Innate Identity & Absolute Healing: The Core of Ayurvedic Therapeutics

The objective of Ayurveda is to maintain normalcy of physiological homeostasis for promotion of health which can be achieved by the application of ‘Similarity – Dissimilarity Concept’. This principle is in existence since time eternal and universally applicable in any era beyond Ayurveda. It helps to understand the similarity and connectedness of humans and resident microbes and for planning a microbiome focused treatment. This principle is the root of Ayurveda. Just like a tree remains completely dependent on its root, Ayurveda remains dependent on its fundamental principles. 

Ayurveda mentions about beneficial, non-pathogenic microorganisms residing in our body. Recent researches suggest that ‘Our Microbes’ (Microbial ecosystem in our body) strongly affects our physical, physiological and mental health. Human body harbours a huge microecosystem existing in a symbiotic relationship with our body (host). ‘Similarity – Dissimilarity Concept’ can be applied to improve homeostasis of our microbiome thus helping in prevention and treatment of diseases. 

Microbes are the first line of defense against colonization by opportunistic pathogens. It can affect host physiology and can be affected by host physiology. It is a known fact that microorganisms are present on surface tissues of all human beings such as skin, oral cavity, nasal cavity, eyes, ears, gastrointestinal tract and genital tract. These microorganisms are fundamental to our physiology, immunity and nutrition. Microbiota is like an ecological and immunological shield which protects our body from invasion of harmful pathogens. Symbiotic relationship is established between the microbial communities and host tissue through complex signals by innate and adaptive immune system. 

Body sites and Microbiota 

  

Ayurveda therapies which act on Microbiota

 

Homeostatic relationship between the host and resident microbiota 

Our Microbiome

Mucous layer acts as an interface between the body and microbes. Microbes affect the integrity of mucosa. Microbiome is a highly complex microbial community, the homeostasis of which is influenced by several factors such as interactions with external environment. 

 

Microbiome has distinct physio-chemical properties. Stability, equilibrium and resilience of the microbiota improves our body’s health. The inhabitant microbes have less probability of surviving in the environment which is pathological to hosts. But in adverse conditions where disbalance in the ecosystem is caused due to variations in internal factors such as hormonal changes, alteration of the host environment or external factors such as infections or environmental microbial exposure, the resident bacteria get altered from friendly to pathogenic state (pleomorphism) leading to disruption of protective barrier, compromising immunity and activation of diseases.

 

 

 

 

Action of Lipids on Microbiome

Lipid soluble substances have grater affinity for passive absorption through the cell walls of mucosa and they nourish our cells which are also made up of lipids. Most of the therapies explained in Ayurveda, especially Panchakarma (Vamana – Therapeutic emesis, Virechana – Therapeutic purgation, Basti - Enema) and Dinacharya / Daily regimen procedures (Abhyanga – Oil massage, Pratimarsha Nasya – Nasal application of oil / ghee, Gandusha – Oil pulling, Karnapurana – Oiling the ears) suggests the use of non-medicated or medicated fats thus aiming at improving cellular immunity. This is because lipid soluble medicines diffuse through the cell membrane easily. They are absorbed into circulation, distributed to various tissues throughout the body, metabolised and finally eliminated from the body through wastes (urine, faeces, sweat). 

 Microbiome Community and Cellular Immunity

The resident microbiota metabolise lipids in Ayurveda treatments and produce bioactive molecules which act on the microbes (inhibits invasion of harmful pathogens) and the host (modulates metabolic process on host epithelium to stimulate cell mediated immunity). The resident microbiota serves as biological barrier by competing with the pathogenic bacteria for nutrients. Healthy lipids non-medicated or medicated with herbs used in Ayurveda therapies provide nutrition to the resident microbiota. Homeostasis of microbiome is crucial for proper functioning and health of the host. Cell membrane is a smallest living unit which is made up of selectively permeable lipid bilayer. The lipid bilayer is a protective barrier which also maintains the integrity of the cell. Fat soluble substances that are lipophilic and easily dissolve in lipids enters the cells easily, hence non-medicated or medicated fats are used for most of the Ayurveda treatments. 

Six Causative Factors

Similarity – Dissimilarity concept is derived from the cause-and-effect theory. This is one of the universal theories concerning the evolution of the universe as is regarded as Universal Phenomenon in Ayurveda. According to this principle ‘All specific causative factors produce specific effects and every effect has its own specific cause’. This is applied in Ayurveda treatment. The six causative factors are Similarity, Dissimilarity, Substance, Quality, Action and Inseparability. As similarity and dissimilarity are the two important factors which are responsible for increase and decrease, they are placed first in the sequence.

Six Factors	Their Effect / Action
Similarity	Cause of increase
Dissimilarity	Cause of decrease
Substance	Cause of abode of quality
Quality	Cause of similar quality
Action	Effect
Inseparability	Cause of union

• Similarity is the quality found in many objects which is eternal.

• Dissimilarity is the difference between one object from another, that is absolute differentiation.

Similarity – Dissimilarity concept is a unique concept explained in Ayurveda and its practical application is used to achieve the two goals of Ayurveda – maintenance of health of the healthy persons and treatment of the diseased. For achieving the actions of similarity and dissimilarity, their relationship needs to be established with the body. Nourishment of the body through diet, lifestyle, herbs and therapies is based on the similarity principle whereas detoxification and palliative treatments for restoring body’s equilibrium are based on dissimilarity principle.

Similarity	Dissimilarity
Homology / Generality	Heterology / Specificity
Conveys unifying action	Denotes Antagonism
Cause of increase	Cause of decrease

Similarity	Dissimilarity
All microbes are composed of same elements of nature.	Resident microbes provide benefits to the host by inhibiting pathogenic invasion whereas harmful microbes have a negative effect on the human body and can cause diseases.

Similarity	Dissimilarity
Increasing the resident beneficial microbial community enhances immunity	Decreasing the harmful microbes in the body helps to treat diseases
Fats increase the quantity, quality and activity of resident microbial community because of similarity in properties and actions	Herbs medicated with fats decrease the quantity, quality and activity of harmful microbes in the body because of dissimilarity in properties and actions

  

Example of Similarity and Dissimilarity 

Application of Similarity and Dissimilarity principles in treatment

Health of resident microbes is the basic factor for positive health. The alliance of microbiota and immune system controls the protective responses to pathogens. If the microbiota lacks the resilience required to establish immune response, our homeostatic relationship with the microbiota is affected leading to illness. Degree of impairment of the resident microbes determines the nature and duration of treatment. Successful adaptation of the microbiota to environmental challenges will help in good health.  Similarity concept can be applied to improve the microbiome to enhance overall health. This principle helps to improve the protective role of our microbiota by promoting their own containment and limiting pathogen invasion thus regulating host homeostasis. According to Ayurveda healthy fats are homologous to Ojas or cellular immunity. 

 

 

 

Fats being unctuous and nourishing, it will increase the resident microbes which have similar properties. At the same time, as fats having anti-microbial action and when fats are medicated with herbs having bitter tastes, they will have antagonistic effect on the harmful pathogens due to their anti-microbial properties (dissimilar properties) thus inhibiting the action of harmful pathogens. 

Water poured at the roots of the tree reaches the whole tree and nourishes it. In the same way, treatment applied to the microbiome residing in specific parts of the body will give systemic benefits. By applying the similarity – dissimilarity concept explained in Ayurveda, we can increase the resident beneficial microbes by use of Ayurveda therapies having similar qualities and functions thus decreasing the harmful pathogens and helping to maintain homeostasis of the body.