Globalisation of ayurveda: Importance of scientific evidence base

Abstract

Ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest medical systems, is popular or is gaining popularity not only in South Asia but globally, especially for preventing and managing chronic diseases. However, strong concerns remain about the sub-optimal management and care of many people, arising from the unacceptable usage of non-evidence-based Ayurvedic interventions. One of the major hurdles in the globalisation of Ayurveda is its poor scientific evidence base and there is a strong need for robustly designed pragmatic studies. Research studies on Ayurvedic interventions should include a range of pathways to impact (such as user involvement and the involvement of key stakeholders) and communication plans (for academic and non-academic audiences). These studies have the potential to directly benefit people (patients and the public), health policymakers and managers (of public and private healthcare providers), Ayurveda practitioners and academics. Thus, research studies on Ayurvedic interventions have the potential to impact the world.