Obesity - Say Goodbye To It Through Ayurveda!

Ayurveda, translated into science of life and longevity, has been practiced in India for more than 5000 years and has gained worldwide popularity. It uses noninvasive and natural methods, produces minimal side effects and therefore, is being widely accepted.

Ayurveda believes that the body is made of pitta, vata, and kapha systems (or doshas) and diseases are due to imbalance between these or predominance of one over the others. Obesity for instance is believed to be due to kapha predominance, leading to excessive eating and thereby obesity. There are various herbs (listed below) that are used in treatment of weight loss, and they all act by burning more fat and improving natural metabolism.

• Vrikshamla (Garcinia cambogia): Known commonly as brindleberry or mangosteen oil tree or malabar tamarind, this helps to reduce triglycerides and control cholesterol.  It also suppresses appetite and inhibits lipogenesis (conversion of sugars to fat)

• Licorice (Glycyrrhiza Glabra): Licorice has been widely accepted as an anti obesity herb, especially in reducing abdominal fat. It acts by reducing the amount of triglyceride in the liver and blood. It also contain flavonoids, which slow down oxidation of fatty acids.

• Ginger (Zingiber Officinale): An herb with varied medicinal properties, ginger has a multitude of health benefits. It promotes weight loss by lowering cholesterol and reducing fat accumulation.  It also regulates metabolism of cholesterol and oxidation of fatty acids.

• Kalonji (Glycyrrhiza Glabra): During clinical trials, the seed extract of Kalonji has been shown to improve body mass index and lead to better waist-hip ratios.

• Myrhh (Commiphora Resin): The bark of the flowering Mukul Myrhh tree produces a sticky, yellowish resin that has been identified to be a steroid compound. It is harvested in winters and considered to act on all 3 doshas and provide an equilibrium in the body. Commonly known as guggul, it translates to "one that protects against disease." That in a way sums up its medicinal properties. In obese people, it helps by lowering blood cholesterol and triglycerides and is considered a very powerful fat burner.

It is proven that Ayurveda is a safe method to help you lose weight.  Also, please note that each of these above products will have benefits in other medical conditions and not used only in obesity cases.  In addition to the above specific products, there should be a combination of healthy eating and exercise, which primarily drives weight loss.

Balancing eating and sleeping to homogenise the three doshas in the body is also very important for effective weight loss. Increasing water intake, reducing alcohol intake, planning protein-carb ratio, and customized exercise routine are are aspects to be considered.