Since ancient times, Vijaya has been revered by Ayurveda doctors and has a long history of being used to improve mental health and overall well-being.
Even though the understanding and acknowledgement of this herb’s immense therapeutic benefits are increasing, there is still a lack of a robust understanding of Vijaya’s role in improving mental health.
And because of this, many mental disorder patients today are unaware of this herb’s benefits and the correct usage for managing their conditions. Read ahead to find out the role Vijaya plays in improving mental health and why it needs to be taken more seriously.
The Ayurvedic Approach to Mental Health
Ayurveda gives key importance to positive mental health and offers a holistic medicinal approach for improving it. It focuses on balancing the three doshas in the body to achieve a balanced mental function.
- A balanced Vata dosha enhances vital brain functions such as memory, motor skills, creativity, alertness, etc.
- Pitta dosha is associated with processing information, and
- A stable Kapha dosha helps with proper memory
If these three doshas work in proper coordination, they lead to perfect mental health. On the other hand:
- An imbalanced Vata dosha leads to anxiety, mood swings, delusions, attention issues, etc.
- A vitiated Pitta dosha can lead to unpleasant emotions like rage, anger, frustration, jealousy, etc.
- An imbalanced Kapha dosha leads to sadness, depression, behavioral changes, and even visual hallucinations.
The Untapped Potential
Vijaya is known to balance the three doshas and show a robust therapeutic approach to alleviating mental health conditions that stem from the imbalance in the doshas. Furthermore, the herb has a direct effect on the Prana and Vyana vayus in the body that create excess activity in the brain and can cause an imbalance in the doshas.
From a modern scientific perspective, the ECS or the Endocannabinoid System regulates various important psychological functions in the body like:
- Mood
- Cognition
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Emotion
- Behavior, etc.
It is responsible for establishing and maintaining homeostasis in the system.
Vijaya is rich in active chemical compounds called THC and CBD that directly influence the ECS. When consumed, they attach themselves to the ECS’s cannabinoid receptors in the brain areas responsible for relaxation and joy. This activates the receptors and hence produces the required mental health benefits.
This is also the reason why Vijaya has a direct influence on the brain and the nervous system, as these are the areas in the body where the cannabinoid receptors are present the most. By doing this, the herb also helps increase the production of happy hormones such as dopamine and serotonin.
Before consumption, it is important to talk to an Ayurvedic medical expert, take the best medical consultation possible, and know its right use for alleviating your condition.
Vijaya for Alleviating Mental Health Issues
Some of the common mental health conditions that Vijaya helps in managing are:
- Anxiety
Rajya Vallabha Nighantu, one of the many Ayurvedic classic texts, mentions that Vijaya destroys every anxiety and brings about joy for the people who use it. Even clinical studies show that the patients experienced over 58% reduction in their anxiety after Vijaya use.
- Depression
As per a study conducted by the University of New Mexico, a vast majority of the patients suffering from depression experienced anti-depressant effects immediately after consuming the Vijaya flower. For comparison, you must note that conventional anti-depressant medications normally take several weeks to start causing a considerable effect.
- Stress and PTSD
THC, the main psychoactive compound in Vijaya, is found effective for relieving conditions like stress and even PTSD due to its direct influence on the brain’s cannabinoid receptors. A Washington State University study also found that after consuming Vijaya, the stress symptoms were reduced among patients in over 93% of tracked sessions.
- Mood
If consumed in the right dosage with the right online Ayurvedic consultation, Vijaya can also uplift your mood with its euphoric and calming effect. This is because THC interacts with the ECS and increases dopamine levels in the system, the ‘happy hormone’ responsible for regulating mood and the feelings of joy and wellbeing.
- Dementia
Dementia refers to the decreased ability to remember, think, and make decisions. Its most common type is Alzheimer’s. The researchers at the Salk Institute of California say in their study that the compounds in Vijaya help remove dementia proteins from the brain cells and increase connections between them.
Moreover, its anti-inflammatory properties help decrease inflammation in the nerve cells and protect them. It further stimulates brain activity and prevents its memory and other vital functions from declining.
Why Vijaya? Comparison with Conventional Medication
The traditional medication for mental health include:
- Antidepressants
- Anti-anxiety medications
- Stimulants
- Mood stabilizers, etc.
On consumption, they show numerous side-effects that worsen the problem instead of alleviating them, such as:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue
- Sleep issues
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Nightmares
- Nervousness
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Risk of addiction, etc.
Ayurveda doctors and experts have always prescribed Vijaya over conventional medication to improve the mental health of their patients. This is because besides acting quickly, it does not show any such harmful side-effects on health after consumption unless consumed unwisely without proper online Ayurvedic consultation.
Furthermore, it also reduces the dependency on such conventional drugs among the patients, hence preventing the harmful side effects. Besides that, it is also very effective in alleviating the withdrawal symptoms of such drugs.
To find out more about the immense potential and effectiveness of Vijaya in improving mental health and how you can use it, contact Hempstreet and get the best Ayurvedic consultation on Vijaya’s right usage for you.
References
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.620073/full
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342803299_CONCEPT_OF_MENTAL_HEALTH_IN_AYURVEDA
