Rekindling Your Digestive Fire
“A faulty fire leads to improper functioning of the tissues which in turn, creates Ama in the gastro-intestinal tract and leading to poor synthesis of tissues.”
— Charaka
Ayurvedic herbalism, which originates from India and is the oldest recorded form of herbal shamanic medicine, has lots to say about restoring the health of our digestive system. Ayurvedic philosophy speaks of one main cause of all diseases. The cause is rooted in the impairment of the body’s main fire, called Agni, the fire of digestion. Ayurveda views the health of the body as the functioning of a biological, fire-governing metabolism. If this essential part is functioning effectively, the whole body will be nourished, full of life and vibrancy.
Agni can metaphorically mean the fires within a wood-burning stove. Another term, Ama, can refer to the black cresol build-up in the pipes and chimney. The more efficiently the wood burns in the wood stove, the more heat (energy) that is produced, and the less cresol (toxin) that is created. This metaphor symbolizes very well what happens in our digestive system, depending on the health of this bodily system.
Agni and Ama are opposite in properties. Agni is hot, dry, light, clear and aromatic, whereas Ama is cold, wet, heavy, cloudy, and malodorous. To treat Ama, it is necessary to increase Agni.
The root cause of all disease is Ama. Ama is a general term used in Ayurveda for internal toxins produced by improper metabolic functioning. It results from any undigested and unabsorbed food material that accumulates in the bowels and turns into a heterogeneous, foul-smelling, sticky substance. This material clogs the intestines and other vital pathways such as blood vessels and capillaries. Ama undergoes a multitude of chemical changes, gradually creating toxins which are released into the bloodstream. These toxins eventually accumulate in the weaker parts of the body, where they create tightening, blockage, stagnation, and failing of the organs and systems. It also elicits a negative immune reaction in the body’s tissues until, finally, disease manifests in these organs associated with the mutated tissues. The end result is a disease state which manifests as heart disease, cancer, immune system break down, etc.
Symptoms of Ama include loss of taste and appetite, indigestion, tongue-coating, bad breath, loss of strength, heaviness, lethargy and obstructions of channels and vessels. Other common symptoms include bad body odour, urine, or feces, a general accumulation of waste-materials, lack of attention and clarity, depression, and a deep, heavy, or dull pulse. High Ama in the body is the root cause of all colds, fevers and flus, as well as the chronic diseases of a weak immune system and cancer.
There are numerous causes for the development of Ama. One cause is eating inappropriate food combinations. Agni will be reduced and Ama will be augmented; the result is an accumulation of toxins. If the tongue is coated with a whitish-yellow film, this symptom indicates that Ama exists in the digestive system.
An overactive Agni is just as detrimental as when Agni’s function is delayed. The body’s immune system is lowered when the Agni becomes disconcerted; the digestive process burns away, through combustion, the normal biological nutrients in the food and emaciation results.
In Ayurvedic herbalism, a number of herbal remedies and suggestions are made to increase the digestion of food and to raise the metabolic process in general. A higher metabolism produces more heat in the body, especially in the digestion process, and toxins can be burned up naturally before they start migration throughout the body. This metabolic heat or process is called Agni in Ayurvedic terms. Agni is the action of the metabolic process that actually breaks down and transforms food.
During a purification, cleanse or a juice fast, certain herbs such as ginger, cayenne, and most carminatives (cooking spices) have a medicinal value. This is because of their warming, spicy quality, which may be used to help neutralize toxins in the systems. If these herbs are taken as teas, they may help enkindle Agni which will burn away toxins.
Herbs can be used to enhance our Agni and in so doing restore our immune system. Herbs contain Agni, through which they absorb sunlight, which produces life. The Agni of herbs can nourish our Agni. Plants can transmit their Agni – their capacity to digest and transform – to us, and this may augment our own power of digestion or give the capacity to digest materials we usually cannot. By their very nature, the correct herbs and spices can feed Agni, directly strengthening the fundamental energy of body-mind, allowing the right and healthy digestion.
Herbs that are pungent and bitter in taste decrease Ama. Some of these herbs are mentioned below.
Herbs for Agni:
Aloe Vera, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and ginger root.
Fresh ginger root has been called the “universal medicine,” especially if it is prepared as a juice or as an aromatic tea. It has a wide variety of uses for the digestive system such as indigestion, abdominal cramps, nausea, upset stomach, flatulence, vomiting, and even air and seasickness. Drink a warm cup of ginger tea before meals and experience the difference.
As long as Agni is functioning correctly, the processes of breaking down food and absorbing and assimilating it into the body will work effortlessly. An individual with a healthy and active Agni will result in a healthy and vibrant body. Longevity depends upon Agni.
The intake of food should be regulated by the condition of the Agni, the digestive fire in the body. If you feel hungry, your digestive fire is enkindled.
Guidelines to maintain a healthy digestive system:
Do not eat unless you feel hungry, and do not drink unless you are thirsty.
Do not eat when you feel thirsty, and do not drink when you feel hungry.
Chew your food thoroughly; focus your mind on and be aware of the taste of the food.
The taste of your meal depends upon Agni. You will not taste the food or herbs properly if your Agni is impaired. Taste does not originate in food; instead, taste originates in the experience of the one who eats. Carminative herbs and spices help enkindle Agni as well as to cleanse the body and enrich the taste of the meal.
