Ayurveda-based living system models to promote better health
MUMBAI: Models based on Ayurveda may soon be available to help people make healthy lifestyle choices, researchers have said. Mariana Seabra, faculty of engineering from the University of Porto in Portugal, is in India to further her study in ‘Padartha Vijnana’ or what she describes as “Ayurveda’s own Physics”.
The study of this Ayurvedic Physics would help devise models for living systems, said Mariana who was in Mumbai to attend a function organized by the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.
“Being a mechanical engineer, my job is mainly to extract abstract levels of concepts, build equations and then we can program them into the computer, make simulations and give predictions. Ayurveda is a very comprehensive science in terms of lifestyle and with these kinds of models we would be able to predict what happens when, people follow a certain diet and when they mix certain foods.
And like it has been already done by many Ayurvedic physicians, we can tailor lifestyles for specific conditions and make people more aware of how a little change they make in their lifestyles can make them happier, healthier and more energetic,” Mariana said when asked to explain her research.
“All other models proposed by science have their utility. So far they have shown good utility and their success is unquestionable. But, introducing Ayurveda to model living systems can bring us to new levels in understanding the behaviour of these systems. Ayurveda is very objective in that sense and it follows a straight logical frame which makes this possible,” Mariana said.
Mariana is also writing a paper on the scientific base of Ayurveda along with Dr Ghanshyam Marda, a Pune-based professor, researcher and Ayurvedic practitioner, who is also helping her with clinical research to be able to develop the Ayurveda-based model.
Mariana met Dr Marda a few years ago during one of his tours of Europe wherein he has been conducting seminars and also has formed research associations with university hospitals in France, Germany and UK on a variety of issues ranging from auto-immune disease and pain to obesity and diet.