Guest guest Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Ama in the classical texts is (as far as I know) descirbed as the product(s) of an incomplete or disturbed digestion and metabolism. Is there ay more in the classcial texts defining Ama? Also, how would you understand Ama in terms of Western medical sciences - probably I would assume there are many different terms, like: - bad cholesterol (LDL) - - artery-clogging plaque - - lipid peroxids - - even gall bladder and kidnes stones maybe? *Can you help me brainstrom even more terms of what falls under the category of " Ama " according to Western medical terms?* Also, is there any paper on the Ayurvedic concept of Ama available anywhere in some journal you are aware of? Happy Birthday of Krishna! Wishes for a diseasefree Society on this special day and all Ayurveda experts to safeguard the health of everyone and help everyone to enjoy and get to know even better the wonders of human physiology (like in China where it is said that the doctors were paid for maintaining the health of their patients, not for letting them be afflicted by disease). Margot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Thanks for an important question likely to invite much more discussion. In the times when ancient texts were written, they may not have imagined petrochemical complexes, Highways having high traffic density, runways where there is a landing/takeoff every two minutes. Ama concept needs to be interpreted on a much wider scale other than just a waste product of incomplete/disturbed digestion/metabolism. Digestion itself a set of wide spectrum chemical reactions where all seven dhatus (tissues/substances) are produced, with the motive force for each being corresponding dhatwagni. This could include exo and endo toxins accumulated in liver as also cyst formation in ovaries as a result of perturbed formation of ovum (shukra dhatu). Some disussion on ama interpreted in modern terms is here: ayurveda/message/5940 Another practical definition understood by author is the waste of any nature which body throws out when immune system or glandular functions are boosted/disturbed. e.g. skin tags which show the presence of insulin resistance. The elimination products during herxheimer reaction can also be understood as ama. The word ama has inbuilt meaning of acidity. Acidic pH is implied. Caking up of the cell membranes clogging the channels and making the ion-exchange difficult is also one characteristic, as discussed at above link. The elimination of ama is therefore not comfortable. When a scar tissue forms on a wound, the tissue is ama ready for elimination, but the itch sensation followed by human intervention causes its easy dislodging. Ama can be further interpreted as body feels healthier and lighter after its elimination. e.g. after Panchkarma. Liver detox eliminates mucoid plaques, gall stones, and even candia colonies (special version used by this author) through whitish mucous. Ama is therefore general term. Difficult to restrict the meaning to just few substances having known properties, chemical composition, color etc. Unwanted products held inside the body as elimination channels are blocked or likely to get damaged if body tries the elimination by itself. Thus ama held under skin gets released as erruptions, oozing liquid through sweat etc, when vaidya forces body to eliminate it. Hope this clarifies the concept, without providing a single precise definition sought by science mindset. Ayurveda, being a descending science, is not amenable to discussion in physics/chemistry terms, though there are oud cries in favor of controlled trials, standardisation of herbal contents etc. The disciplines needed to discuss ayurveda are evolving only recently. Artificial intelligence, neural networks help us to some extent. Dr Bhate ___________________________ Is there any more in the classcial texts defining Ama? Also, how would you understand Ama in terms of Western medical sciences probably I would assume there are many different terms, - bad cholesterol (LDL) - artery-clogging plaque - lipid peroxids - even gall bladder and kidnes stones maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Ama, as I know of, is nothing but toxins produced by all the conditions mentioned by you and more. So a simple term Toxin should explain that. ________________ Ama in the classical texts is (as far as I know) descirbed as the product(s) of an incomplete or disturbed digestion and metabolism. Is there ay more in the classcial texts defining Ama? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Dear Margot Ama is a concept which misunderstood by many. Ama causes due to debilitation of Agni [ metabolism]. The production of Ama could be due to unhealthy food habits and may be due to debilitation of Agni by another cause. Due to above causes there will be incomplete digestion of ingested food material. The end product will be sticky in nature and causes obstruction. The Ama formation could be in ailimenttary tract or in other systems Ayurveda termed them as Srotasa. The disesase will be according to site of Ama formation. The first line of treatment is fasting till one gets hungry. I have seen a patient who was treated by my guru Late Vaidya Venimadhavshatri Joshi, was suffering from Psoriasis with ozzing. There was Ama production and no appetite. My Guru asked him total fasting till feeling of hunger. He did not treat him with medicine. After 8 days patient come back saying now he is feeling hungry and his ozzing is stopped. On feeling hungry one has to treat with Pachaka i.e. which will digest Ama and Agni deepaka dravya i.e. which will increase Agni [ appetite] The medicines will differ according to the site of Ama. I do not want to corelate Cholesterol and Ama. These are two different concept and should be learned as per there own terminology. Vaidya Upadhye http://www.astroayurvedalogy.com http://www.astrotreat.blogspot.com ______________ Ama in the classical texts is (as far as I know) descirbed as the product(s) of an incomplete or disturbed digestion and metabolism. Is there ay more in the classcial texts defining Ama? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 14, 2009 Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Thanks Dr. Bhate, your contributions were very helpful! I was actually asked to do some research about two subjects: - Ayurvedic and Western medicine interactions - and the question I put to you. I think the latter one is to give Western medical doctors a more profound understanding of what Ama is. (I forgot to mention environmental toxins, which I was of course aware of as one part of the big picture regarding Ama formation. So, I suppose one should probably look at all the 7 dhatus and intermediate steps separately and see what kind of toxins or substances or impaired dhatus or plaques in shortas are formed as a result of incomplete and improper digestion and metabolization in really get an idea of what Ama really means according to a Western medical understanding?!? I do understand that the dhatuagnis are very intimately involved in the process and that the impairment of any one of them causes Ama. Margot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.