Ayurveda

In the presence of WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi opened the Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit in Gandhinagar on April 20, announcing that India will create a special AYUSH visa category for foreign nationals who want to visit the country to benefit from traditional medicine.

The drug BGR-34 is available to the patients in the country since 2015.The formulation was developed and required scientific studies were carried out by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), research units functioning under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The tests include standardization, product validation on the basis of modern scientific parameters, antioxidant activity determination, optimization of herbal components for best activity, assessment of anti-diabetic activity and safety studies etc.

Ayush-64 has been developed by the CCRAS, which is the premier institution for research in Ayurveda under the Ministry of Ayush. It was developed in 1980 for the treatment of malaria. During the first wave of Covid in March 2020, some scientific studies found it to be very effective in mild and asymptomatic and mild to moderate infection of Covid-19. It also has properties of fighting viruses, increases body’s immunity and reduces fever, helping patients recover quickly.

All India Institute of Ayurveda under Ministry of Ayush, signed a MoU in coordination with NICM Western Sydney University Australia, in virtual mode, to appoint an Academic Chair in Ayurveda. The MoU was signed by Professor Tanuja Nesari, Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda, Ministry of Ayush and Vice-Chancellor and President, Western Sydney University, Australia, Professor Barney Glover in presence of Vaidya Rajecsh kotecha, Secretary Ayush and Mr. Dan Tehan MP, Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment and  Foreign Affairs of Australia.

‘Ashwagandha’ (Withania somnifera), commonly known as ‘Indian winter cherry’, is a traditional Indian herb that boosts energy, reduces stress and makes the immune system stronger. It is an easily accessible, over-the-counter nutritional supplement in the U.K. and has a proven safety profile. The positive effects of ‘Ashwagandha’ have been observed in Long COVID, which is a multi-system disease with no evidence of its effective treatment or management.

In an interesting development, a team of scientists at the Government of India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT)’s National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), has identified Mulethi, a commonly used herb, as a potential source for the development of a drug against COVID-19.

India has foiled a major bio-piracy bid on the use of Ashwagandha — India’s wonder plant in the treatment of a range of illnesses including depression, diabetes, insomnia, convulsions and gastritis.