Ayurveda and Geriatric Medicine: A Holistic Approach to Healthy Aging

Abstract

The growing elderly population has increased the prevalence of age-related disorders, creating a need for effective strategies to promote healthy aging. Geriatric medicine focuses on the prevention and management of diseases in older adults, while Ayurveda offers a holistic approach through the concepts of Jara (aging) and Rasayana Chikitsa (rejuvenation therapy). Ayurveda describes aging as a natural process associated with Dhatu Kshaya (tissue depletion), Oja Kshaya (loss of vitality), and Vata Dosha predominance, leading to physical and cognitive decline. Modern science attributes aging to oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, cellular senescence, and mitochondrial dysfunction.This review highlights the role of Ayurvedic interventions, including Rasayana therapy,  dietary regulation, and lifestyle modification, in promoting healthy aging. Important Rasayana herbs such as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), and Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) possess antioxidant, immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and adaptogenic properties that may help reduce age-related degeneration and improve quality of life. Integrating Ayurvedic principles with modern geriatric healthcare may provide a comprehensive and cost-effective approach for supporting healthy aging and enhancing the well-being of the elderly population.