DISEASE PROCESS AND HEALTH

Shushruta definition of health: “Sama Dosha, Sama Agnischa,  Sama Dhatu, Mala Kriyaha  Prasanna Atmenindrya Manaha Swasth Iti abhidyate”

which means:

The one who has balanced doshas , balanced agni (digestive fire), properly formed tissues, proper elimination of waste products, proper functioning bodily processes. And whose mind, soul and senses are peaceful is called a healthy person.

Shushruta is one of the “fathers” of Ayurveda and his definition of health helps us to understand the disease process. When any of the above mentioned “systems” is out of balance, the disease process begins.

We will discuss agni and the 3 malas(excreta)because they are of prime importance in Ayurveda.

Agni is our metabolic fire, every organ, bodily tissue, even cells have their own agni.  In terms of digestion, the digestive agni is what “cooks” our food in our stomach and digestive tract. We need a good fire to digest, absorb and assimilate our food. A “good” fire is neither too low (the food will not be well digested) nor too high (the food will burn).  

There are four basic variations of digestive agni:

Sama Agni (balanced agni). Very few people are blessed with sama agni. Their digestion, absorption and assimilation work properly.

Vishama Agni (irregular metabolism). Usually due to excess Vata. There will be gas, colicky pain, constipation(sometimes alternating with diarrhea).

Tikshna agni(sharp, hyper metabolism). Usually due to excess Pitta. There will be insatiable hunger, strong appetite and acid indigestion, heartburn, gastritis, hypoglycemia, diarrhea. 

Manda agni(slow; hypometabolism). Usually due to excess Kapha. There will be heaviness in the stomach, loss of appetite, frequent cold, cough and congestion, among other Kapha ailments.

When Agni becomes impaired, our metabolism is affected. Food might not be properly digested or absorbed and accumulates in the colon turning into a sticky, foul smelling substance called ama (toxins) which is the root of all diseases. Our goal is to build agni and burn ama.

This will help not only with our digestion but also with most of our concerns. Because when digestion is optimal and there are no toxic accumulations in the GI tract and in our tissues, we will have better energy, better sleep, and mental clarity, among other benefits.

Ama in the GI tract can be usually detected as a white film on the tongue. Symptoms of Ama, may also include; fatigue, feeling of heaviness, indigestion, lethargy, mental confusion, aches and pains, gas and bloating, poor taste/abnormal taste, sexual debility, and bad breath.

The 3 Malas(excreta) :

The three malas or waste products generated by our body are: feces, urine and sweat.  If they become abnormal in some way, they can create disease. 

Here is some examples:  In case of first mala, feces;  if someone has abnormal feces, say severe diarrhea it could be life threatening if not treated promptly. Constipation is less dramatic but could cause discomfort, pain, gas, headaches and bad breath. In case of the second mala, urine; scanty urination from water retention, might affect blood pressure. In case of the third mala, sweat; excessive sweating can cause fungal disorders while scanty sweating will cause dryness of the skin and may produce dandruff.