Ayurveda is a science of positive health

The use of plants as source of medicine dates back to about 4000 to 5000 B.C. The Indian and Chinese were the pioneers in using plants as valuable sources of medicine. 

Ayurveda is a science of positive health and its origin is almost as old as human race. Ayurvedic system of medicine deals with maintainance of health, prolongation of healthy and qualitative lifeand prevention of diseases. The Ayurvedic system of medicine is the integral part of the Indian tradition in which plants and herbs are used not only tocure the diseases, but also to provide a source of minerals and vitamins whichgive proper health and nutrition to human being. Though, the sources ofmedicine are plant kingdom, animal kingdom and minerals and metals, yet plantsare easily available in nature and can be used according to needs.

India is one of the few developing countries which has initiated institutions like the Centre for Medicinal andAromatic Plants (CIMAP), the Regional Research Laboratories (RRL) at Jammu,Bhubaneshwar and Jorhat, the All India Co-ordinated Project on the Improvementof Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the ICAR, National Botanical Gardens,Forest Research Institutes, State Cinchona Directorates in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, and in addition, many Agricultural Universities have been working on the technological advancement of this group of crops. However, except for CIMAP and few other centres under ICAR who have taken over a few selected crops for improvement, the replenishment of renewable inputs like quality planting material of improved varieties, developing extension literature, organizingtraining and quality testing, are very limited. _ Drug plants had been extensively described by Aristotle, Theophrastus and others as early as 77 B.C. Dioscorides (64-1600 B.C.) in his famous book ‘De Materia Medica’ has given invaluable and authoritative references about drug yielding plants.

            Folk medicine utilise 1600 species which are newly identified as drug yielding plants and are well known for their use in about 4000 drug industries of various Indian systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha (South Indian System) and Homeopathy, it is about 12% of present Indian flora. About 80% of the raw materials of medicinal plants are still now collected mainly from 75.17 million hectares of forest coverage. 

Karnataka govt to introduce Ayush as mainstream treatment 

Treatment based on Ayush (ayurveda, yoga, unani, siddha and homeopathy) may soon be available at taluk-level hospitals.
With yoga and naturopathy emerging as preventive cure for lifestyle diseases and ailments, the state government plans to introduce Ayush as mainstream treatment in all taluk hospitals in phases.
This was revealed by chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda while speaking about Arogya Expo 2012 which opened in Bangalore on Thursday.
“Our government has recognised the importance of yoga in daily life and has given priority for the empowerment of this sector. The department of Ayush, in collaboration with the Shantivana Trust of Dharmasthala, has already opened outpatient units in 10 taluk-level hospitals in the state on public-private partnership model,” he said.
“These units are useful in extending natural health services to the public. We intend to extend this concept to all the districts of Karnataka in a phased manner,” he said.
To enhance the presence of these curing methods in the state, the government has also started a Yoga and Naturopathy College in Mysore.
“This institute is offering several useful courses. Yoga and naturopathy are a safe and effective combination of drugless therapy. They need to be promoted in the interest of the society,” he said.
The five-day expo is hosting over 150 stalls on naturopathy and Ayush. Thousands are swarming the show from all over the world.From water therapy to leach therapy, the expo has something for everyone.
While some visitors were just curious, many knew what they were here for.
“I’d heard of Om Seva Kendra and their methods of curing ailments. I was curious to know how they cure people of ailments as I suffer from body aches. I also wanted to enroll myself in their camps,” said Shashwati Rao, a homemaker.

Ashwin Raju, a student, said: “I’d read about Reiki cure for stress and positive energy. Here I experienced a new therapy with the Tamara Association which is bigger than Reiki and I wanted to try it. The association has positive energy activation and transfer. Although there is no immediate result when the therapists treat us, I believe in it and I hope to have results.”
More crowds were seen at leach therapy which also offered a few demonstrations.“If you have skin irritations, we put a small leach on the affected area which will suck the impure blood and the irritation is gone,” said a representative from leach therapy.
Most of the crowd, however, seemed to be interested in orthopaedic-related issues. From back aches to wrists, many had problems related to bones and muscles. “In today’s world, lifestyle diseases include mostly back aches and back-related problems. Hence, acupressure and massages are most sought after therapies,” said Veena Kumari, a naturopathy doctor.
Skin- and dermatology-related stalls were also crowded, mostly by women and girls.
“Today, girls use different types of cosmetics. But chemical-based cosmetics are known to be harmful to skin. Our traditional shikakai, amla and mehendi are equally good if some flavours are added to them. They cause no harm or side-effects to the skin or scalp. We’ve been using them from time immemorial,” said Seetha R, an ayurveda student from Belgaum.