Ayurvedasara Traditional Ayurvedic Formulas by Hitayu

What is ama?

The term ama ordinarly means unripe, uncooked, immature, and undigested. In the context of medicine, however, this term refers to events that follow and factors which arise, as a consequence of the impaired functioning of Kayagni. Due to the hypofunctioning of the agni, the first dhatu viz. the rasa (chyle) is not properly formed. Instead the annarasa undergoes fermentation and or putrefaction being retained in the amashaya. It is this state of rasa which is spoken of as ama.

What causes ama?

Impairment of agni causes ama. But the impairment of agni can be caused due to:

1. abstinence from food
2. indigestion
3. Over eating
4. Irregular diet-habits
5. Indulgence in incompatible articles of food
6. The consumption of cold substances.
7. Improper panchakarma procedures like vamana (emetics) & virechana (purgation) or improper pre panchakarma procedure like snehana.
8. Due to wasting of the tissues which follows in the wake of diseases.
9. Unwholesome change in the season or environment.
10. Suppression of the natural urges.
11. use of food for which one has an question or dislike or foods which are uncooked or half cooked, heavy, dry, too cold, contaminated, and capable of causing inflammation of the stomach, dehydrated food and food soaked in water for long time can cause ama.
12. Mental stress such as sorrow, anger, fear, worry, jeolousy, lust etc.

How bad is Ama?

Ayurveda calls it Ama Visha meaning poison. It can produce a similar effect like poison, if it is acute one may have gastroenteritis or death. If chronic, may produce different types of diseases mixing with vata, pitta or kapha. In reality this is one of the reasons for Auto immune disorders if the modern world. For eg. Rheumatoid arthritis. SLE, etc.