Functional Medicine: A Superficial Imitation of Ayurveda

Hello and welcome to Samatha Ayurveda, a blog where we share our expertise and passion for Ayurveda, the ancient system of medicine that originated in India.

One of the topics that we want to discuss today is functional medicine, a concept that has gained popularity in recent years. Functional medicine is a form of medicine that focuses on the root causes of diseases, rather than just treating the symptoms. It also considers the interactions between the environment, lifestyle, and genetics of each individual. Functional medicine claims to be a holistic and personalized approach to health and wellness.

However, as Ayurvedic practitioners, we have been curious about the concept of functional medicine, but we have found it lacking in depth and completeness. This is not because we think functional medicine is irrelevant or flawed, but because we believe Ayurveda has already embraced this principle long ago and more thoroughly. Ayurveda has a much richer and broader scope than functional medicine when it comes to understanding and treating health and disease.

In this blog post, we will explain why Ayurveda is superior to functional medicine in terms of its philosophy, methodology, and practice. We will also provide some examples of how Ayurveda can help you achieve optimal health and well-being. If you are interested in learning more about Ayurveda and how it can benefit you, please read on.

What is functional medicine?

Functional medicine is a branch of medicine that focuses on identifying and addressing the underlying biochemical and physiological imbalances that cause chronic diseases. It uses scientific methods and tools to assess the interactions between genes, environment, lifestyle, and health outcomes. Functional medicine recognizes that each person is unique and has different needs and responses to treatments. It also acknowledges that diseases are complex and multifactorial, involving various systems and organs in the body. Functional medicine aims to restore the optimal functioning of the body by using personalized interventions that target the specific causes of disease. Some of the interventions include dietary modifications, nutritional supplements, herbal medicines, detoxification, stress management, exercise, and mind-body therapies.

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine that originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. It is based on the concept of balance between the five elements (space, air, fire, water, and earth) that constitute the universe and the human body. These elements combine to form three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), which are the biological energies that govern the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of health. Each person has a unique constitution (prakriti) that determines their dominant dosha and their susceptibility to diseases. Ayurveda also considers the influence of external factors such as seasons, climate, diet, lifestyle, emotions, and spirituality on health. Ayurveda aims to maintain or restore the harmony between the doshas by using natural remedies that suit the individual’s constitution and condition. Some of the remedies include herbal medicines, massage, oil therapies, cleansing procedures (panchakarma), dietary guidelines, yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises.

How do functional medicine and Ayurveda approach health?

Both functional medicine and Ayurveda share a common approach to health that is holistic, preventive, personalized, and integrative. Both systems view health as a state of balance between the body, mind, and spirit. They also emphasize the importance of addressing the root causes of disease rather than just suppressing the symptoms. Both systems advocate for a proactive approach to health that involves identifying and modifying the risk factors that can lead to chronic diseases. Both systems also respect the individual differences among people and tailor their treatments according to their specific needs and preferences. Both systems also incorporate various modalities of healing that can work synergistically to enhance health outcomes.

What do functional medicine and Ayurveda have in common?

Functional medicine and Ayurveda have many similarities in their principles and practices. Some of them are:

Both systems recognize the interconnection between all aspects of health and disease.

Both systems acknowledge the role of genetics and epigenetics in influencing health outcomes.

Both systems use a comprehensive assessment of the patient’s history, symptoms, physical examination, laboratory tests, and other diagnostic tools to determine the underlying causes of disease.

Both systems use natural therapies that are safe and effective in restoring health.

Both systems promote self-care and patient empowerment by educating them about their condition and involving them in their treatment plan.

Both systems support a multidisciplinary approach to health care that involves collaboration among various practitioners and disciplines.

Why is Ayurveda more comprehensive and detailed than functional medicine?

Ayurveda is an ancient and comprehensive system of medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years in Asia. It is based on the principle of balance between the body, mind, and spirit, and the harmony between the individual and the environment. Ayurveda considers each person as a unique entity with a specific constitution, or prakriti, that determines their physical, mental, and emotional traits. Ayurveda also recognizes the role of food and diet in maintaining health and preventing disease.

Functional medicine is a relatively new concept that also focuses on finding the root causes of diseases, rather than just treating the symptoms. It takes into account the interactions between the genes, lifestyle, and environment of each person. Functional medicine claims to be a holistic and personalized approach to health and wellness.

However, as an Ayurvedic practitioner, I have found functional medicine to be incomplete and superficial compared to Ayurveda. This is not because I think functional medicine is useless or wrong, but because I think Ayurveda has already covered this concept long ago and more thoroughly. Ayurveda has a much wider and deeper scope than functional medicine in terms of its philosophy, methodology, and practice. Some of the reasons why Ayurveda is more comprehensive and detailed than functional medicine are:

Ayurveda has a longer history and tradition behind it than functional medicine. It has been developed and refined over thousands of years by various sages, scholars, and practitioners. It has a rich and diverse body of knowledge and experience that spans across different cultures and regions.

Ayurveda has a more elaborate system of classification and diagnosis than functional medicine. It has eight branches of medicine (Ashtanga Ayurveda) that cover all aspects of health care from prevention to cure. It also has various methods of examination such as pulse diagnosis (nadi pariksha), tongue diagnosis (jihva pariksha), eye diagnosis (netra pariksha), etc., to assess the patient’s constitution and condition.

Ayurveda has a more extensive range of therapies than functional medicine. It uses hundreds of herbs, minerals, metals, animal products, etc., in various forms such as decoctions (kashaya), powders (churna), pills (vati), oils (taila), ghee (ghrita), etc., to treat various diseases. It also uses specialized procedures such as panchakarma (five cleansing actions), shirodhara (oil pouring on forehead), basti (enema), nasya (nasal administration), etc., to detoxify and rejuvenate the body.

Ayurveda has a more holistic and spiritual dimension than functional medicine. It considers the influence of cosmic forces (mahabhutas), subtle energies (prana, ojas, tejas), and consciousness (atma) on health and disease. It also integrates the concepts of karma (action and reaction), dharma (duty and purpose), and moksha (liberation) in its philosophy and practice.

To illustrate how Ayurveda is more detailed than functional medicine, let me give you an example of how an Ayurvedic physician decides and plans a treatment after a thorough study of the disease. He or she follows a concept called ‘Nidana Panchaka’, which means the five steps of manifestation of the disease. The first step is ‘Nidana’, which means the root cause of the disease. The second step is ‘Poorva Roopa’, which means the prodromal signs or the early indications of the disease. The third step is ‘Roopa’, which means the symptoms or the clinical features of the disease. The fourth step is ‘Samprapthi’, which means the pathogenesis or the mechanism of the disease. The fifth step is ‘Upashaya’, which means the therapeutic test or the response to treatment. These five steps show how deep and comprehensive the Ayurvedic view of diagnosing a disease is.

Conclusion

Functional medicine and Ayurveda are two systems of health care that have many similarities and differences. Both systems are based on the principles of individuality, holism, prevention, and balance. Both systems aim to address the root causes of disease and promote wellness. Both systems use natural therapies that are personalized and integrative. However, Ayurveda has some advantages over functional medicine in terms of being more comprehensive and detailed. Ayurveda has a longer history and tradition, a more elaborate system of classification and diagnosis, a more extensive range of therapies, and a more holistic and spiritual dimension than functional medicine. Therefore, Ayurveda can be considered as a more complete and refined system of health care than functional medicine.

I have one more point to make about functional medicine. Although it is based on natural healing principles and methods, it still uses or recommends modern chemical drugs. I am not opposed to modern medicine in any way, but I also do not support using chemical drugs when they are not absolutely necessary. I think functional medicine has some good approaches, but it is far from being a complete system or philosophy.

I hope you found this blog post informative and interesting.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. I would love to hear from you. Thank you for reading! 😊