Root Cause of Diseases – Ama Concept W.S.R to Free Radical Theory

Abstract

Ayurveda speaks the main cause of diseases is rooted in the impairment of the body's main fire, called Agni, the fire of digestion. Ayurveda views the health of the body as the functioning of a biological fire-governing metabolism. If this essential part is functioning effectively, the whole body will be nourished, full of life and vibrancy. Altered digestive functioning can lead to the production of Ama, a toxic material that initiates and promotes disease processes throughout the body. In the same way, free radicals are also found to be the root cause of many diseases. The majority of free radicals that damage biological systems are oxygen-free radicals, and these are more generally known as “Reactive oxygen Species†(ROS). These are the main byproducts formed in the cells of aerobic organisms, and can initiate autocatalytic reactions so that molecules to which they react are themselves converted into free radicals to propagate the chain of damage. Here we shall discuss about properties of both Ama and Free Radicals. The present article attempts to correlate the concept of Free radical with the concept of Ama.