Understanding Inflammation: The Ayurvedic View
In my years of practice - both in conventional Western medicine and Ayurvedic medicine - few truths are as undeniable as this: inflammation lies at the heart of many modern health challenges. And while conventional Western medicine often views inflammation as a largely circumstantial process to be suppressed, Ayurveda offers us a more nuanced view - one that considers not just the physical manifestations of inflammation, but also the complex patterns of lifestyle, environment, mindset, behavior, and more that lead to inflammatory states in the body.
The Ayurvedic Perspective on Inflammation
In Ayurveda, inflammation always involves the activity of pitta dosha - one of the three categories of physiologic function that govern how our systems work. Pitta is characterized by unctuousness, sharpness, heat, lightness, clarity, and fluidity. It excels at digesting, transforming, and demanding attention. When operating in a healthy manner, pitta bestows robust digestion, a pointed intellect, luster, and healthy inflammatory responses that help us heal from insults and injuries. When excessive or out of balance, though, pitta can show itself as chronic inflammation in various ways and places (depending on how it interacts with the other two doshas, vata and kapha), leading to a cascade of health challenges.
But here's the extra-interesting part to me: Ayurvedic physicians recognized the systemic and nuanced nature of inflammation thousands of years before the first microscope and laboratory assay were invented. While modern medicine is just beginning to appreciate how inflammation connects seemingly unrelated conditions, from heart disease to depression, Ayurveda has long taught us to see these connections.
Seeing Root Causes Through an Ayurvedic Lens
In my integrative Ayurvedic medicine practice, I often see patients who have had their inflammatory conditions labeled in various ways; "autoimmune" or "metabolic" or "infectious," etc. And while these labels can be useful to a point, Ayurveda teaches us to look deeper. How is the inflammation behaving? How did it get to where it is now? Where did the inflammation start - what are the root causes?
Commonly, root causes involve:
Poorly functioning agni (digestive and metabolic fire)
Accumulation of ama (incompletely digested/metabolized material that functions like toxins)
Disruption of natural circadian rhythms
Severe and/or chronic emotional and mental stress
Suboptimal diet and lifestyle for one's constitution and condition
And more.
Navigating Healing Through Ayurvedic Wisdom
Much of the beauty of Ayurveda lies in its doggedly personalized approach to care and healing. Rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all anti-inflammatory protocol, at The Buddha's Medicine, we first assess your unique constitution (prakrti, or physiologic baseline, or set-point) and current state of imbalance (vikrti). It is this assessment that facilitates the work of crafting a care plan and charting a course for healing that's specifically tailored to you.
For instance, while raw foods (vegetation, specifically) might seem "healthy" and "anti-inflammatory" from a Western perspective, they will actually aggravate inflammation in someone with weak agni and/or high constitutional or conditional vata. Similarly, while intermittent fasting (which can mean a lot of different things, but that's a conversation for another time) has become popular for theoretically reducing inflammation, it might not be appropriate for someone with a high pitta constitution and/or sharp agni.
That said, one of the most powerful tools we have for managing inflammation is diet. You may have heard it said that we medicate ourselves every time we eat, and that is as true as statement as any! Food is therefore a key tool for both prevention and treatment. Here's how Ayurveda guides us:
Selecting cooling, hydrating, sweet, bitter, and astringent foods and spices when pitta is high
Favoring freshly prepared meals over processed and leftover food
Eating according to the seasons and local climate
Including specific anti-inflammatory herbs - and there are many! For example, we might use turmeric and dashamula for high vata with inflammation, while we might use cardamom and vetiver bean in cases of high pitta, versus others like tulsi and ginger for high kapha inflammatory conditions
Paying attention to not just what you eat, but how and when you eat
But perhaps most importantly, Ayurveda teaches us that an anti-inflammatory diet isn't just about food choices – it's about creating a harmonious relationship with food itself.
In my practice, the approach to healing is always grounded in nutrition. But sustainable healing from inflammatory conditions requires more than dietary changes alone. This is where the profound wisdom of Ayurveda shines even more brightly. We review:
Daily routine (dinacharya) that aligns with natural rhythms and personal needs
Appropriate exercise that doesn't aggravate existing imbalances
Stress management through meditation and pranayama (breathwork)
Adequate rest and sleep
Emotional well-being and relationships
Supplementation (where appropriate)
Herbal medicine, which I design and blend small-batch for each of my patients
And more.
One final note for now: as someone trained in both Western and Ayurvedic medicine, I find it remarkable how modern research continues to validate so many Ayurvedic principles that were first espoused so long ago. For instance, the emphasis Ayurveda places on circadian rhythms and gut health is now being confirmed by cutting-edge chronobiology and microbiome research. It's cool stuff!
What always sets Ayurveda apart is its emphasis on individualization. While modern medicine (allopathic or functional or whatever) might prescribe the same anti-inflammatory protocol for everyone, Ayurveda recognizes that what reduces inflammation in one person might increase it in another. Our perspective is, therefore: when we care for the person, we treat the condition.
If you're dealing with inflammatory issues, know that true healing is possible. It requires patience, awareness, and a willingness to look at the deeper patterns in your life. While quick fixes might provide temporary relief, Ayurveda offers us a path to sustainable healing by addressing the root causes of inflammation.
In my practice at The Buddha's Medicine, I've witnessed countless patients transform their relationship with inflammatory conditions by embracing these ancient principles alongside modern medical understanding. The key lies not in choosing between traditional and modern approaches, but in understanding how to integrate both for optimal healing.
You already hold the keys to your own wellness. Sometimes, you just need a guide to help you unlock the door; That's where I come in!
If you are curious about how our Ayurvedic, integrative health approach can support your health (or the health of a loved one), you can completely free 15-minute consultation.
Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH
Dr. Matt is an Ayurveda-trained, triple board-certified physician.
