Use of Medhya Annapan for Prevention and Management of Atattvabhinivesha; Mahagada

Abstract

Ayurveda accepts the importance of food in the form of first Upastambha. They described several conditions and diseases which are directly related to the food which are taken by a person; Attatvabhinivesha is one of them. Attatvabhinivesha called Mahaagada is a serious psychological perversion. Spiritually, it is the cause of sorrow of the world in the form of global problem. It causes considerable disability imposing a heavy burden of multidirectional sufferings and financial losses. It constitutes 8% of global burden of all diseases measured as disability adjusted life years (DALY). Prevalence of mental illness is estimated at about 10/1000 population, 80% of mental illness is found in developing countries. Food is the main mediation of health procurement. People indulge in habitual intake of food as impure, cold, unctuous, suppression of the natural urges, etc. This review article proves the importance of Medhya Annapana in the prevention and management of Attatavabhinivesha (paranoia) a psychological perversion. Psychic perversion like Atattvabhinivesha mainly occurs due to Malinaahara because it vitiates all three Dosas, i.e., Vata, Pitta, Kapha, and two Mansika Dosa Raja and Tama. Medhya Aanapana increases the intellectual power; memory power and recalling capacity of the persons. Because nervous tissues like other tissues of the body require energy for metabolic functions, proteins for cell synthesis, and vitamins as components of the enzyme systems and mineral elements as activators of metabolic reactions and to maintain homeostasis of the fluid environment. This types of symptoms mainly occurs in those type of persons which have aggravated Raja and Tama Dosa means and take Malinaahara (impure, putrefied, have low nutritive value). All above description justifies the value of Medhya Annapana in Attatvabhinivesha and it is also clear that such types of food articles are useful for both physical and mental entities, for maintenance of wholesome life.

Keywords: Atattvabhinivesha, Mahaagada, Manobudhivahasira, Medhya annapana, paranoia