What Ancient Texts Say About Diabetes: From Charaka Samhita to China and Korea

Summary

What do the ancient texts say about diabetes (madhumeha)? Our study is based on the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and old Chinese and Korean medical texts. This episode reads what they write about its causes, food and daily routine, and explains in simple words how food, activity, calm and sleep act on the body. Six yoga asanas and two pranayamas from a diabetes yoga practice are shown one by one.

Part of the Health & Lifestyle series.

In Hinglish: What do ancient texts say about Diabetes (madhumeh)? Our study is based on Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Patanjali Yoga Sutra, and ancient texts from China-Korea. This video explains, according to these texts, the causes, diet and daily routine, and how food, activity, peace, and sleep affect the body, in simple words. Six asanas and two pranayamas from a yoga practice designed for madhumeh are shown one by one.

Headlines covered

• Charaka Samhita: https://www.carakasamhitaonline.com/index.php?title=Prameha_Chikitsa
• Sushruta Samhita: https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE
• Ashtanga Hridaya: https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%99%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D
• Huangdi Neijing Suwen 47; Qianjin Yaofang 26; Dongui Bogam: docs/health_series/food_bank.md
• Patanjali Yoga Sutras: docs/health_series/yoga_quote_bank.md
• Ministry of Ayush, Diabetes Yoga Protocol: docs/health_series/yoga_official_protocols.md
• ICMR-NIN Dietary Guidelines for Indians 2024: https://nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines/pdfjs/locale/DGI_2024.pdf
• WHO Diabetes fact sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
• If you take diabetes medicine or insulin, bitter gourd and fenugreek can push blood sugar too low: tell your doctor. Ask an Ayurvedic physician about any herb quantity.
• Learn yoga from a trained teacher. Avoid Surya Namaskar with knee pain, heart, kidney, back or retina problems.
• See a doctor for a foot wound, numbness or any symptom.