Concepts of Dietetics and Its Importance in Panchakarma: A Review

Abstract

Due to various exogenous factors like lack of sleep, inappropriate food habits metabolic toxins (Ama) get deeply accumulated in the body which causes congestion in the patency of micro and macro channels leading to the stagnation of excreta and waste metabolites in the tissues, eventually unbalancing all the three Doshas in the body which catalyze the occurrence of various diseases like eczema, allergies, improper digestion, chronic fatigue etc. Panchakarma is a Shodhana therapy which cleanses the body at both gross organ and cellular level by eliminating the metabolic toxin (Ama) which restored the equilibrium of Dosha and give rise to permanent healing from the disease. As a consequence of this vigorous cleansing, metabolism (Agni) get slowed down. Thus, there are certain dietary measure and regimen (Samsarjana krama) is mentioned in the Ayurvedic classics which are essentially to be followed to restore the hypo function Agni and one can attain the utmost result from the Panchakarma therapies is to be discussed here.