What is Ayurveda and How it is Perceive in Today’s Time?

Interviewer: Hello Dr., we will have a talk with you, butel sir and my name is raj. We both will talk to you on radio show.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Ok, you are talking from Edmonton.

Interviewer: Yes we are talking from Edmonton.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Ok

Interviewer: Please hold on.

Interviewer: On this radio show as we informed you previously that we will come up with special talk show on Ayurvedic system of medicines. Today we have with us on line very famous doctor from Punjab and Chandigarh, Dr. Vikram Chauhan. Today we are first time bringing a chat show with him and we hope that it will be informative to you and will gain a lot of information from it. Ayurveda is a very ancient system of treatment. Today we will know from the Doctor that what is Ayurveda and how it is perceive in today’s time. First of all let’s welcome Dr. Vikram Chauhan in our talk show. We welcome you to our radio show, Doctor Sahib.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Thank you very much. Hello to everyone from my side there. You took a very good step today that you let people know about Ayurveda through this show. Edmonton people and people from Canada will get to know that how good is Ayurvedic system of medicine from India. This word ayurveda has come up with combination of two words-Ayu and Veda. Ayu means life and Veda means knowledge. Ayurveda is a medical system along with it also teaches us about proper lifestyle. Ayu means life, lifestyle. There are so many disease are coming up these days due to our lifestyle, eating habits, which has increased stress levels in people and this is causing so much illness in people, due to which people are taking so much allopathic medicines. Which also has increased the value of Ayurveda. So the VEDA (text) which teaches us and has knowledge how to live proper lifestyle is called Ayurveda. When this universe was created by the lord Brahma, like that when we purchase new car we get manual book in which every particular information of car is shared, even we get this manual with TV, mobile so like this when GOD created us, provided us with that manual named as Ayurveda.

Interviewer: That’s amazing, that is a good way to put it.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: So basically how to live, how to sleep, when we should sleep, when we should get up, what we should eat and what things we should not mix together while eating. Like sour things should not be taken or mixed with milk. Ghee mixed with honey becomes poison all this is mentioned in ayurveda. So such things like when to sleep, when to get up.

Interviewer: Like you told us there are many things are mentioned in it.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Yes there is lots of knowledge in Ayurveda.

Interviewer: According to you treatment is there but with that prevention is also mentioned from the diseases.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Yes there is cure even for many serious diseases. Look this is a science created by the lord brahma who have created universe and how to run it is Ayurveda. This was an initially science for Gods but when sages saw that there lots of diseases spreading on earth then sage Bhardwaj brought this knowledge from Indra on the earth. It has treatment for diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, skin problems, psoriasis, liver failure and many more whose proper treatment is there in ayurveda. There are many magical herbs in this world not only in India but all over the world. This Ayurveda is not limited to one place, as God has created a single earth without borders and herbs grow everywhere in world. When I go abroad like Europe, America, for my surprise I saw such magnificent herbs mentioned in Ayurveda there, which are even hard to find out in India even. Here we have to go for Himalayas in search of herbs, once I went to Europe and saw bhoj patra (Himalayan Birch) on which whole our Vedas were written is found with very difficulties in India but there in Europe I went to Macedonia there it is found very commonly over there.

Interviewer: Ok

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Yes

Interviewer: One should also have knowledge about these things as generally people don’t have knowledge about these herbs which are natural and only who have knowledge can respect these things.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Yes, it’s very right we should learn to distinguish the herbs. In our surroundings there are lots of precious herbs. 2-3 days back, I had 10-12 foreigners who came to me from California and in them some were doctors also I showed them herbs grown in Chandigarh and some I have grown too. I showed them Amla (Indian gooseberry) and also made them to eat Indian gooseberry (amla). I told them eat it and drink water it become sweet and they were surprised that nature have such miraculous things. There is also Haritaki and Bibhitaki and many more and by using them one can cure many diseases in the home itself. Imagine if someone has high blood pressure then by using Sarpagandha herb in powder form cures blood pressure in such a way that it stays normal and will never come back.

Interviewer: There is change seen in the lifestyle of people these days after the acceptance of western modern medicines and have its negative effects even people from USA and other parts and looking forward to India for not only for treatment but also for meditation, yoga or Ayurveda. Because of the system available in western world they are looking for simple and easy method they are looking forward to India. You also talked about Ayurvedic medicines, like you talked about people from California came to you even some doctors, they came to know how this ancient treatment is working from such long time. So how you compare and differentiate Ayurveda and modern medicine.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: According to Ayurveda, there are three methods used for the treatment. One to treat the disease from the root, second one is symptomatic treatment and the third is mixed one bit of from root and symptomatic. So Ayurveda is the first method where the disease is cured from the root. The old Ayurvedic sages believed in treating the diseases from their roots. Whereas modern medicine system believes in the symptomatic treatment by giving immediate relief and works as a cover up. Like someone have injury and pain, they keep on giving knee joints pain it gives relief to the pain but leads to other side effects like acidity and ulcers and many other side effects. In Ayurveda we have so many herbs itself in our Indian kitchen that we can cure many problems sitting at home. Like with turmeric we can cure joint pains, tumors, cancer, and diabetes or skin problems. With Neem, we can cure skin problems. In stomachache give decoction of jeera (cumin), Saunf (fennel), and ajwain (carom seed). The allopathic medicines are originated from the herbs. But they have been made into very concentrated form and which cause side effects. When in emergency they gave pain killer buscopan injection as antispasmodic if someone has stomach pain due to kidney stone pain, it is a derivative of ajwain in concentrated form called hyosine butyl bromide chemical which is naturally found in ajwain. So any person will get relief from stomach by preparing decoction from ajwain. So there is no need of injections as they have many side effects. So symptomatic treatment is done and overdoses are given. So these overdoses leads to another disease without curing the ongoing disease.

Interviewer: Will ask you lots of question and also in upcoming programs will keep talking to you. Because we have so many questions to ask and even our listeners too. But it will be difficult to complete in one program. So if someone have to undergo treatment in Ayurveda so the results depends upon the situation to situation or condition to condition and how’s the treatment effects, does it gives the relief fast and early results or takes time to cure.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: It depends upon situation to situation, I have seen in my life in some condition results gets very fast in some diseases, there is one very rare condition called ITP, which is very rare in nature. It is comparable with blood cancer, In it there is no production of platelets in body of ITP patient. I’m also surprised, after my 15-20 yrs. of practice I started checking ITP patients and now have many ITP patients. I got very fast results although it is a lifelong disease. There is another disease called ulcerative colitis in allopathic they tell patient to take medicines lifelong but in Ayurveda within one month the problem start getting better and person start feeling better. So it does not mean that Ayurveda don’t have cure but the combination of herbs and their knowledge is very necessary to know. Ayurveda is very big and vast subject, ancient texts are so much vast and enlarged and an efficient Ayurvedic doctor who have studied all these texts and know these herbs combination, for that person the treat is very definitive and also in minutes can cure any problem. If some person having fever then give him decoction of Kalmegh (Echinacea) and Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), these give relief from fever faster than crocin or tenolol.

Interviewer: That’s amazing. So you are a MD. So this degree of Ayurveda is available in India or can someone do it from other countries too.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: This is very nice question you have asked. Actually in India its under department of Ayush, the Ayurvedic colleges have been established. The duration of course is 5 years and the degree is called as B.A.M.S. after which there is 3 yrs. course of MD, which is a specialization. I have done my MD in herbal pharmacology. It means study of all herbs. And outside India, now some institutes like in California, New York, Florida etc. who have tied up with Indian universities. They have started giving some knowledge on Ayurveda from last five years before that it was not there. There are some countries now and even WHO has accepted Ayurveda as a pure medical science. Hungry has accepted it as medical science. So in hungry and one or two more countries. With Switzerland it is under process and some universities are coming up but they are not that much in number. There are courses like 50 hrs. Course, 100 hr. course, 500 hr. course are in California.

Interviewer: As you told that it is a very ancient science and originated by Lord Brahma but is there any involvement of modern research in it.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Yes it is going on at very big level in today’s time. Postgraduates like me, PHD are involved in the research and in these days lot of literature is also available. Even in foreign countries, they have separate branch with name natural medicines, in India we call it Ayurveda there they are calling it herbal or natural supplements or natural medicine. But in foreign countries they are working over the chemicals of the natural herbs and India there is research work going on whole Ayurveda.

Interviewer: There is always involvement of side effects when we talk about the allopathic medicines. So there are any side effects of Ayurvedic medicines?

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Look Ayurveda doesn’t have such side effects as compare to allopathy that new disease will come up. There are little side effects for example if we have ginger or black pepper in access then it will cause heat in the body so there are not such side effects which are life threatening or will cause new disease. There are some poisonous herbs such as gunja (Abrus precatorius), rati, kuchla (strychnos nux-vomica) they are very rare, and also vatsnabh (aconitum ferox) if there over dose happen that can be fatal even Afeem also, but it’s wrong to take give over dose and if given will be fatal. There are some common herbs like guggul (Commiphora mukul), Chandan (santalum album), vasa (Adhatoda vasica), Dalchini (Cinnamomum verum), Haldi (Curcuma longa) so what will be the side effects of the turmeric, if you will have it in excess than just will cause heat in the body so for that have coconut water and it will be fine. But allopathic medicines have very serious effects like if we have some steroid whole body will be inflamed.

Interviewer: Doctor is it important to see patient for Ayurvedic treatment or can send medicines to overseas only by seeing his medical reports.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: This is also very good question. These days people are taking medicines only by sending their medical reports even I also some time do, but I have lot of staff with doctors also, even around the world I am having doctors too, even in Calgary one doctor is sitting there in my clinic. So today technology has developed so much that people send their reports and with them we start their treatment. But what happen traditionally was that patient visit the doctor then his diagnose was done by seeing his pulse, tongue, urine, eye etc. There are lots of method for diagnoses in Ayurveda so diseases can be diagnosed. How it should be diagnosed. People these days already have made their diagnose. People don’t come to Ayurvedic practitioner directly they usually comes after visiting lots of other doctors first. When other doctors are not able to cure their disease, then they visit Ayurvedic doctor. So there tests and diagnosis had already done. So it’s not any issue if treatment is done on the basis of clinical reports. So as disease is diagnosed so accordingly it can be treated.

Interviewer: Doctor sahib as you treat patient with the natural methods and with natural herbs as there is proverb as you reap what you sow, so for treatment it is necessary to see the patient.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: You said very right thing. The diseases in our body are based on tridoshic Prakriti of which our body is made, which are Vata, pitta, Kapha. So those have Vata in predominant there body is dry, those have pitta in predominance they have excessive heat in body, those who have Kapha in predominance have coldness in there body. Our body is made from five elements and three doshas Vata, pitta and Kapha are their representatives. Vayu (Air), aksah (space), Agni (fire) jala (water), prithvi (earth) are five elements. Vata, pitta, Kapha are their representative in human body. And there are 7 types of Prakriti on the basis of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. So all person are categorized according to these prakritis. Even the medicines given to patient based on these prakritis and doshas and if not give according to that, then if we give pitta predominant person pitta predominant medicine that will increase his pitta, and if to Vata person we will give cold potency medicine his vayu will increase.so medicine has to be given by calculating all these things. In disease also if it is pitta predominant disease like ulcerative colitis or acidity or having mouth ulcers then that person comes to us or send us report from distant and in reports it is diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or proctitis, or diagnosed with stomach cancer. So from disease be can understand that this disease is going to be pitta predominant and that person will have pitta predominant Prakriti. Like this we can also do analysis of the disease. Foe e.g. if somebody have psoriasis or skin related diseases then from that we can conclude that this person will have pitta predominant nature. So pitta diseases are differ from Vata and Kapha diseases. We also know the nature of person’s body and also confirm it without seeing. And confirm that this type of medicine should be avoided in such nature of person. Like in such patient cold potency medicine have to be given but not hot potency medicines. Also some people have wrong information that Ayurvedic medicine are hot in nature and they keep asking that is Ayurvedic medicines are hot in potency. So there is no such thing as Ayurveda have both hot and cold potency drugs like Chandan (Santalum album), Kasha (Vetiveria zizanoides), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) these are cold potency herbs. So according to disease and according to patient nature (Prakriti) we write these hot potency or cold potency medicines.

Interviewer: Doctor sahib all these developments, and environmental destructions have effect on these herbs or have some herbs become endangered in nature.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Surely these are available. As ayurveda have become famous and it is in trend, so it’s not necessary that these herbs are available in mountains, they can be found in the mountain, plain, sea shores, river sides, deserts. Every herb have their different qualities. Like some herbs are found in Rajasthan in deserts, some in south India, Sri Lanka or Tamil Nadu and some herbs are found in the Himalayas. Every herb have their own habitat and grows accordingly. Like guggul (Commiphora mukul) it only grows in deserts but not in mountains. Guggul dhoop is prepared from it, which people burn it to remove all flies and mosquitoes and make environment clean. During worship also guggul dhoop is burnt as removes evil spirits. In Ayurveda bad spirits are these viruses and bacteria’s which we are not able to see and cause problem. Like this Tulsi is also used and burnt. It is called holy basil. These English people use holy water which contain holy basil which they use to remove bad or evil spirits and negative energy. We also grow Tulsi near our house as good energy comes into our houses and negative energy stays away. So these herbs grows in every type of environment.

Interviewer: So all herbs which are growing in environment are now being grown on commercial level also?

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Yes these herbs are now grown at commercial levels, even farmers comes to me to ask which herbs should them grew. So we suggest what herb they should grow according to nature of their soil. All over India farmers comes to me to get guidance and we tell them about particular herb which is best suited to them. But before that they have to get their soil tested for organic compounds through the organizations and converted it into organic soil by making it free from all pesticides and make soil organic.

Interviewer: DR sahib, As many people are coming from outside India to you, so they have to take appointment before coming to you or they have walk in facility available too. And where is clinic located, what is the telephone number. How we come to know about it.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: I have a clinic, planetayurveda.com is website. I have a dream of spreading Ayurveda to whole planet so named Planet Ayurveda. I have lots of walk in patients through website from India and outside India also. I have my clinic at Mohali. Sector is 82 and plot number is 627 and phone number is 0172-521-4030 (India), +91-172-521-4030 (Outside India). One can get appointment on this number.

Interviewer: We will talk with you about Ayurveda more some other days but today please give us information about diabetes as its patients are in India and outside India and what is its reason main causing factor, is it lifestyle or stress or both.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: One is stress which increase the sugar levels. Second is bodyweight and life style. People who sleep late at night and decrease curd intake. Decrease uses of milk and milk products this the sugar levels of sugar patients comes immediately down. So advice to stop milk and milk products. Then patient ask me from where they will get calcium. So I reply that if animals are getting calcium while living in wild, like cow. Cow doesn’t drink milk. Like that zebra, giraffe look at their bones they are getting calcium. They are taking vit. D naturally and eat grass. But we don’t eat green vegetables and salads. Sugar patient can bring down sugar level. If before taking meal, they have full bowl of salads, fruits, sprouts, nuts and seeds then that person will not need food and sugar levels will not increase. Stop milk products and start eating green salads and see how it will bring down the sugar levels. In home remedies one should take methi (fenugreek) seeds should be taken by soaking in water and it will also balance the Vata. Take half tsp. of turmeric powder after meal like this there are many herbs. There is kalonji also, kalonji is very useful and effective in sugar. Like this there is Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre), Daruhaldi (Berberis aristata), seeds of Jamuns (Syzygium cumini). Neem and Karela is also there but with this some vayu get vitiated and causes pain in bones and joint so I don’t recommend it and methi is much better than this.

Interviewer: How should be take this methi any special method to consume it?

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Soak the seeds overnight and have two tsp. of them in the morning. Some people have 10 tsp. which lowers the sugar’s levels very fast but I don’t recommend that much amount of methi. 2tsp is much to control it.

Interviewer: Dr. Sahib we thank you very much give some message to stay fit before leaving.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: My message to people are stay fit and don’t take tension and don’t indulge in much competition, have a proper sleep as sun comes down even animals sleep but we human keep doing work by using artificial lights. So it is very important to sleep on time. Have a stress free life. One should take break from their work schedule.

Interviewer: Thank you very much.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: Thank you, Thanks a lot.

Interviewer: So this was Dr. Vikram Chauhan with whom we have chat from www.planetayurveda.com. This contain all his information including telephone number, address etc. It also have his picture and information about all his team.

Dr. Vikram Chauhan: We have doctors worldwide with worldwide clinics.