An Ayurvedic Approach for Healthy Ageing

Abstract

Healthy ageing involves two aspects – prevention of diseases that otherwise might affect the older individual and cure of the diseases which the elderly people suffer from. Due to improper dietary habits, improper lifestyle, lack of exercise and Yoga, the process of ageing starts earlier. These factors lead to various degenerative changes as well as metabolic disorders in the body. Ayurveda is the science of life and longevity. The concept of ageing process, methods of improving lifestyle and ageing and management of geriatric healthcare are clearly described in Ayurveda. Ayurveda promotes Panchkarma as a valuable tool to eradicate toxins of the body and thus help to keep the equilibrium of metabolism. It is shown to be effective in defying not only degenerative disorder but also the ageing process. The concept of Vayasthapana, which is unique to Ayurveda, deals with conserving the youthfulness of the body regardless of its age and restricting headway towards old age, along with development of longevity, brainpower, physical and mental strength, and prevention from diseases. Ayurveda describes the sequential value lost in ageing as an interesting scheme of loss of different biological factors during life as a function of ageing. Ayurveda holds enormous measures for longevity and healthy ageing: Dincharya (Daily regimen), Ritucharya (Seasonal regimen), Naveganndharniya (not to withhold natural urges) are a few of the measures to achieve the same. Ageing is a process that begins at conception and continues for a lifetime. It is an inevitable phenomenon every individual is destined to come across, but no individual wants to grow old with a burden of diseases that usually accompany this very problem. As per WHO, the number of people ageing 65 or above is estimated to grow from 524 million in 2010 to 1.5 billion in 2050. Most of the ageing population is affecting developing countries which are plagued with weak healthcare systems. A person after a certain age requires round-the-clock medical help as various chronic diseases and infections become a part of life.