Journal of AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy · Vol. 14, No. 1 (2025)
Skin Disorders, Herbal Reviews and More: Journal of AYUSH 14(1)
By STM Journals ·
Skin conditions lead this issue of the Journal of AYUSH: one eczema case report and two papers on psoriasis, which Ayurveda correlates with a condition called Ekakushtha. The issue also covers a yogic meditation study, a Unani paper on child care, reviews of two medicinal plants, bael and Calotropis gigantea, and an article on fasting in naturopathy. Results described are the authors' own reports.
What's in this issue
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Holistic Ayurvedic Approach to Managing Vicharchika (Eczema): Insights from a Case Study
This is a single-patient case report: a 28-year-old woman with scaly, itchy, weeping lesions on both breasts for two years, which the authors link to Vicharchika, the Ayurvedic term for a skin condition resembling eczema. She received a combined Ayurvedic regimen, including oral preparations, washes, topical applications and therapeutic purgation. The authors report improvement on an eczema severity score by day 30 and complete symptom relief by day 60. One case cannot show whether the treatment works, and this is not treatment advice.
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Clinical Evaluation of Ayurvedic Intervention (Mahamanjishathadi Kwatha, Kaishora Guggulu, Panchatikta Ghrita, Eranda Taila) in the Management of Ekakushtha W.S.R. to Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a long-lasting skin condition with scaly plaques. In Ahmedabad, 30 patients received four Ayurvedic preparations for six weeks, with a two-week follow-up, in an open-label, single-group study: everyone knew the treatment and there was no comparison group. The authors report marked to moderate improvement in most patients. The study did not compare the regimen with conventional treatment.
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A Study on Ekakushtha (Psoriasis) With Its Ayurvedic Management
This paper describes how Ayurvedic texts group skin diseases under the term Kushtha, and treats Ekakushtha, often equated with psoriasis, as mainly a Vata-Kapha disorder. Ayurveda describes skin diseases as involving all three doshas (bodily factors it holds to be out of balance in disease), with Vata and Kapha predominating in this case. It draws on the classical accounts of Acharya Sushruta and Acharya Charaka and outlines the treatment approaches those texts describe. The abstract reports no patient data.
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Exploring the Effects of Yogic Meditation on Stress, Anxiety, and Cardiovascular Health: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Cohort Study at Desh Bhagat Hospital
In a study of 350 patients at one hospital with raised stress, anxiety or heart conditions, described by the authors as a prospective cross-sectional cohort with measurements before and after the programme, participants followed a daily 30-minute programme of mindfulness, breathing exercises and meditation for six weeks. No comparison group is described, so changes cannot be attributed to meditation alone. The authors report average drops of 27% in stress scores, 31% in anxiety scores and 11 mmHg in systolic blood pressure (the top reading). Meditation is not a replacement for medical treatment of heart conditions.
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Unani Medicine and Child Vitality: Unravelling Comprehensive Care Principles
This paper reviews how classical Unani physicians approached child health, drawing on historical texts such as Al Qanoon Fit Tib. It covers newborn care, infant feeding, teething, childhood diseases and treatment principles, grouped under two Unani concepts, Tadabeer-e-Naumaulood and Amraz-e-Atfal. It describes a traditional approach from old writings and the abstract reports no clinical results; it is not guidance for caring for a child.
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AEGLE MARMELOS: A Review of Its Chemicals Constituents, Biological Activity and Potential Health Benefits
Bael is the fruit of Aegle marmelos, a medicinal plant of South Asia whose fruit, leaves, stems, bark and roots all appear in traditional medicine. This review looks at its chemical constituents, biological activity and potential health benefits, giving priority to the fruit's nutritional value. It is a literature review, the abstract reports no patient data, and potential benefits are not established treatments.
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Exploring the Traditional and Modern Uses of Calotropis gigantea: A Review
Calotropis gigantea, called Sweta Arka, is a plant native to Bangladesh, India and Thailand and is used in traditional medicine, especially in India. This review looks at its traditional and modern uses. The authors also note that the Siddha, Unani and Ayurvedic systems all regard the plant as toxic, describing it as both potent and hazardous. The abstract reports no patient data. The plant is poisonous; this review is not guidance on using it, and it should not be used for self-treatment.
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Fasting as a means of Body Purification
This paper looks at fasting as what it calls a means of body purification, including modern intermittent fasting (alternating periods of eating and fasting). Naturopathy holds that disease comes from a build-up of toxins; that is a belief of the tradition, and the health benefits described are the author's own claims. The abstract does not present clinical trial evidence that fasting removes toxins or cures disease. Anyone considering fasting, especially people with diabetes, on medication or pregnant, should speak to a doctor first; this summary is not advice to fast. The paper also notes fasting's place in religions, such as Ekadashi, Ramadan and Lent, and describes several fasting methods.
Previous highlights from Journal of AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
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