articles that demonstrated a favorable approach for the application of AG were gathered for synthesis. According to this study, employing Adhatoda Vasica and Cissampelos pareira L extracts improved the viral structure of the SAR-CoV-2 virus. Further studies involving human participants are required to rule out the positive effects of AG in real-world contexts.

An Ayurvedic approach to sustaining and pampering the feet of healthcare workers

The COVID-19 pandemic caused imbalances in the lives of healthcare workers to a great degree, leading to long hours on the feet without time for sustained rest and rejuvenation. Ayurvedic wisdom provides a holistic lens from which to view the importance of footcare, which ultimately affects the systemic being. To reduce suffering on all levels, it is important to dedicate time, daily, to the use of doshic-specific self-care techniques. This article offers a daily footcare ritual in support of mind, body, and spiritual health through application of oiling, massage, gratitude, and a yoga-based inversion.

S, Patel AB, Chen ZS. An Ayurgenomics Approach: Prakriti-Based Drug Discovery and Development for Personalized Care

Originating in ancient India, Ayurveda is an alternative medicinal approach that provides substantial evidence for a theoretical-level analysis of all aspects of life. Unlike modern medicine, Ayurveda is based upon tridoshas (Vata, pitta, and Kapha) and Prakriti. On the other hand, the research of all the genes involved at the proteomics, metabolomics, and transcriptome levels are referred to as genomics. Geoclimatic regions (deshanupatini), familial characteristics (kulanupatini), and ethnicity (jatiprasakta) have all been shown to affect phenotypic variability. The combination of genomics with Ayurveda known as ayurgenomics provided new insights into tridosha that may pave the way for precision medicine (personalized medicine). Through successful coordination of “omics,” Prakriti-based treatments can help change the existing situation in health care. Prakriti refers to an individual’s behavioral trait, which is established at the moment of birth and cannot be fully altered during one’s existence. Ayurvedic methodologies are based on three Prakriti aspects: aushadhi (medication), vihara (lifestyle), and ahara (diet). A foundation of Prakriti-based medicine, preventative medicine, and improvement of life quality with longevity can be accomplished through these ayurvedic characteristics. In this perspective, we try to understand prakriti’s use in personalized medicine, and how to integrate it with programs for drug development and discovery.

Precision medicine in public health in India: Nascent but poised in the right direction

Precision medicine (PM) in public health offers a new paradigm. Over a past few decades, there has been very rapid development in science and technology, especially in medical-clinical research to enhance the likelihood of preventive treatment which is personalized to an individual. This combined with digital health and accessibility of environmental and behavioral data offers a unique opportunity for specific prevention advice to individuals and thus to population at large. Indian with its 1.3 billion population and its ethnic diversity with high burden of disease offers a unique opportunity for the role of PM in public health. The article further explores the status and way forward for PM in India.

Neuroadaptability and Habit: Modern Medicine and Ayurveda

In our increasingly stressed world, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, the activation of the threat network in everyday situations can adversely affect our mental and physical health. Neurophysiological response to these threats/challenges depends on the type of challenge and the individual’s neuroadaptability. Neuroadaptability is defined as the ability of the nervous system to alter responsiveness over time to reoccurring stimuli. Neuroadaptability differs from neuroplasticity, which is more inclusive and refers to the ability of the nervous system to change and learn from any experience. We examine neuroadaptability and how it affects health from the perspective of modern medicine and Ayurveda.