Ayurveda, the mother of all healing and still the champion of medical treatments worldwide, makes some pretty tall claims to help heal the body faster and more effective than many Western treatments and pharmaceuticals. In fact, one of the most earth shattering claims that threaten the very theories that Western medicine was built on is that Ayurveda can cure those who suffer from cancer by treating the person (not the cancerous growths like we do in the West). If it can do this even at the same success rate as chemotherapy, then why isn’t anyone talking about it? How come cancer survivors continue to endure the agonizing effects of radiation therapy while still crossing their fingers if there are alternatives that can do the job just as effectively, but instead by using natural and healthy treatments?

Cancer, according to Ayurveda, is a disease brought on by extreme imbalance. All of Ayurveda is based on maintaining a careful equilibrium in all aspects of life. This includes diet, exercise, social, rest, work, play, etc. Any time we have too much of some aspects or two little of others in our lives, we risk illness. Staying out of balance for an extended period of time or experience roller coaster up and downs in extremes will make us susceptible to disease. Cancer is one of the main diseases that invade us when we are in an imbalanced state. According to many practitioners of Ayurveda and doctors of the same understand the rising incidences of cancer cases are the direct result of certain drastic changes in our lifestyles and diets. One very dangerous and yet very common cause for cancer today is the consumption of fast foods, packaged foods, artificial colors and flavors and all other synthetically produced foods. These not only fill the body with dangerous chemicals that are foreign to our bodily processes but these foods do not sufficiently provide us with the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to function.

One of clinical practices of Ayurveda known as Rasayana Shastra emphasizes mineral absorption. The practice involves the balancing of the seven metals (lead, iron, zinc, tin, copper, silver, and gold) in order to assist the body in its ability to take in more minerals naturally. Most foods we consume these days are mineral deficient even if the foods are not fast food or junk foods. Soil deficiency translates to food deficiency. Beyond this, other contributing factors are eating too frequently, eating disorders, over exertion, stress and anxiety, psychological depression and other unnatural afflictions form acids and toxins in the body that further exacerbate the problem of nutrient and mineral absorption. Your body reacts with abnormal activities to try to compensate and begins to create unnatural tissues in the body. These tissues can result in cancer.

A study posted in the Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17309811?dopt=AbstractPlus) discusses how well Ayurveda treats cancer and also how ineffective modern Western medicine is in curing cancer victims. I won’t retype the whole abstract, but take a moment to review. You’ll be pleasantly reassured that living in a healthy balance with everything is your best chance to stay cancer free!