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Ayurvedic Medicine v. Western Medicine

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Ayurvedic Medicine v. Western Medicine
Ayurvedic Medicine vs. Western Medicine; Which one is more effective?

Medicine: the science or practice of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease (in technical use often taken to exclude surgery). For centuries medicine has been the backbone of health care and prevention of disease. In the West most forms of medicine are chemical based and man-made but on the other hand many people also use more homeopathic forms of medicine containing natural herbs and plants to cure ailments - some of these can be categorized into Ayurvedic medicine. In a further analysis of these two forms of medication one can determine, if there is, which type is more effective and suitable for todays day and age.
From the stone ages humans have been practicing health care for the most part in rudimentary ways. There is indication of Neolithic people using herbs and other plants as forms of medicine for thousands of years. This begs the question if our ancestors were correct in their first method of technique or if the advancements in Western medicine since then have proven to be more effective? A form of modern day medicine that follows the patterns of the Neolithic people is Ayurvedic medicine. This form of medicine originates in India about 5000 years ago and focuses on the body, mind, and environment trying to bring a balance amongst these three factors and thus hoping that this will bring forth a healthy being. “Ayur means “life” and “vedic” means “knowledge” in Sanskrit - in essence Ayurveda hopes to bring knowledge of life to the way of medicine. Since this form of medicine was first practiced in India many philosophies of Hinduism are woven into the way Ayurveda is practiced.
Hinduism deals a lot with the spiritual world and how the body and soul connects with the universe. Much like concepts in Hinduism, “the concepts of universal interconnectedness, the body 's constitution (prakriti), and life forces (doshas) are [also] the primary basis of ayurvedic



Bibliography: Abbott, R. B. et al. Medical student attitudes toward complementary, alternative and integrative medicine Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2010) "How We Discover New Medicines." . N.p., 06 Aug 2013. Web. 6 Dec 2013. < http://www.gsk.com/research/how-we-discover-new-medicines.html >. . John Hopkins University . Web. 6 Dec 2013. . "ummedu." . University of Maryland Medical Center . Web. 6 Dec 2013. . Vilinius, Lithuania. "Jiva Ayurveda." . N.p.. Web. 6 Dec 2013. . Wong, Cathy . "Ayurveda." . N.p., 13 Aug 2013. Web. 6 Dec 2013. . . www.chopra.com. The Chopra Center. Web. 6 Dec 2013. .

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