Ayurveda
Also known as: The science of life
Sanskrit: आयुर्वेद, from ayur ('life') and veda ('knowledge' or 'science').
Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine originating in India over 3,000 years ago, based on the idea that health depends on a dynamic balance between three constitutional energies, or doshas, and that imbalance leads to illness. It combines diet, herbs, lifestyle practices, and detoxification methods.
Ayurveda's classical texts, including the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, describe individualized approaches to health based on a person's unique constitution (prakriti). Modern research has studied specific Ayurvedic herbs and practices, though the World Health Organization and most national health bodies still classify Ayurveda as traditional or complementary medicine rather than an evidence-based primary treatment system.
The earliest surviving Ayurvedic texts, the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, date to roughly the first centuries BCE-CE, though the oral tradition behind them is considerably older, and the system organizes health around three doshas and seven tissue layers (dhatus). In India, Ayurveda is a formally regulated medical system with its own degree programs and licensing; outside India it is generally practiced as a complementary approach used alongside, not instead of, conventional medical care for any serious or diagnosed condition.
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