Anemia Explained: Modern Medicine vs. the Ayurvedic View

Anemia Modern medicine has delineated several types of anemia: iron-deficiency anemia, pernicious anemia, sickle-cell anemia, and hypoproteinemic anemia (lack of protein in the blood), as well as certain vitamin-deficiency anemias, such as B-12 and folic acid-deficiency anemia. Certain bleeding disorders, such as profuse menstrual bleeding, bleeding hemorrhoids, or bleeding gums, can lead to anemia because of blood loss. Whenever modern medicine deals with the problem of anemia, it considers all these etiological factors. Ayurveda looks at anemia quite differently.

Ayurvedic classification of anemia falls under three basic doshic conditions: vata type, pitta type, and kapha type. It doesn’t matter whether a person has iron deficiency or folic acid deficiency; what is important is how the anemia is expressing itself through a particular individual. As it turns out (see box this page), there is also a correspondence between the Ayurvedic interpretation and the understanding according to modern medicine. TYPES OF ANEMIA • In vata-type anemia, the person looks thin, with dry, rough, scaly skin, and has cracking of the joints.

He or she looks emaciated and pale, may suffer from breathlessness and constipation, and may pass tarry black stool. • In pitta-type anemia, the eyes are slightly yellowish, the person may get high-colored urine, and the stools are dark brown or have a slightly yellowish tinge. There may be nausea or pain in the liver and/or spleen area. Dizziness or vertigo may be experienced, and the person may become easily irritated by light.

• In kapha-type anemia, there is often swelling (edema), and the person’s skin feels cold and clammy and looks shiny. Because of the edema, the skin gets stretched so much that you can often see the reflection of the window on it. By careful observation one can tell whether the anemia is vata, pitta, or kapha type. By treating that dosha, one treats the root cause and can alleviate the anemia.

TREATMENT . For vata anemia, Ayurveda suggests taking tikta ghrita, which is bitter ghee FOR VATA-TYPE ANEMIA (see appendix 2). One teaspoon of tikta ghrita 5 to 10 minutes before breakfast, lunch, and dinner will help to improve the blood volume. • One can also use a mixture of kaishore guggulu 2 parts abrak bhasma ⅛ part ashwagandha 5 parts dashamoola 5 parts Take ½ teaspoon of this mixture 3 times a day with warm milk to help correct vata- type anemia.