Abstract

CONCEPT OF FREE RADICALS & AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE

Dr. Monika Sugandhakumar Ekhande*

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Abstract

The phenomenon of growth, decline and death – ageing has been the source of considerable speculation. The universality of this phenomenon suggests that the reactions which cause it are basically the same in all the living beings. Due to improper oxidation of food particles/body substances, there is emission of free radicals in to the body. These free radicals have high affinity to assail with other stable molecules so as to find an unpaired electron to get stabilized. So free radicals, by the continuous interactions with the molecules, either gets stabilised or destruct the other molecule. This ultimately leads to the increased catabolism and then to ageing. In Ayurveda the term oxidation is denoted in Ayurveda by the term paaka and paaka is the function of agni. So ama is the improper product of paaka due to impaired agni.

Keywords: Free radicals, Antioxidants, Aama, Agnimandya, Rasayana.