Ayurveda acharyas explain ayurvedic foods or diet, herbs, and lifestyles that boost immunity and help both body and mind to get equipped to keep diseases at bay and also fight them.
Related article
Benefits of Ayurvedic Daily Routine or Dinacharya
Table of Content
Concept of Immunity in Ayurveda
Causes for Low Immunity According to Ayurveda
Ayurvedic Way to Boost Immune System
Ahara – Diet or ayurvedic foods to boost immunity
Ayurvedic Herbs to boost immunity
Ayurveda and Immunology
The concept of immunity is described in the texts of Ayurveda as ‘Vyadhikshamatva’. The meaning of ‘vyadhi’ is disease and ‘Kshamatva’ means the capacity of the body to resist diseases. Ayurveda acharyas like charaka, sushruta, vagbhata explain ayurvedic foods or diet, herbs, and lifestyles that boost immunity and help both body and mind to get equipped to fight diseases.
Ayurveda has emphasized the importance of preventing diseases than getting succumbed to them. That is prevention is better than cure. When we keep our body immunity at an optimum level we can prevent many ailments. Our body can fight the external invaders effectively if our immunity is strong.
Falling repeatedly sick is an indication of the impaired defense mechanism of the body. We have to take steps to strengthen the immune system. Texts of Ayurveda explain simple steps and methods to keep diseases at bay. Almost all these can be incorporated into the daily routine or dinacharya easily.
Concept of Immunity in Ayurveda
Ayurveda has classified immunity into two divisions.
Immunity (Vyadhikshamatva)
• Vyadhibala virodhitva (Capacity to resist any disease)
• vyadhi utpaadaka pratibandhakatva (Capacity to resist causes of diseases)
Synonyms of Immunity in Ayurveda:
- Bala – Strength of immunity is also referred to as bala or strength of body (deha bala) and strength of mind (mano bala).
- Ojas – Ojas is the final essence of all body tissues or 7 dhatus (sapta dhatu). If Ojas is healthy and strong, our body and mind will resist any fluctuations or changes in the environment.
Causes for Low Immunity According to Ayurveda:
- Vitiation or imbalance of doshas namely Vata, pitta and kapha
- Contamination of inner body environment by outside factors like infections, change of seasons, pollution, etc.
- Loss of water from the body or dehydration causes an electrolyte imbalance and may lower the immune system.
- Chronic diseases weaken the body and mind.
- Too much physical exertion leads to wear and tear of tissues and loss of energy and resistance to diseases.
- Addictions to habits like smoking, alcohol, drugs, etc
- Sleeping at odd hours like waking up at night time and sleeping at day time.
- The mental-emotional stress, and anxiety weakens the immune system.
What are the factors that influence the immunity of a person?
Ayurveda acharyas list various factors which influence immunity in a person.
Factors of Birth:
- The ethnic race (Kula), country (desha), season (ritu), and time (kala) in which a person is born.
- A person is born to healthy parents .i.e healthy sperm and ovum.
This type of immunity is known as Sahaja Bala in Ayurveda
Life cycle Stage and Natural Immunity
A person will have very strong resistance in his youth or youvvana. Immunity is less in children and senior adults. This immunity is known as Kaalaja Bala.
Gaining Immunity through a regimen
Immunity can be developed by following a diet rich in nutrients, regular exercises and following ayurvedic daily routine or dinacharya, seasonal routine (ritucharya), rejuvenating therapy (rasayana), Virility therapy (Vajikarana therapy). The immunity developed due to these lifestyles is known as Yuktija bala in Ayurveda
Ayurvedic Way to Boost Immune System
When we adopt methods to boost the immune system we should take care to balance three doshas (vata, pitta and Kapha) and Agni, or body fire.
Ahara – Diet or ayurvedic foods to boost immunity
Always Eat Right. Eat fresh, light, and healthy food. Avoid foods that cause discomfort, indigestion, and constipation. Indigestion and constipation lead to the accumulation of metabolic toxins or ama. These toxins accelerate the aging process and lower immunity. Avoid junk foods and welcome fresh veggies and fruits on your plate. Eat only when you are hungry. Maintain a regular time pattern while having food. Always use freshly prepared foods.
Foods that are sweet to taste (madhura rasa) and have a good amount of moisture in them help to boost immunity. Ayurveda recommends consuming ghee, oils (sesame oil or coconut oil), butter, milk, jaggery, honey in moderate quantities.
Include fruits like Grapes, apple, amla or gooseberry, orange, custard apple, banana, etc
Foods that lower immunity
- Too salty (lavana rasa), sour taste (amla rasa), pungent taste (katu rasa), (spicy), and bitter taste (tikta rasa) foods
- Foods that are too cold or very hot
- Dry, stale, and putrefied foods
Ayurvedic Herbs to boost immunity –
Ayurveda vaidyas recommend various herbs to boost immunity. These herbs can be used as single or in combination.
1. Guduchi or Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia)
2. Amalaki or Amla or Indian gooseberry.
3. Yashtimadhu – Licorice
4. Shatavari – Asparagus racemosus
5. Ashwagandha – Withania somnifera
6. Pippali – Piper longum
7. Haritaki – Terminalia chebula
8. Garlic
9. Bala – Sida Cordifolia
10. Ginger
11. Turmeric or Haldi
12. Cumin seeds or Jeera
Sleep boosts immunity
Sleep is required by the body to repair itself. Good sleep rejuvenates the body, improves memory, reduces inflammation of body parts, and boosts body immunity. Always take 8 hours of sleep at a stretch at night. Do not sleep in the afternoon unless it is required.
Follow Ayurvedic daily routine or Dinacharya.
This includes the following
Raise Early:
Always wake up early. Experts say that if you go to bed earlier and wake up earlier, your body will be more in tune with the earth’s biological clock. Thus the biological clocks of earth and humans tick in harmony to balance all functions of the body
Clear the Clogs or detox :
The bowels and bladder have to be emptied in the morning as soon as you wake up. This clears the wastes and kick-starts the detoxification process. After brushing your teeth don’t forget to massage your gums and clean the tongue. Follow a regular detox to keep your liver healthy. Men can use a special detox for erectile dysfunction. Ayurvedic skin detox is also helpful to keep acne and pimples away.
Water your body:
Drink a big glass of water on an empty stomach. This flushes out toxins and cleanses the digestive system. A clean digestive system helps in the good absorption of nutrients present in food. A good supply of nutrients ensures good immunity. Drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
Meditate:
Research has proved that meditation helps to reduce stress and boost immunity. Meditate for 20 minutes daily.
Exercise:
Early morning exercises are more beneficial as we feel fresh and enjoy the workout. Brisk Walking for 45 minutes daily is the best exercise. This helps our body to release “feel good” hormones. Feel-good hormones slow down the aging process and boost our immune system. Good exercise always reduce weight and help to keep obesity at bay. Include yoga in your exercise regimen
Bath and Body:
Take bath daily. This removes dirt and microbes which have adhered to the skin and bathing increases blood circulation. Increased blood circulation helps to supply nutrients to the deepest tissues, removes toxins, and oxygenates body cells well. Bathing reduces stress and relaxes the mind. Do not forget to pamper your body with an oil massage once a week.
Follow good conduct :
This keeps the mind healthy and devoid of any mental emotions. This is known as achara rasayana in Ayurveda.
How strong are you?
Strength of an individual
We usually consider a man or woman as strong or weak in different aspects. Ayurveda acharyas have classified the strength of man or woman as follows.
The strength of human beings may be sahaja , kalaja or yuktikrita.
Sahaja bala:
sahaja bala or natural strength is the one that a man or woman has acquired from birth. These people are genetically strong and healthy. Their body and mind are healthy. They exhibit more satwik qualities. These people have a natural resistance (immunity) to diseases, well-built bodies, and a more stable and strong minds.
Kalaja bala:
kalaja bala or strength which is time-dependent changes with age, seasons, and time. Usually, men who are in youth are stronger than children and the elderly. The body strength is more during winter than in other seasons.
Yuktikrita:
Yuktikrita bala is the strength acquired by practice and administration of rasayanas (rejuvenating preparations). Human beings can acquire good strength by practicing good food habits, healthy lifestyles, and consuming rasayanas like drakshadi rasayana, amalaki rasayana etc which boost immunity and body strength.
Apart from these the strength of the body also depends on his geographical location (A person who lives near the sea may feel low in strength in hilly areas which have high altitude), familial traits, the health of sperm, and ovum of parents.
Ayurveda acharyas decide the strength of an individual by assessing his physical strength (karmashakthi) and also the disease resisting capacity (vyadhi kshamatwa).
One can boost the strength of the body and mind by practice. Here are a few healthy tips recommended in the texts of Ayurveda for a strong body and mind.
1. Consume healthy food according to your digestion power.
2. Avoid opposite foods.
3. Exercise regularly according to your physical strength.
4. Consume herbal rasayanas after consulting a qualified ayurvedic physician.
5. Practice yoga and meditation.
6. Avoid overindulgence in sexual activities.
7. Control anger, jealousy, and other emotions that trouble your mind.
8. Do not suppress natural urges like passing urine, feces, yawning, semen ejaculation, etc.
9. Laugh, it always keeps you happy.
Author : Dr.Savitha Suri Consultant Ayurvedic Physician
Call us at +91 9945995660 / +91 9448433911
Whats App + 91 6360108663/
