Ayurveda

Ayurveda, Siddha: Can Indian knowledge systems be evidence-based?

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Ayurveda, Siddha: Can Indian knowledge systems be evidence-based?

Can Indian systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda, Siddha and tribal medicine, be evidence-based? These questions have been raised in the Ramdev Baba Coronil controversy, where a herbal product was claimed to be a cure for COVID-19 without sufficient scientific evidence. Decades ago, in Vietnam, during the war, more soldiers fighting the US military were … Read more

How Ayurveda Led to the Growth of ‘Medical Nationalism’ in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

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How Ayurveda Led to the Growth of 'Medical Nationalism' in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

The Indian subcontinent has traditionally been home to a wide variety of healing systems and practices, some of which date back hundreds of years. However, the ‘antiquity’ of a healing method does not mean ‘immutability’, despite claims of being ‘timeless’. This study uncovers the changes and related manifestations and politics, particularly during the colonial period, … Read more