Last week we looked at the Ayurvedic understanding and approach to short-term symptoms of menopause. To understand the Ayurvedic approach to long-term symptoms such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, it is necessary to understand the development of the bodily tissues.

According to Ayurveda, tissues are formed sequentially in seven steps, with each step relying on the previous one for proper nourishment and balance. The step responsible for fat, sugar and hormone metabolism is called “medha”. The following step is called “ashti” and is responsible for bone and metabolism.

If medha is blocked by impurities, then fat, sugar and hormonal metabolism will be blocked. Women with medha out of balance will be more prone to higher cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. And if medha is out of balance, the next step in the development of the tissues, ashti, does not receive proper nourishment. As a result, the bones become weak, as in osteoporosis.

Thus many of the symptoms of menopause are interrelated through the functioning and formation of the tissues. The traditional rejuvenation and detoxification treatments of Ayurveda, Panchakarma treatments, are especially effective in balancing the transformation of the tissues. When the tissues are balanced at the onset of menopause, symptoms of imbalanced tissues, such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, should not appear. Ideally Panchakarma should be taken before the onset of menopause to help ensure a graceful and easy transition.

 www.theraj.com