Ayurveda ("science of life") is a system of medicine that combines natural therapies with a personalized approach to the treatment of disease. This form of healthcare focuses equally on the wellness of the body, mind, and spirit. Ayurvedic physicians ascertain the overall health of people by looking at their unique strengths and susceptibilities and by identifying their metabolic type (vata, pitta, or kapha).

Once the individual`s overall "constitution" is determined, a specific treatment plan is designed to guide the person back to a state of harmony. Ayurvedic medicine utilizes practices such as yoga; exercise, meditation, massage, dietary changes, herbal tonics, and herbal sweat baths.

Herbs used in Ayurvedic Medicine
Ashwagandha, Boswellia, Coleus Ginger, Gotu Kola, Guggul, Gymnema, Licorice, Myrrh, Phyllanthus, Picrorhiza, Turmeric, Tylophora, Alfalfa.

Ashwagandha
The health applications for ashwagandha in traditional Indian and Ayurvedic medicine are extensive. Of particular note is its use against tumors, inflammation (including arthritis), and a wide range of infectious diseases. The shoots and seeds are also used as food and to thicken milk in India. Traditional uses of Ashwagandha among tribal peoples in Africa include fevers and inflammatory conditions. Ashwagandha is frequently a constituent of Ayurvedic formulas, including a relatively common one known as shilajit.

Boswellia
In the ancient Ayurvedic medical texts of India, the gummy exudate from boswellia is grouped with other gum resins and referred to collectively as guggals. Historically, the guggals were recommended by Ayurvedic physicians for a variety of conditions, including osteo-arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diarrhea, dysentery, pulmonary disease, and ringworm.

Coleus
As recorded in ancient Sanskrit texts, coleus was used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat heart and lung diseases, intestinal spasms, insomnia, and convulsions.

Ginger
Traditional Chinese Medicine has recommended ginger for over 2,500 years. It is used for abdominal bloating, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, and rheumatism. Ginger is commonly used in the Ayurvedic and Tibb systems of medicine for the treatment of inflammatory joint diseases, such as arthritis and rheumatism.There are two types of Ginger i.e. Black Ginger and Wild Ginger.

Gotu Kola
Gotu kola has been important in the medicinal systems of central Asia for centuries. In Sri Lanka, it was purported to prolong life, as elephants commonly eat the leaves. Numerous skin diseases, ranging from poorly healing wounds to leprosy, have been treated with Gotu kola. Gotu kola also has a historical reputation for boosting mental activity and for helping a variety of illnesses, such as high blood pressure, rheumatism, fever, and nervous disorders. Some of its common applications in Ayurvedic medicine include heart disease, water retention, hoarseness, bronchitis, and coughs in children, and as a poultice for many skin conditions.

Guggul
The classical treatise on Ayurvedic medicine, Sushrita Samhita, describes the use of guggul for a wide variety of conditions, including rheumatism and obesity. One of its primary indications was a condition known as medoroga. This ancient diagnosis is similar to the modern description of atherosclerosis. Standardized guggul extracts are approved in India for lowering elevated serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Gymnema
Gymnema has been used in India for the treatment of diabetes for over 2,000 years. The leaves were also used for stomach ailments, constipation, water retention, and liver disease.

Licorice
Licorice has a long and highly varied record of uses. It was and remains one of the most important herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Among its most consistent and important uses are as a demulcent (soothing, coating agent) in the digestive and urinary tracts, to help with coughs, to soothe sore throats, and as a flavoring. It has also been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat conditions ranging from diabetes to tuberculosis.

Myrrh
In ancient times, the red-brown resin of myrrh was used to preserve mummies. It was also used as a remedy for numerous infections, including leprosy and syphilis. Herbalists for relief also recommended myrrh from bad breath and for dental conditions. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it has been used to treat bleeding disorders and wounds.

Phyllanthus (Niruri)
Phyllanthus is an herb found in central and southern India. It can grow from 30-60 centimeters in height and blooms with many yellow flowers. Phyllanthus species are also found in other countries, including China (e.g., Phyllanthus urinaria), the Philippines, Cuba, Nigeria, and Guam. All parts of the plant are used medicinally.

Picrorhiza
The bitter rhizomes of picrorhiza have been used for thousands of years in India to treat people with indigestion. It is also used to treat people with constipation due to insufficient digestive secretion and for fever due to all manner of infections.

Turmeric
In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric was prescribed for treatment of many conditions, including poor vision, rheumatic pains, and coughs, and to increase milk production. Native peoples of the Pacific sprinkled the dust on their shoulders during ceremonial dances and used it for numerous medical problems ranging from constipation to skin diseases. Turmeric was used for numerous intestinal infections and ailments in Southeast Asia.

Active constituents
The active constituent is known as curcumin. It has been shown to have a wide range of remedial actions. First, it protects against free radical damage because it is a strong antioxidant. Second, it reduces inflammation by lowering histamine levels and possibly by increasing production of natural cortisone by the adrenal glands. Third, it protects the liver from a number of toxic compounds. Fourth, it has been shown to reduce platelets from clumping together, which in turn improves circulation and may help protect against atherosclerosis. Curcumin inhibits HIV in test tubes, though human trials are needed to determine if it has any usefulness for treating humans with this condition. A preliminary trial in people with rheumatoid arthritis found curcumin to be somewhat useful for reducing inflammation and symptoms such as pain and stiffness. A separate double-blind trial found that curcumin was superior to phenylbutazone for alleviating post-surgical inflammation.

While a double-blind trial has found turmeric helpful for people with indigestion, results in people with stomach or intestinal ulcers have not shown it to be superior to a placebo and have demonstrated it to be less effective than antacids.

Tylophora
This plant has been traditionally used as a folk remedy in certain regions of India for the treatment of bronchial asthma, bronchitis, rheumatism, and dermatitis. In the latter half of the 19th century, it was called Indian ipecacuahna, as the roots of the plant have often been employed as an effective substitute for ipecac. The use to induce vomiting led to tylophoras inclusion in the Bengal Pharmacopoeia of 1884.

Alfalfa
Alfalfa, also known as lucerne, is a member of the pea family and is native to western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean region. Alfalfa sprouts have become a popular food. Alfalfa herbal supplements primarily use the dried leaves of the plant. The heat-treated seeds of the plant have also been used.

Tulsi
Among all herbs, Tulsi occupies the most respected and important position.The Tulsi plant can be used for prevention as well as cure of illnesses. A Tulsi plant at the doorstep is said to keep the atmosphere of the house pure and clean, and keep illness away.