Can Ayurveda shrink tumours? Check out these 32 herbs with anti-cancer potential – Hindustan Times

February is Cancer Prevention Awareness Month and since today, we know more about cancer than ever before, it is no secret that early detection and treatment is the key to prevention that can save millions of lives every year - a thought backed by the World Health Organization and even Ayurveda experts. The WHO lists tobacco use, alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and air pollution as risk factors for cancer and other noncommunicable diseases.

Can Ayurveda really shrink tumours?

While scientists are making their best efforts to fight this disease, Ayurveda experts assert that the ancient Ayurvedic classics are aware of the clinical features resembling cancer with the names such as Apachi, Gulma, Granthi and Arbuda. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Vasudev Vaidya (PhD) Deputy Medical Superintendent at Sushrutha Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital and Dr Sunitha MP (MD Ayurveda) Department of Dravyaguna Vijnana shared, Ayurveda, the oldest Indian medicine system which is still at practice is known from very early times for preventing or suppressing various tumours using these natural drugs and nowadays the scientific community has shifted the focus of research on complementary and alternative medicine for the management of cancer.

They explained that in Ayurvedic concept, according to Charaka and Sushruta Samhitas, cancer is described as inflammatory or non-inflammatory swelling and mentioned either as Granthi (minor neoplasm) or Arbuda (major neoplasm). The nervous system (Vata or air), the venous system (Pitta or fire) and the arterial system (Kapha or water) are three basics of Ayurveda and very important for normal body function and in malignant tumours, all three systems get out of control (Tridoshas) and lose mutual coordination that causes tissue damage, resulting in critical condition.

Tridoshas cause excessive metabolic crisis resulting in proliferation, they said. The doctors added, The modern cancer therapy which is known to be burdened by drug-induced toxic side effects, hoping perfect cure of disease, form the complementary and alternative medicine system. The main objective of Ayurvedic therapy is to find the ultimate cause of an illness while the therapeutic approach of Ayurveda is divided into four categories as Prakritisthapani chikitsa (health maintenance), Rasayana chikitsa, (restoration of normal function), Roganashani chikitsa (disease cure) and Naishthiki chikitsa (spiritual approach).

Potential herbs for Cancer:

Dr Vasudev Vaidya and Dr Sunitha stressed that herbs help in total healing, reduce the side effects along with reduction in cancer-associated complications. They revealed that though many herbs are under clinical studies and being investigated phytochemically to understand their anti-cancer potential nowadays, some plants have scientific evidence of anti-cancer property.

These include:

1. Amorphophallus Campanulatus,

2. Oroxylum indicum,

3. Basella rubra,

4. Flacourtia ramontchi,

5. Moringa oleifera,

6. Ficus bengalensis,

7. Curcuma domestica,

8. Allium sativum,

9. Calotropis gigantea,

10. Datura metel,

11. Hygrophila spinosa,

12. Juniperus indica,

13. Moringa oleifera,

14. Nigella sativa,

15. Picrorrhiza kurroa,

16. Rubia cordifolia,

17. Andrographis paniculata,

18. Annona atemoya,

19. Phyllanthus niruri,

20. Piper longum,

21. Podophyllum hexandrum,

22. Tinospora cordifolia,

23. Semecarpus anacardium

24. Vitis vinifera,

25. Baliospermum montanum,

26. Madhuca indica,

27. Pandanus odoratissimum,

28. Pterospermum acerifolium,

29. Raphanus sativus,

30. Barleria prionitis,

31. Prosopis cineraria,

32. Catharanthus Roseus

See the rest here:

Can Ayurveda shrink tumours? Check out these 32 herbs with anti-cancer potential - Hindustan Times