Ayurvedic Medicine

Ayurveda is a traditional system of health from India in which a practitioner looks at your body, mind and lifestyle together. They assess your body type (dosha), then suggest changes to your diet and daily routine, and sometimes herbal remedies, yoga or meditation. Its ideas, such as the three doshas, come from tradition. Check with your doctor before taking herbal remedies, especially if you take other medicines or are expecting a baby. Ayurveda has few good studies; there is limited evidence that ashwagandha, one of its herbs, may ease stress and help sleep a little, and some products carry real risks: see “Ayurveda: what the research says”.