Inflammation the Kingpin of Chronic Diseases Naturopathy as an alternative source of treatment: An updated overview

Abstract

Inflammation involves a sequence of events which can be categorized under three phases viz. acute transient phase, delayed sub-acute phase and chronic proliferate phase. Inflammatory mediators develop due to enhanced vascular permeability and leads to local edema. It is followed by the migration of leukocytes and phagocytes from blood to vascular tissues which is the second phase, in the third phase, tissue degradation is followed by fibrosis. There is a powerful link between chronic diseases and chronic inflammatory disorders. Chronic low-level inflammation contributes to the pathogenesis of these several diseases like Heart disease, Cancer, Chronic lower respiratory disease, Stroke, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, and Nephritis. The harmful side effects of synthetic drugs are numerous and there stands up the need of herbal drugs which are cost effective and free from side-effects. Several traditional ayurvedic phytomedicines have been used in the treatment of inflammatory disorders like Ocimum sanctum, Hypericum peroratum, Boswellic serrata, Ficus racemosa etc. which act as natural anti-inflammatory agents that can help in reducing the complications associated with chronic diseases. Key Words: Inflammation, Chronic-low level inflammation, Cancer, Diabetes, Phytomedicines