We stand, we walk, we run, and we sit independently because of our strong bones and muscles! Bone tissue system is called Asthi dhatu in Ayurveda. We get this tissue genetically through our father and it is nourished daily by mamsa dhatu (muscle tissue) as per Ayurveda.
Whenever there is any accident, bones being our body framework might get fractured. Bone fracture is called Bhagna in Ayurveda. Bhagna leads to pain, swelling, restricted movement depending on the severity of accident, age of the person and nutritional status of his or her body.
Ayurveda texts opine that if a person with bone fracture consumes excessive salt, sour, spicy food, junk food, indulges in sex and exercise during the healing process, the condition becomes incurable. Proper diet, medicine and regimen is a must for proper bone healing. let us now know the right nutrition for bone healing as per Ayurveda.
Bone healing animal products:
Milk and milk products like ghee, butter are sweet in taste and cooling in nature. They help in pacifying vata pitta dosha which is aggravated in initial stage of bhagna.
Meat like chicken and mutton consumed in the form of soup are sweet in taste, hot in nature and because it directly increases mamsa dhatu (muscle tissue) in body, it also increases Asti dhatu indirectly. Milk, milk products and meat provide bone’s initial framework because of richness in calcium, iron, and micronutrients.
Raw honey which is sweet and astringent in taste and hot in nature pacifies pitta Kapha dosha. It is also proven by research to increase bone healing cells.
Bone healing grains:
Consumption of red variety of rice, which is sweet in taste, cooling in nature and pacifying all three dosha helps in bringing stiratva (stability) in body. It also increases a protein called osterix in body which helps in bone formation.
Whole wheat is sweet in taste, cooling in nature and pacify vata pitta dosha. Wheat when consumed in the form of roti, bread, malt and sweet ladoo helps in bone healing as it increases strength and stability in body. It is also rich in nutrients like selenium, magnesium and copper which are required for bone healing.
Bone healing legumes:
When we drink soup made of green gram or green peas which are first fried in ghee, they become sweet to taste, cooling in nature and pacify all three dosha. They also help in bone healing by reducing inflammation and uniting the cut bone ends better than a calcium supplement as proven through research.
Bone healing vegetables:
Moringa leaves are pungent and bitter in taste and hot in nature. These leaves reduce swelling, pacify Kapha vata dosha and because of richness in calcium, iron and vitamin c helps in fracture healing. It can be consumed in the form of soup, rasam, curry or chutney regularly in diet.
Hadjod stem (Veldt grape) are sweet in taste and hot in nature. The stem has direct action as bhagna Sandhanakara (bone healing) and pacification of vata kapha dosha. When we fry the stem cuttings in oil after removing its fibers and make its chutney adding coconut gratings as base, they become tasty and do not cause tongue itching which occurs due to a chemical present in the raw form. The stem is proven by research to increases collagen calcium in bones.
Pointed gourd fruit is bitter and pungent in taste and hot in nature. It acts on bone healing by reducing inflammation and pacifying all three dosha. Research has proven to reduce fungal growth around bone healing. It can be consumed in the form of curry, rasam and sambar regularly in diet.
Radish root is pungent and bitter in taste and hot in nature. It is said to reduce pain and pacify vata kapha dosha. It is rich in vitamin c, calcium, and phosphorus, which are required for healing fracture. The root can be consumed in the form of salad, sambar, and chutney in regular diet.
Garlic is sweet, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent in taste and hot in nature. Just like hadjod, this too is said to act as bhagna sandhanakara (bone fracture healer). It pacifies vata Kapha dosha and increases collagen formation required for bone healing. This can be consumed by boiling with milk or made chutney for regular use in diet.
Bone healing dessert:
A kheer or payasam made from vermicelli boiled in full fat milk is also recommended in Ayurveda for its nourishing and sandhanakara (bone healing) action in bone healing.
Overall benefits:
Ayurvedic nutrition for bone healing consists predominantly of sweet tasting foods that are cooling in nature and some bitter tasting food that are hot in nature. Through Ayurvedic point of view they act by pacifying all three dosha, sandhana karma (healing action), shotha hara karma (swelling reducing action), dhatu Vardhana karma (nourishing all tissues) and shoola hara karma(pain reducing action).
Through research point of view, Ayurvedic diet mainly help in bone fracture by reducing inflammation, preventing local infection, increasing blood supply, increasing collagen in bone, increasing nutrients in blood required for bone formation and revitalizing dead bone tissue.
Follow the above diet when you suffer from bone fracture and then you can walk, run, and rest with ease without depending on any instruments other than your strong bones and muscles!
