Concept of Rasayan (A Book on Aging and Anti-Aging Theories Based on Ayurved and Modern Medicine)

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It’s a great pleasure to introduce this book Concepts of Rasayan in the treasure of Ayurvedic literature. Rasayan is an important branch elaborated in Ayurved having a motto of prevention and inhibition of the diseases and ageing. Ayurveda texts have shortly defined rasayan as “Yet jara vyadhi nashanam tad resayanam,” This short sentences has lots of meaning. Number of herbs mineral and procedures are advocated and prescribed by Ayurvedic scholars and procedures as rasayan. Formulation like Chyavanprash have attained a great popularity among the rasayan formulation which is used my maximum of Ayurvedic practitioners and is also used as a general tonic in Indian families.

Ayurved has systematically elaborated the use of rasayan medicines in texts. To widen the scope of rasayan medicine it is very essential to explore this faculty of Ayurved in broader manner. A right Ayurvedic rasayan in a right stage, in right dose and in accurate indication can prevent ageing and diseases. To achieve this dictum, ageing theories elaborated by modern medical science can come to help. Intriguing these theories and incorporating them for the man kind to inhabit the explosion of metabolic disorders attacking the humans due to the wrong life style.

Exploring rasayan therapies in the light of modern medical science can explain us the importance of yam and niayam (code of conducts), pathyapathya (right dietary regimes), Dincharya (daily routine) and rhutucharya which when followed in every respect can inhabit ageing. Glycation theory of ageing calorie restriction theory and langhan explained by Ayurved texts can be well likened and elaborated. Similarly the Ayurvedic concepts of ageing and role of tridoasha, Dhatu, oja, Agni and bala can also be explained in the glow of modern technology.

I have made my level best to explain these terms in a systematic manner so a learner of this ancient science may further widen the scope of rasayan and may develop a standardize rasayan treatment. I think to all those who have directly and indirectly helped me to compile this work.

All living beings have an urge to live. Living longer has been a goal human mankind since antiquity and ancient scholars working in the area of health promoted medication and recommended change in life style. Every body whishes to live longer as much as hundred years. Some people get a chance to live for hundred years what is called as centenarians. There are some quotations from Vedas that an individual must live for hundred years. Jeeveta Sharada Shatam. This quotation from Veda is having a unique importance. It is of great interest that some of the inhabitants live for hundred year and some have a very short life in spite of better environmental factors. Many individuals show very fast ageing effects on the body, while many old aged persons do not exhibit any aging disorders. There is no fixed rule about the life span of living beings. Some species has a very long life span while some have very short life span. Mice and humans though both are mammals have a different life span. The ageing effects on the specific. Mice show very fast ageing affects as compared to humans. Many plant species show a good vegetative growth for certain decades, then goes fro fruiting and suddenly show ageing and die. Another unique feature of plants is that in general and unlike animals, they segregate their germ cells from the soma shortly before reproduction. In addition there is an enormous diversity of plants and many seem capable of living thousands of years. Asexual agametic reproduction is highly spread among higher and lower plants (Watkinson and White 1985) Examples include the genera Rubis, Hieracium, Poa and Taraxacum (Cook 1983) same is with some insects also which shows sudden ageing and die. All these scenarios needs a detail study about the factors which are involved in the ageing process.

Based on the new research in the area of biology medicine, biogerentology, physiology, sociology workers believe that the rate of senescence can be slow down and life expectancy can be improved.

Life is a self-generating, self-assembling biodynamic state powered by intracellular metabolic energy that drives and its driven by the processing of genetic code; code programmed to produce a self sustaining biological organism. The universal laws of thermodynamics predict that, in every system, organizational structure deteriorates if left to its own devises and biological system are no exception; senescence is an example of that deterioration. However in biological systems this deterioration may be retarded or accelerated by intra- and extra cellular communication and signaling that directs proper gene regulation and the maintenance mechanisms.

Life expectancy is an average number of years that a human population of a given age sex can expect to live number current conditions. Life expectancy increased during the first half of the 20th century because of better sanitation and the widespread use of vaccines. However while there is no evidence that these developments have actually extended the human life span they have increased life expectancy.

In the area of science this is to be studied by exploring the maximum and mean life span. Mean and maximum life span shows the longevity of a particular species but it does not show the cause of senescence.

Life span refers to the typical length of time that any particular organism can be expected to live. It may also refer to :

• Life expectancy the average lifespan expected of a group

• Maximum life span the maximum lifespan observed in a group

• Longevity the average life span expected under ideal conditions.

Ayurved clearly explicates that the harmony between the body substances will create good health. It emphasizes that body is composed of body tissues which are made up of five basic elements (Panchamahabhuta) and chetana which means intelligent and superconscious. Vitiation in the doshas and the dhatus creates disorder in the body which leads to disease showing the way to death.