Need to scale up research in traditional medicines

Stating that it is not the case with just herbal medicine, but modern medicine as well, Dr Ram Manohar, Research Director, Amrita School of Ayurveda, Amrita University, Kerala, said, “India does not have an infrastructure or even a vision to promote medical research even in mainstream medicine and its contribution to medical research is negligible. When it comes to traditional systems like Ayurveda, there is absolutely no support for research, with hardly any funding.”

While the community has, in its own limited way and in the last five years, seen some progress – with more indexed journals and high-quality studies coming up, it is still not to the scale that it can create an impact to society, he added. However, some studies have been conducted which have also been published in both, national and international journals. 

“The ‘Role of Khardal (Brassica Nigra) in Non-Communicable Diseases: An Overview’ was published in the International Journal of Drug Development and Research in 2015. There have been a couple of other studies that have been published in renowned journals,” said an Unani doctor. While the fields of Homeopathy and Acupuncture are yet to see some growth in research, the fields of Siddha and Ayurveda have been seeing a number of scientists shifting from modern medicine, to study these medicines. 

“Modern scientists, after getting advanced degrees, are beginning to show interest in Ayurveda and are also taking up the course, a trend that we are seeing a lot lately,” said Dr K Kumar, an Ayurveda doctor. It may be noted that around five studies, including one at King Institute, Chennai, were conducted on the herbal drink Nilavembu Kudineer , to confirm the efficacy of the same in the treatment of dengue.