Ayurveda perspective of Celiac disease

Celiac is a type of autoimmune illness which is triggered by an intake of food which is categorized as “gluten”. The other terminologies for celiac are – celiac sprue, non-tropical sprue or gluten-sensitive sprue and all of these are also references for celiac disease. Its to be here noted that gluten is a type of protein which is found in wheat, rye, barley and other such grains. When any individual already suffering from celiac disease gets to eat any food stuff in which gluten is the primary component present, their cellular physiology starts damaging the villi that is present on the inner wall of the small intestine. When these villi’s are being vitiated / damaged by intake of gluten food, such patients are then unable to absorb the food nutrients in good aspect, which leads to many physiological distrubances and few of those being loss in bone density, miscarriage, infertility, neurological diseases etc.

According to ayurveda medicinal science, the disease celiac is a type of disorder which is primarily caused due to a weaker digestive fire in digestive tract – Agni or Jathragni. Due to weaker digestive fire, the food digestion process is compromised, and when the food is left undigested, it either travels upwards or downwards. When it moves downwards, it leads to bouts of constipation and can cause inflammation of the small intestine mucosa and villous atrophy. During this cycle of indigestion the food is not broken down into “sam” part, rather its broken down into “ama” part, also due to all these digestion concerns, the bone tissues are not well nourished leading to osteoporosis. Other dhatus like Rasa, Asthi kashya, Majja kashya are also then not adequately nourished leading to diseases associated with them.

Ayurvedic interventions for gluten sensitivity may include dietary adjustments to pacify aggravated doshas, incorporating easily digestible foods and avoiding those that may aggravate the digestive system. Digestive herbs like fennel, coriander, and ginger might be recommended to support digestive function. Detoxification therapies, known as Panchakarma, could also play a role in eliminating accumulated toxins (ama) from the body.

In Ayurveda, the digestive system is considered a key factor in maintaining health. The concept of “agni,” or digestive fire, plays a crucial role. When agni is imbalanced, it can lead to various digestive disorders. While celiac disease is not explicitly discussed, Ayurveda would likely approach gluten sensitivity as a disturbance in agni, with a focus on pacifying aggravated doshas, particularly Vata and Pitta.

Individuals with gluten sensitivity may experience symptoms that align with an aggravated Vata, such as bloating, gas, and irregular bowel movements. Inflammation and irritation in the digestive tract, common in celiac disease, could be seen through the lens of Pitta aggravation.

The treatment approach of celiac disease in ayurveda medicinal science involves intake of those medicinal plants which have Agni Deepana and Aam Pachana properties. These illness specific medicinal herbs helps in normalization of digestive fire and evicting out “ama” toxins from the body channels. Thus, this line of natural treatment approach through intake of medicinal plants helps in complete reversal of the condition and enable holistic health benefits.

Causes of Celiac disease

As per the protocols of ayurveda medicinal science, the celiac disease is caused by a weaker digestive fire which we refer as “jathragni” in ayurveda medicine. Its the seat of digestion and any imbalance in the digestive fire is then bound to completely derail the digestive system as a whole resulting in the generation of many acute to chronic ailments.

When the food we ingest is left undigested, its then transformed into “ama” or we call as toxins and it then either travels upwards or downwards before causing any disease. The direction and the seat where this ama gets lodged becomes the root origin of the disease and the signs / symptoms are then concentrating around that specific tissue / organ. So treating signs are never a priority in ayurveda and its only when we start addressing the root cause, we can alleviate all the signs and address ailment as well on holistic basis. In particular if the “ama” or toxins move downward, it causes inflammation of the small intestine mucosa and constipation as well by imbalancing the bowel movements.

The primary medicinal herbs which are used as ingredients in the ayurveda formulation for the treatment protocol of Celiac patient are as follows:

• Kadali – Musa paradisiaca
• Dronapushpi – Leucas cephalotes
• Chavya – Piper retrofractum
• Ankola – Alangium salviifolium
• Tagara – Valeriana jatamansi
• Ingudi – Terminalia catappa
• Plaksha – Ficus virens

Over the counter ayurveda medications prescribed for Celiac disease:

• haritaki churna
• arogyavardhani vati
• avipatikar choorna
• kamdudha ras
• prawal panchamrit ras
• kaishore guggulu
• agnimandya rasayana

Ayurveda treatment of Celiac disease:

Unlike the conventional treatment protocols that jump straight to address the concerns of symptom management, we at Nakra Ayurveda Hospitals and Herbals Pvt Ltd address any illness from the perspective of its root-cause and not just symptoms. Our ayurvedic treatment for Celiac has proved to achieve a near cure and symptom-free state for the patient because we are doing the healing process only by intake of medicinal plants and not any chemicals. We focus on a good dietary regimen, use of medically recommended herbs, and following a sincere lifestyle regimen. These classical practices as laid out in our ancient book of ayurveda medicine – Charaka have proven to be very helpful in our Celiac Treatment.

According to Ayurveda medicinal science, all of the body’s cells have the blessed natural ability to work and think as per their assigned roles. Because our cells are well equipped to select what is good for them and what can be harmful in nature, its this particular process of thinking which makes them unique in their function and physiologies. However, our intake of bad or irregular food / lifestyle might limit this potential thereby causing the cellular vitiation.

Celiac disease is becoming very common type of illness every day all around the world. We have altered our food and lifestyle to such an irregular and convenient extent that we are now facing all these health issues.

According to Ayurveda, we are here listing two aspects which have to be noted and which can easily help us in the healing process of Celiac disease:

1) Nature of gluten:

Ayurveda has a concept called Visha. And there are a lot of proteins on that list. Gluten is a protein as well and its basic tendency is to make the body gotowards dryness. This certainly is one of the very prime reason answering the query of Gliten sensitivity. The science of Ayurveda usually advises keeping wheat and other grains for a year before eating them so its becomes more adaptable for our digestion to assmilate them and with the least of inconvenience for the cellular physiology. We have seen in so many patients where after ingesting the newly cropped grains, Stomach pain / diarrhea etc are evident which also refers to the same logic of ayurveda.

2) Psychology of cells:

As previously explained in the article listed here, all human cells have their unique psychological values. Ayurveda provides various treatments for this problem in a very holistic approach. In Ayurveda, some combinations are said to be beneficial for both digestive and psychological disorders where medicinal plants holds all the answers. The nature has blessed mankind with many high potent resourceful plants and we as Vaidyas (Physicians) have to just use them judiciously for our patients.

If any queries, you are welcome to send us an email and we shall be answering back in detail with our detailed analysis and consultation.