IBS or Grahani

This is a very common disease which is seriously effecting the lives of many. Ayurveda categorises IBS very clearly and mentions the ways to treat it. Person who have suffered or suffering from diarrhea also suffers from low digestive fire. When the person keeps eating what he is not supposed to, even when he has recovered from diarrhea, causes IBS. Ayurveda defines “Grahani” as the place above navel which holds the 6^th “Pitta”. It gets its strength from digestive fire. When aggravated dosh or doshas of body pollutes the “Grahani” , it starts releasing the food undigested, sometimes in form of dry stool and sometimes in form of loose motion.

Initial symptoms: Thirst, laziness, weakness, burning sensation, late digestion of eaten food and heaviness in the body.

Similar to diarrhea ,“Grahani” or IBS can be of five types       

1) “Vataj”2) “Pitaj” 3) “Kaphaj” 4) “Sannipatak”  5) “Amaj”. For symptoms of each please refer:  https://muscularayurveda.blogspot.com/2019/02/diarrhoea-or-atisaar.html

Cure:

1.   “Vataj”:

a)   Dhania(Coriander), Flesh of Wood Apple, Bala (Sida cordifolia), Sunthi (Dried ginger) and  Shaliparni (Desmodium gangeticum) should be cooked in water and liquid should be given to the patient.

b)  Sunthi (Dried Ginger), Ghee or clarified butter (4 times of ginger), Water (4 times of ginger). Cook everything together till the water gets evaporated. This is called “Sunthi Ghrit” and cures IBS due to gas.

2.   “Pitaj”:

a)   Rasna (Alpinia galanga), Atis(Aconitum Heterophyllum),Bark of Korya, Indrajao(Hollarhena pubescens), Sunthi(Dried Ginger) and Flower of Dhay(Downy Grislea) should be powdered and mixed with honey. Taking it after meal and sipping a bit of rice water cures “Pitaj” IBS.(Rasnadichurna)

b)  Flesh of unripe wood apple (Bel), Dried ginger powder(Sunthi) and jaggery in equal quantity should be taken with buttermilk. It cures serious “Pitaj” IBS.

3.   “Kaphaj”:

a)   Kachoor(Curcuma zedoaria), Sunthi(Dried ginger), Marich(Black pepper), Harad(Chebula Termenelia),Sajjikhar(Salsola stocksii), Javakhar(Salt of Barley) and Pipramul(Ganthoda) in equal quantities should be mixed with juice of Bijora Nimbu(Lemon) and given to patient.

b)  Rasna (Alpinia galanga), Harad(Chebula Termenelia), Kachoor(Curcuma zedoaria), Sunthi(Dried Ginger),Pipari(Long Pepper), Marich(Black pepper), Sajjikhar(Salsola stocksii), Javakhar(Salt of Barley), Pipramul(Ganthoda) and five types of salt(Rock Salt, Black Salt,Salt obtained from volcanic areas (ALCL3), Lake Salt(Sambar) and unprocessed Sea Salt)should be powdered and mixed with lemon juice. Taking it after meal with warm water cures “Kaphaj” IBS.

4.   “Sannipatak”(All Doshas):

a)   Sunthi(Dried Ginger), Nagarmotha(Cyperus rotundus), Atis(Aconitum Heterophyllum) and  Guruchi(Tinospora cordifolia) should be taken in equal quantities and cooked to prepare a soup. Filtered soup cures all types of IBS.

b)  Chab(Wild Pepper), Chitrak Mool(Plumbago Zeylanica), Flesh of wood apple and Sunthi(Dried Ginger) in powered form should be mixed together and consumed with buttermilk. It cures even the painful IBS.

    The above formulas which have to be consumed with buttermilk should be used after considering the strength of patient and season. It can be continued for a week, 10 days, half of month or entire month. Buttermilk is hot in potency, hence the patient who is very weak, who feel burning sensation, who is delusional and who feels giddiness should not consume it.

Note: “Vata”,“Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated, it  causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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Diarrhea or “Atisaar”

Excess of liquid state body components (“Kapha”, “Ras”, “Pitta”, “Med”, “Rakt”, “Swed”, “Mutra”) comes out of body with stool due to low digestive fire is defined as diarrhea  in ayurveda.

Causes of diarrhoea

·       Low digestive enzymes

·       Consumption of parasite infected food or water

·       Excess of liquid secretion from the tissues of intestine

Types of diarrhoea

1.   “Vataj” or “Vaat” imbalance: In this type of diarrhea patient’s stops urinating or urinates very little. There comes a grumbling sound from stomach. His/her anus either remains still or pops out a bit. Similarly his waist, joints and thigh also gets still. Patient’s feces is foamy, dry, blackish in colour and less in quantity accompanied with gas.

2.   “Pitaj” or “Pitta” imbalance: In this type the feces contains foul smell, is hot, gushes out, and is scattered. Feces contains very sharp yellow, bluish or reddish colour. Patient feels thirsty, unconsciousness, heat and could have fever.

3.   “Kaphaj” or “Kapha” imbalance: Patient feels very lazy, sleepy, nausea and stillness. Even after stool discharge, patient is doubtful of doing it again. Colour of faeces can be white or lighter than usual(Never Reddish) and there isn’t any sound while discharge. Patient gets Goosebumps while evacuating. Discharge can be mixed with mucus. Patient doesn’t feel like having food.

4.   “Sannipatik” or combination of above three: Patient feels laziness and unconsciousness, stillness and dry mouth. Colour of feces can keep changing. This is also mentioned as incurable among children and elderly.  

5.   “Shokaj” or due to sorrow:  Due to heartbreaking events of property loss or loss of dear ones, the patient keeps worried and depressed and stops eating well. This ceases the digestive fire and pollutes the blood. This polluted blood comes out mixed with feces with pain during discharge. This can treated but with difficulty because of psychological part.

6.   “Aamaj” or presence of “Aam”: In this type the food does not get digested before reaching the intestines and turns into toxic (Aam) and causes diarrhea. Undigested food can be seen in the feces as well. Feces will be smooth and sticky. It is painful, of different colours and too frequent.

Cure:

·       Usually all types of diarrhea have “Aam” in the beginning. If the trouble is too much which means, if too much of “Aam” is present in the stomach then fasting is recommended in the beginning to digest the “Aam” present and stool discharge should not be stopped. Then the patients should be given quarter amount of his usual rice meal cooked in digestive medicinal water. Digestive Medicinal water: Boil Pipali(Long pepper), Chitrak(Plumbago zeylanica), Mahanimba(Chinaberry) and medicines of same category in water till half of the water is left, then the rice has to be cooked in it and given to patient.

    Water prepared with Harad (Terminalia chebula) , Daru Haldi (Berberis aristata), Kutaj Beej(Wrightia antidysenterica) should be given to patient every morning in case the “Aam” or the toxin in the stomach doesn’t clears.

    There is a huge list of medicines but the methods above can cure “Amaj” diarrhoea completely.

·       When the nature of diarrhoea is determined as “Vaataj” or “Kaphaj” then firstly the “Amaj” treatment has to be done. If the patients keeps discharging small amount of feces then 1 gm of “Yavaschaar” and 1gm of “Panchlavan” should be mixed with 22.6 grams of clarified butter and consumed.

(Yavaschaar: Here barley plant is dried, burnt in open air; ash is added with water, left over night. Sedimented portion is discarded and decanted clear liquid is filtered many times. After getting a clear liquid, it is heated and the solid powder which is leftover at the bottom of the vessel is called as Yavakshara.

Panchlavan: Equal amount of “Rock Salt”, “Black Salt”, “Salt obtained from volcanic areas (ALCL3)”, “Lake Salt(Sambar)” and unprocessed “Sea Salt”.)

Alternatively , clarified butter proven in milk, dried ginger, Creeping woodsorrel, Indian jujube and curd should be consumed.

·       For “Pitaj” diarrhea cure; herbs of hot potency are prohibited. “Bala”Sida Cordifolia, “Atibala” Abutilon indicum, “Shalparni” demodium gangeticum, “Gokhru” Caltrops, “Kantkaari” Solanum virginianum and “Shatavar” Asparagus racemosus should be taken in equal quantities. One part of the mixture should be boiled in 64 part of water till 1/4^th is left. Then water should be filtered out. This water is “Kwath”. One fourth of the usual rice meal should be cooked in this water and given to the patient.

·       For “Sannipataj” diarrhoea, Daru Haldi (Berberis aristata), Flesh of unripen Bel(Bael Fruit), Pipali(Long Pepper), Munakka(Sultana currant),Kutki(Picrorhiza kurroa) and Indrayav(Hollarhena Antidysentrica) should be taken 4 parts, clarified butter 16 parts and water 64 parts. All should be cooked till water evaporates. The remaining should be consumed to treat diarrhea.

·       “Shokaj” diarrhea has the same treatment as “Vataj”.

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Quantity of Food

Ayurveda says a person should know how much he should eat. It further says that “Jatharagni(Digestive fire)” is not same all the time and one should eat as much as it gets digested. “Jathargni” varies with season and age. For instance digestive fire is low in elders and kids. Similarly digestive fire is strongest in “Hemant Ritu(Mid Nov-Mid Jan) but not in rainy season. Hence it’s not possible for a person to follow same food regime for entire year.

Rishi charak classified food in four types:

1.   “Bhakshay” or chewable

2.   “Choshya” or suckable

3.   “Lehya” or Lickable

4.   “Pey” or drinkable
    
    Typically one should have Chewable, Suckable or lickable food upto 50% of his hunger, another 25% should be drinkable and remaining 25% should be left for air.

He says morning meal should get digested till evening and vice versa (Ayurveda prescribes meals twice a day). Food items which are “Laghu(Light to digest)” like deer flesh when eaten enough will further increase digestive fire which is not good. Food items which are “Guru(Heavy to digest)” like fish, pudding made in milk, black lentils etc will diminish the digestive fire when eaten enough. Hence both “Laghu” and “Guru” items should not be eaten too much.

A person who works out regularly can digest anything, even the contradictory food items like milk and fish because exercising increases digestive fire.

Dried flesh, dried vegetables and leaves, pork, beef, fish, curd, black lentils should not be consumed continuously.

Old rice, winter harvested crops, “Moong(Yellow Lentils)” , Rock Salt, Goose Berry, Barley, rain water, milk, clarified butter, flesh of wild deer, honey etc can be consumed daily.

Note: “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated, it  causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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“Tikshnagni” or extremely strong digestive fire

“Tikshnagni” or extremely strong digestive fire

When a person is not satisfied with what he eats is called “Tikshnagi” or extremely strong digestive fire. Aggravated “Kapha” causes “Mandagni(Low digestive fire)”,aggravated “Pitta” causes “Tikshnagni(Extremely strong digestive fire)” and aggravated “Vata” causes “Vishamagni(Uneven digestive fire)”. When all the three doshas are balanced is called “Samagni(Even digestive fire)”. “Tikshagni” can cause almost 40 diseases. The higher stage of “Tikshangni” is called “Bhasmak Rog” which can be described as a disease in which the food eaten gets burnt instead of digested. Ayurveda says it happens to human with weak “Kapha” dosha. Aggravated “Pitta” gets along with “Vata” and increases the digestive fire. Food eaten is first digested and then is starts digesting the “Dhatus” of the body i.e. flesh, bone, blood etc.

Symptoms:

·       The person becomes hungry immediately after eating

·       Body becomes dry

·       Weakness with giddiness after the food gets digested

·       Too much thirst

·       Dry cough

·       Burning sensation in body

·       Difficulty in keeping track of things.

General Tips:

·       Eat in small quantities more frequently

·       Have buffalo’s milk, curd and clarified butter

·       Have rice pudding as meal

·       Laxative should be used

·       Eat food which produces “Kapha” like banana

·       Daytime sleep helps

Cure:

·       Powder the seed of Indian Plum and should be taken with water

·       Pudding of white rice, white lotus and goat milk mixed with clarified butter should be taken for 12 days.

·       Seeds of Onga(Achyranthes aspera) should be mashed to make pudding in milk.

·       One ripe banana should be mashed in clarified butter and taken for 41 days in the morning.

Note: “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated,it  causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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“Mandagni” or Low Digestive Fire

“Mandagni” is when you do not feel hungry. In case of “Mandagni” or low digestive fire, whatever a person eats is not digested well. He either suffers from constipation or frequent diarrhoea; he gradually becomes lazy and weak. This happens because of aggravated “Kapha” in the body. The excess of “Kapha” in the body puts off the digestive fire and causes indigestion. When the food remains in the intestine without digestion it forms “Ama” from “Kapha”. A patient with “Ama” problem feels heaviness in the stomach and other organs, their eyes looks swollen. Ayurveda says digestive fire is very important without which a person cannot survive much. So everyone should preserve it.

External Causes of “Mandagni(Low Digestive Fire)”:

·       Drinking too much water

·       Ignoring the hunger

·       Eating even when not hungry

·       Delaying or not attending the natural calls

·       Daytime sleeping

·       Not sleeping at night

Internal causes of “Mandagni(Low Digestive fire)”:

·       Jealous

·       Fear

·       Anger

·       Greed

·       Sorrow

Treating “Mandagni” or low digestive fire

1.   Hingwastak Churna : “Sunthi” or dried ginger, “Kali Mirch” or black pepper, “Pipali” or long pepper, “Ajwain” or carom seeds, “Sendha Namak” or rock salt, “Safed Jira” or cumin, “Kala Jira” or Black cumin seeds and “Hing” or asafoetida should be taken in equal quantity. “Hing” or asafoetida should be slightly fried in “Ghee” or clarified butter before mixing. Take this mixture with the first morsel of your meal. This activates the digestive fire and cures any gas problems.

2.   Jirkaadi Churn: “Safed Jira” or cumin, “Kala Namak/Sanchar Namak” or Black Salt, “Sunthi” or dried ginger, “Pipali” or long pepper, “Kali Mirch” or black pepper, “Vaividang” or Embelia Ribesin, “Sendha Namak” or Rock salt, “Ajwain” or carom seeds, “Hing” or asafoetida and “Harad” or Myrobalan , 20 grams of each should be taken. In addition, 40 grams of “Nisoth(Operculina turpethum)”should be taken. Powder everything and mix. Taking this mixture at the time of meal activates digestive fire.

3.   Vaividangadi Churna: “Vaividang(Embelia Ribesin)” , “Bhilawa(semecarpus anacardium)”, bark of “Chitrak(Leadwort)” tree, “Harad(Terminalia Chebula)” and “Sunthi(dried ginger)”. All powdered, should be mixed with “Gud(jaggery)” and “Ghee(Clarified butter)”. Taking in small quantity removes the low digestive fire problem and lit up the digestive fire.

Many other mixtures are suggested which can be taken to cure “Mandagni(Low digestive fire)”. Apart from the above, fasting is also suggested many times in ayurveda. Too much of fasting is not recommended as it may cease the digestive fire permanently and kill the person. Per ayurveda, “Jatharagni(Digestive fire)” digests the food first, then it digests the “Doshas” of the body, then “Dhatus” and lastly the life of the patient.

Caution: Do not eat the food which increases “Kapha” in the body like curd, banana, milk etc.

Note : “Vata”, “Pitta” and “Kapha” are three doshas of body mentioned in ayurveda which in balanced state keeps the person healthy.

“Vata” is gas or air in your body. If aggravated, it causes joints pain and gas trouble.

“Pitta” is acid and heat in the body. If aggravated,it  causes burning sensation, thirst, over hunger etc.

“Kapha” is cough or lubrication which lubricates the body.

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