The Causes of Anxiety, Depression, and Chronic Stress

The Importance of Gut Health

As modern scientists begin to uncover the mysteries of the gut microbiome, they’re confirming what Ayurveda has always maintained: disease starts in the gut. In fact, the digestive system has always been of central importance to Ayurvedic physicians, who strive to keep patients healthy by prescribing diets that balance the three doshas. According to Ayurveda, an imbalance within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is the first of six stages of disease. Together, these six stages are known as samprapti.

According to samprapti, after the imbalance accumulates, without proper treatment it will move onto the second stage: aggravation. Here, the imbalanced dosha worsens as it continues to grow. After this, the third stage begins as the imbalance overflows into the bloodstream moving throughout the body.

Then, in the fourth stage, the imbalanced dosha finds its way into vulnerable organs and tissues where it remains dormant until the fifth phase of manifestation begins. Here, clear and measurable signs of illness—such as cancer, diabetes, or depression—develop.

Finally, in the sixth stage, the disease becomes complex and/or chronic, such as an abscess becoming a chronic ulcer or cancer metastasizing. At this stage, the ailment becomes quite difficult to cure.

The dosha that causes the initial imbalance will directly correlate with the outcomes experienced in the later phases. For example, an imbalance of vata dosha will eventually manifest as anxiety, an excess of kapha-dosha can create depression, and too much pitta dosha can lead to anger.

So, as you can see, maintaining a healthy digestive system is paramount for experiencing well-being. However, in addition to maintaining health through the doshas, Ayurveda also contains an entire system of psychology with which to analyze the mind specifically.