Journal of AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy · Vol. 15, No. 2 (2026)
Gut-Brain Axis and Classical Ayurveda: Journal of AYUSH 15(2)
By STM Journals ·
This issue of the Journal of AYUSH, which covers India's traditional medicine systems, sets classical Ayurvedic and Unani ideas beside modern physiology. Papers look at the gut-brain axis, the intestine as the seat of Vata, a Unani account of brain disorders, and an exploratory study of a classical urine test in people already diagnosed with diabetes. Two single-patient case reports describe Ayurvedic management of knee osteoarthritis and of a skin condition diagnosed as pemphigus vulgaris. Case reports describe individual patients and cannot show that a treatment works.
What's in this issue
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Interrelationship Between Psychological Stress and Gastrointestinal Physiology: Role of the Gut–Brain Axis
Stress and digestion are closely linked. This paper examines the gut-brain axis: how stress hormones, gut-brain signalling and psychosocial factors can disturb motility, secretion and the gut microbiota, and how that relates to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.
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Ashaya as Abode: Reconciling Ayurvedic Vata Theory with Intestinal Neurophysiology
Ayurveda describes ashayas, the internal sites where substances reside, and names the pakwashaya (the large-intestine region) as the principal seat of Vata dosha. This paper tries to reconcile that classical idea with modern intestinal neurophysiology.
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Unani Concepts of Brain Pathology: Humoral Mechanisms in Māddī Neurological Disorders
How did classical Unani physicians explain brain disease? This paper reviews Su'-i-Mizaj Maddi Dimagh, brain disorders attributed to the accumulation of morbid matter, through the Unani ideas of mizaj (temperament) and akhlat (humours).
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Assessing Taila Bindu Pariksha as a Diagnostic and Prognostic test for Diabetes Mellitus
Taila Bindu Pariksha is a classical Ayurvedic urine test in which a drop of oil is placed on the sample. In 60 patients with known diabetes, the authors compared oil-drop patterns between controlled and uncontrolled cases; the test has not been validated against standard blood-glucose testing.
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Clinical Efficacy of Laxadi Taila Janubasti in the Management of Janusandhigata Vata (Knee Osteoarthritis): A Case Report
A single-patient case report on Janubasti, a localised oil-retention therapy used for degenerative knee disorders, applied here with Laxadi Taila to a patient with Janusandhigata Vata, the Ayurvedic condition that resembles knee osteoarthritis. The authors note that controlled clinical studies are needed to establish whether it is effective.
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A Clinical Case Study of Kaphaja Visarpa W.S.R to Pemphigus Vulgaris
A single-patient case study of a 58-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes and skin lesions diagnosed as pemphigus vulgaris, read through the Ayurvedic framework of Kaphaja Visarpa, a classical rapidly spreading skin condition. One case does not show that the approach works and is not a substitute for medical care.
Previous highlights from Journal of AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
- Skin Disorders, Herbal Reviews and More: Journal of AYUSH 14(1) · Vol. 14, No. 1
- Post-COVID Distress, AYUSH Use and Traditional Medicine Research: Journal of AYUSH 15(1) · Vol. 15, No. 1
- Herbal Medicine and AI in Ayurveda: Journal of AYUSH 14(3) · Vol. 14, No. 3