Herbal medicine is science of medicine that uses plants and their extracts for curing ailments whereas ayurveda is a centuries old Hindu science of therapeutics that involves the use of medicinal plant extracts along with metal extractions, massages, etc.
Ethnomedicine covers both Ayurveda (Indian ancient medicine) and Herbal medicines (global - found in many countries).
They are related, but not same.
Thank you Dr. Shibabrata Pattanayak and Dr. Dawood Mahdi for your views.
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Ayurvedic medicine is a traditional system of medicine from India in which diseases/disorders are treated with a combination of certain foods, herbs, massage, and special physical exercise. Herbal medicine on the other hand side is a plant derived medicine used to treat disease and enhance general health and well being.
Herbal medicine is science of medicine that uses plants and their extracts for curing ailments whereas ayurveda is a centuries old Hindu science of therapeutics that involves the use of medicinal plant extracts along with metal extractions, massages, etc. Herbal medicine does not use massages and metals .
Herbal medicine or herbalism is the use of plants for achieving better health and restoring back one’s health to normalcy in case of disease. Ayurvedic medicine is an age old form of therapeutic science and a system of Hindu medicine. Ayurvedic system is also an alternative system of medicine.
Herbalism consists of using extracts from plants for the purpose of curing certain deviations from health. Ayurvedic form of medicine involves the use of tablets made from naturally occurring plants with inclusion of metals, plants, oils as well as massages, aromatherapy and rasayana. Ayurvedic system also uses bhasmas and oral syrups for this purpose. Ayurvedic system of medicine strongly believes in few constitutions which rule the human body like “kapha” (phelgm), “pitha” (water) and “vaata” (air). If these are balanced well in the body, the person does not tend to fall sick but if anyone of these qualities increase or decrease in the body, then there will sickness.
Ayurveda is medicinal science which includes use of herbs as well as heavy metals like gold, silver, copper, tin, mercury, sulphur, animal extracts, etc. Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit word Āyurveda which means 'life-knowledge". Ayurveda products may contain toxic levels of metals, etc. Medicinal
Ayurvedic and herbal are very different .
Ayurvedic = AYURVED+IC here ic (ik) means described/mentioned within.
The theory , principle, definitions, treatment, plants, animal parts ,dos - dont's , plant part , application methods, contraindications, purifications which are described-indicated in Texts of Ayurveda (Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtang Samgrah and Hriday, Kashyap samhita, Laghuttrayi and thousands of traetise) is termed as AYURVEDIC.
Herbal- the part , product or derivative from any herb is known as HERBAL.
An Ayurvedic product may fulfill the criteria of being herbal.
but The Herbal product or herb itself which is not mentioned in ayurveda texts can never be said to be ayurvedic. This is the first line criteria for differentiation between these two entities.
Even the ethics, principles of application of any herb which is not mentioned in ayurved text or not being practised for hundreds of years on the rules of Ayurvedic concepts of body composition (Dosha-Vata, pitta, Kapha)Drug Qualities (Ras, Guna, veerya, Vipaka, Prabhava) cannot be said to be Ayurvedic.
Every drug should be eshtablished through the five elemental point of view (Panchabhautik sangathan) this is the basic principle of Ayurveda. Panchabhautik = every material (Dravya in ayurvedic terminology) is made up of combination of Prithvi (Earth), Jal (water), Agni (fire or heat factor), Vayu (wind), Akash (space). Nothing is exception to this theory. our body parts, metabolites follow the same rule.
Ayurveda establishes the likewise traetment in order fulfil the body requirement by increasing a bodily material as per need (to add anything to body)Samanyam Vriddhikaranam
and reverse treatment in order to fulfil the the body needs by decreasing bodily material (Reducing anything from body) Hrash hetu Vishesh.
Let us assume the body has lack of fire principle or heat factor (PITTA) then the patient will complain of loss of appetite and may feel cold. in this condition we will have to administer any herb which has more heat / Fire factor (PITTA) in its natural composition. Chitrak (Plumbago Zeylanica) is such a drug which is administered in this condition . it increases the heat factor in body.
it means that the herbs which follow this rule may be included in Ayurveda after establishment of its Five elemental composition status (Panchabhautik sangathan) if they are not in Ayurvedic text. Fulfilling this criteria is mandatory for being AYURVEDIC.
Thank you dear Dr. Arvind Singh and Dr Abderrahim Benkhaled for your nice active contribution.
Thank you dear Dr.Nirmala S.V.S.G and Dr Abderrahim Benkhaled for your nice information about Ayurveda..
Use of medical plants is part of Ayurveda. Ayurveda more than herbal therapy. It is a connection between man and the outside world, lifestyle, prevention, process and healing. It uses several parallel methods in healing. Only use of ayurvedic herbs are not the same as Ayurvedia.
Herbalism is often confused with Ayurveda. Most important differences between these are following-
1. Herbalism utilizes the crude herbs in isolation or in combinations and the basis of such use is either the common knowledge or the researches made on herbs. Ayurveda also utilizes herbs but these are often variously combined with many other components like minerals or metals and have an elaborate method of preparing a compound formulation.
2. Such formulations of Ayurveda have their distinct pharmacology based upon Ayurvedic principles and their indications are determined accordingly on the basis of Ayurvedic fundamentals of disease.
Ayurveda is a medicinal science based on the use of plants to heal or fortify your immune system to fight stress and disorders!
Herbs are very diversified plants: they are for the well done of the nature, the man, the animal,
some of them are toxic, thus it is a vast, mosaic, complicated world, requiring a very thorough investigation!
Herbal medicine is nothing but a advertising agenda without actual health benefits. Used just to be-fool society while Ayurveda is ancient and proven time tested system of medicine. Lots of manufacturers are making good money just by adding herbal with their product. They even dont know even basics of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda is a medicinal science based on the use of plants to heal or fortify your immune system to fight stress and disorders!
Ayurveda is based on ancient medicinal system of India however any formulation that involve direct use of plants or plant products in their preparation is known as herbal product or herbal medicine.
"HERBAL" relates to herbs, mainly those used in cooking and medicine.
"AYURVEDA" term is derived from the Sanskrit "AYUR", meaning "life" or "longevity," and "VEDA", meaning "knowledge" or "science." It is a life science emphasized on "DIRGHAYU". Everything (herbs, yoga) described in Ayurveda Science are for enhancement of "SUKHAYU & HITAYU".
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