Rasayana Herbal Formulations for Cancer - III

October-2011

* From the desk of Dr. Kotecha * Article by Dr. Parvathy Rajeev on Rasayana Herbal Formulations for Cancer  - Part III * Newly launched site: http://herbalteaindia.com

From the desk of Dr. Kotecha

Dear Readers.   It has been a pleasure to share about happening at Chakrapani center with all of you. We are publishing the AyurvedaNews since more than 12 years. We grew from the scratch to a big Ayurveda clinic and from 1 employee to around 50 in these 12 years. On the criteria of financial growth, the performance of Chakrapani clinic is tremendous and bit unbelievable. As compared to 1998 when the clinic was established, the year 2011 financial result showed growth of around 11800%. To look at the details of growth of Chakrapani, kindly visit : http://chakrapaniayurveda.com/presentation.html    Recently, I had been to USA. As always, my lectures and consultations were very highly appreciated and well received. I sincerely thank Mr. Gary Grewal of Garry N Sun who is instrumental in making the tour of mine always successful. I also extend my gratitude to Mrs. Sunita Grewal, Ms. Juiet Trnka, Ms. Cary Twomay, Ms. Sandy Aquila, Ms. Susi Amendola, Ms. Karen Hairfield and Dr. Steven Hairfield.   We heartily welcome your suggestion on our newsletter how to make it more useful and knowledgeable.   Best Regards and Namaste.    Dr. Rajesh Kotecha 'Vaidya', M.D. (Ayurveda)  Director,  Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic and Research Center

Rasayana Herbal Formulations for Cancer - Part III -  by Dr. Parvathy Rajeev  September-2011

Rasayana (rejuvenation) is one of the 8 specialize branches of Ayurveda. It does the conservation, transformation, and revitalization of energy and nourishes our body, boosts immunity and helps to keep the body and mind in best of health.   Rasayana therapy enriches Rasa (first dhathu) with nutrients to help one attain longevity, memory, intelligence, health and youthfulness, excellence of luster, complexion & voice, optimum development of physique and sense organs and mastery over phonetics.   Chemotherapy is the first and significant medical modality of cancer, which involves introduction of strong medicines targeted on fast growing cells. However, it causes toxicity to normal tissues of the body and presence of mutations that confer resistance to these chemotherapeutic agents.  The use of antioxidants during chemotherapy enhances therapy by reducing the generation of oxidative stress induced aldehydes. Natural Herbal Formulations which are used as Rasayans have antioxidant activities and are similar to adaptogens but are not identical. Adaptogens are nontoxic herbs that work in a nonspecific way to balance the normal physiology of the body, by acting upon the HPA axis (Hypothalamic Pitutary Adrenal axis) and the neuro-endocrine system. Rasayanas are nontoxic herbs or formulas which balance the body in a generalized way although they may work on a specific organ or function and do not necessarily affect the HPA axis. Rasayanas also overlap with tonics but are amphoteric in that they will not over-tonify organs. All the Herbal Formulations which are used in Rasayana therapy have property like Tridoshashamana. The effect of Rasayan therapy on apoptosis is cyto-protection, cell recovery, anti-neoplastic activity and vital for all immune augmentation.   The most commonly prescribed Rasayana Herbal Formulations are Triphala (Terminalia Chebula, Embellica officinale, Terminalia ballarica), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifoia) and Punarnava (Bohhervia diffusa). These Herbal Formulations protect body from the side effects of chemo and radio therapy like alopecia, nausea, nail changes, constipation, anorexia and vomiting. The Rasayan drug prevents and decreases Myelosuppression or Bone marrow suppression or myelotoxicity, one of the fatal toxicity of chemotherapy.   Some of the Rasayana formulations used in along with Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy in cancer treatment are Triphala Rasayana, Chyawanprash, Aamalaki Rasayana, Amrit Rasayana, Brahm Rasayana, Kamdugdha Ras, Laxami Vilas Ras, Laxman Vilas Ras, Makrdhawaj vati, Mukta Panchamrit Rasayana, Nari Kalyan Pak, Navjeevan Ras, Navratna Ras, Navratnakalp Amrit, Panchamrit Ras, Smritisagar Ras, Suvarna Vasant Malti, Swapanmehtank, Vasant Kusmakar Ras, Visha Rasaayana, Brihada Vangeshwar Rasa, Chandanadi powder etc.   In addition to these Vardhman Matra prayog of certain Rasayan Herbal Formulations along with Ghee (Steroidal pattern dose therapy) is administered to restore the leukocyte count, hemoglobin etc.    YOGA   Yoga alone can't help to fight the cancer but it can work hand in hand with other medicines. Yoga can be practiced to prevent cancer, minimize the effects of chemo and radiotherapies and also practiced by the survivors of cancer to restore the mental as well as physical health.   Positive effects of Yoga in cancer patients are improvement of sleep quality, mood, stress, cancer-related distress, cancer related symptoms, and overall quality of life, as well as functional and physiological measures. Supta Baddha Konasana which is a restorative yoga pose which helps to release tension, tune the natural rhythm of the body and alleviate mild depression. Savasana is the pose of full relaxation, especially good for your nervous system. The effects will be evident when Yoga postures are incorporated along with pranayama and meditation.   LIFESTYLE & DIET   Following a proper Dinacharya is one of the best methods to prevent diseases like cancer and promote good health & prolong life. To stay fit and healthy, one should follow a daily Ayurvedic routine .    Waking up:   · As Vata is dominant between 3am to 6am, one should wake up early. If one sleeps beyond 6am, the body moves out of the Vata phase into the Kapha phase and one tends to want to sleep more. · Ideally people with dominant Kapha should wake up before sunrise, Pitta dominant people should wake up at sunrise and Vata dominant people should wake up after sunrise.   Cleansing:   · While cleaning the mouth, Ayurveda recommends that the tongue be scraped with a tongue scraper which helps to clear away various toxins from the mouth. · After brushing ones teeth, one should drink a glass of warm water. Vata and Kapha people can drink the water hot but Pitta people should drink the water at lukewarm temperature. Thereafter drinking herbal tea infused with ginger and lemon helps cleanse the channels of the body thereby keeping the circulation and digestion healthy. Thereafter, during the day one should drink an Ayurvedic herbal tea suited to ones body type; this helps detoxify and balance ones body throughout the day.   Exercise:   · Vata dominant people should exercise gently and take rest in between. Breathing exercises should also be performed gently. · People with dominating Pitta Dosha should perform exercises which help cool down the body. It is important for them to exercise in a cool environment. Breathing exercises like the Shitali and ShitkariPranayama are very beneficial for the Pitta Dosha. · Kapha Dosha dominated people should perform exercises which are vigorous and stimulating. They should try not to take long periods of rest in between. Breathing exercises like Surya Bheda and the right nostril breathing exercise help pacify the Kapha Dosha.   Massage:   · After having performed exercises one should apply oil (ideally sesame oil) to ones body (including ears and feet). · Vata pacifying oil should be used by Vata dominant individuals. Similarly Pitta and Kapha dominant people should use Pitta and Kapha pacifying massage oils. · Leave the oil on the body for at least 15 minutes.   Bathing and meditation:   After having showered in water that is not too cold or hot, it is suggested that one meditate for 10 minutes. This helps to stimulate the mental and emotional energy and helps keep one happy and balanced throughout the day.   Breakfast   · Breakfast should be taken according to ones body type. Vata and Kapha dominated people should have a warm breakfast. As Pitta people tend to feel hot very easily, they should consume foods that are cooling and refreshing. · One should also take one tablespoon of Chyawanprash, which is a natural anti-oxidant, which helps to balance all the three Doshas and strengthens the immune system, after breakfast and dinner.   Lunch   · Food should be consumed between 12pm and 1pm as this is a peak time for Pitta and this dosha helps in the digestion of food. · Vata people should try to eat foods with sweet, sour and salty tastes as they help pacify the Vata Dosha. Food should be warm and not very dry. Consuming food such as warm soups helps to balance this Dosha. · Pitta dominating individuals should try to eat foods with sweet, bitter and astringent tastes as they help to reduce and balance the fire element in the body. Food should generally be lukewarm and refreshing. · As Kapha individuals need something to mobilize them, they should tend towards foods that are spicy, bitter and astringent. Food should be hot; cold salads should therefore be kept to a minimum. · In general, for all body types, having a glass of hot water after food is excellent for ones health.   Dinner:   · One should avoid cold and heavy foods at dinner time. As ones physical activity tends to reduce after dinner, such foods may block the channels of the body and turn into Ama (undigested food substances or toxins). · One should be awake for at least 3 hours after dinner in order to give the body sufficient time to digest the food. Ideally one should eat dinner around 6pm to 7pm.   The Vata Person:   · As the Vata Dosha denotes activity, restlessness and irregularity, a Vata dominant individual should aim to follow a regular routine every day. · This includes waking up at the same time every day, eating food at set times every day and going to bed early, preferably around 10pm. · They should avoid cold and dry foods. Relaxing Yoga and meditation is a must for Vata dominated people. · Keeping oneself warm also helps to balance the Vata Dosha. · Herbs such as Shatavari and Brahmi are beneficial for the balancing the Vata Dosha.    The Pitta Person:   · The Pitta Dosha denotes heat, fire and transformation. Such individuals should aim to follow a lifestyle that helps pacify fire. This includes consuming cooling and refreshing foods. · Staying in a cool and refreshing environment also helps pacify the Pitta Dosha. · People of this Dosha tend to get hungry more often than the other Dosha types. Therefore they should have small regular meals and snacks. · Avoiding spicy foods also helps to balance the Pitta Dosha. · Herbs like Triphala and Neem are good for balancing the Pitta Dosha.   The Kapha Person:   · The Kapha Dosha represents heaviness, stability and less movement. These individuals should exercise as often as possible and drink plenty of warm water. · Yoga exercises such as the Sun Salutation help to remove lethargy and sluggishness. By maintaining a healthy metabolic rate, Kapha people can avoid getting overweight. · Avoiding sweet foods helps to eliminate heaviness. Kapha individuals should aim to eat only when they are hungry. · Keeping themselves warm and dry will also help balance this Dosha. · Herbs such as Pippali and Ashwagandha help to balance the Kapha Dosha   Ayurveda methods are very useful in cancer treatment to act as an adjuvant to the chemotherapy and radiotherapy, also to increase the bioavailability of the medicines, and Ayurveda herbs itself has a positive effect on the apoptosis, there by acting on the cancerous cells and protecting the normal ones. Thus Ayurveda add years to life, and add life to years. To combat cancer and combining traditional healthcare knowledge with conventional systems will make complete health care setup under one roof.   In a nutshell all above four groups of formulations / plants as help the patient maintain his optimum health without disturbance of CT. It is interesting to note at this juncture that the interaction of chemotherapeutic agent and Ayurvedic medicine is still to be explored and much more inter disciplinary research is going on.   Dr. Parvathy Rajeev is a part of Chakrapani Team. She has completed BAMS from Amrita Ayurveda Medical College, Kerela. She can be contacted at drparvathy@ayu.in

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