• 셀메드
• /
• 제10권2호
• /
• pp.10.1-10.5
• /
• 2020

Ayurveda is the science of life. It guides about the protection of health of the healthy and alleviation of ailments of diseased person. In Ayurveda Upavasa (fasting) is one among all Daivavyapashraya (spiritual) therapies and one among ten Langhana (that which produces lightness of the body) therapies. It is also stated in Ayurveda that fasting increases digestive fire and causes digestion of Ama-dosha (metabolic toxins). On religious grounds, Upavasa is a way to get closer to the almighty. Scientists have found fasting activates autophagy. Yoshinori Ohsumi, a Japanese cell biologist won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2016 for his research on how cell recycle and renew their content, a process called autophagy. Many published studies indicate positive effects of fasting on neuroprotection and longevity.