Back to the roots with ancient medicine

In the Western world, conventional medicine is the most widely used and accepted form of medicine, but in recent decades clinicians have begun to use alternative treatments alongside modern therapies. This shift has come about as a result of many clinical trials demonstrating the healing benefits of ancient medicine. 

In China, doctors are trained in modern medical practices, but ancient medicine remains a vibrant part of the healthcare system. Many Chinese hospitals have a department devoted to ancient treatments, and Chinese President has described the 21st century as a new golden age for traditional medicine. 

Cultures around the world have developed their own healing practices, but China, with one of the oldest continuous accumulations of documented medical observations, offers the largest treasure trove for scientists to sift through.

My journey into alternative medicine began over 15 years ago when I was part of a clinical team researching three different treatments of diabetic foot ulcers. Diabetic foot ulcers develop in almost 20% of people with diabetes. 

These ulcers eventually become colonised or infected with microorganisms and unfortunately lead to amputation. It is estimated that more than one million people with diabetes worldwide require a limb amputation each year, which means that an amputation occurs every 30 seconds worldwide. 

One of the treatments we tested in our clinical trial was Maggots Therapy. This ancient treatment was used by the Maya, Native Americans and Aboriginal tribes in Australia. Military doctors during the First World War observed that soldiers whose wounds had been colonised with maggots had significantly less morbidity and mortality than soldiers whose wounds had not been infected. In our study, maggot therapy proved to be the most effective treatment for diabetic ulcers, resulting in faster wound closure and reduced microbial colonisation.

In 2020 I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had two operations and radiotherapy. After all these treatments, my body was exhausted. I didn't have any energy, I gained weight and lost most of my hair. My immune system was very weak. 

Even a minor cold would turn into a serious chest infection that would last for weeks. I tried many different modern supplements, including expensive ones, but none of them helped. I had always eaten healthily, avoiding ultra-processed foods, but I improved my diet even more including more fish, fruit and vegetables. This helped a little, but I was still not out of the woods until I came across Ayurvedic medicine and Shilajit. 

Shilajit is a natural substance used in Ayurvedic medicine containing antioxidants and minerals that benefit our health on many levels. It has been known and used for centuries and is extracted from high mountain rocks in the Himalayas between India and Nepal. 

It is an important drug listed in the Ayurvedic Materia Medica and is used extensively by Ayurvedic physicians to treat a range of conditions such as anaemia, muscle fatigue, heart, hormonal balance and many more. 

After careful consideration and reading tons of medical publications I decided to give it a try. It took only a few weeks for me to feel the benefits of this Ayurvedic treatment. I have always been a very active person with a great passion for walking, but my illness prevented me from going to the mountains. 

3 months after taking Shilajit, I was back in the mountains enjoying life and my fitness level improved considerably. Day by day my body grew stronger, and I began to enjoy my life again. It has been almost 2 years since I started taking Shilajit. 

For the last 18 months I haven't had any infections despite being surrounded by people with colds and chest infections. I enjoy walking in the mountains, exercising in the gym, and most importantly, I enjoy my life again!

What I experienced made me believe even more in the extraordinary healing power of Nature and natural remedies. We are part of nature. Yet we do everything we can to destroy it. 

Industrial progress and the pursuit of materialism have led us to the development of modern societies that are sick and broken in spirit. Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer are all associated with modern lifestyles. Our ancestors were barely aware of them. 

Moreover, after the 19th century, human research separated humans from natural selection, causing humans to continue to accumulate harmful mutations in their genes. The rate of congenital disease caused by genetic defects in modern human newborns is in the hundreds. It is many times higher than it was many years ago.

 Is there any hope of a reversal of this trend? 

Probably not on a global scale, but we can do something about it on an individual level, for the benefit of future generations. We can live a more natural lifestyle and use ancient medicines and practices to help us look and feel better. 

We tend to forget that many of the modern drugs and treatments are rooted in traditional medicine. The oldest and most effective drug - aspirin - comes from traditional medicine. The ancient Egyptians used dried myrtle leaves to treat pain, and Hippocrates, the fourth-century BC Greek physician considered the father of Western medicine, prescribed willow bark extract for fever. But it wasn't until the 1800s that European scientists discovered that the active ingredient in both was salicylic acid and synthesised it. 

Aspirin is not the only case of a modern drug hiding among traditional remedies. In 1972, the Chinese scientist Cheng announced the discovery of an antimalarial substance based on a Chinese herb mentioned in a fourth-century formula. 

Among FDA-approved anticancer drugs between 1940 and 2002, about 54% were derived from or inspired by natural products. For example, vinca alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus and the terpene paclitaxel from Taxus baccata are among the successful cancer drugs originally derived from plants. 

Many people are sceptical about traditional medicine, forgetting that modern medicine has its own controversies. The effectiveness of many popular drugs, including antidepressants, remains hotly debated, with some studies showing that they are little more effective than placebos. 

Taken together with other notable examples - the over-prescription of opioids, doctor-endorsed fad diets and questionable surgeries - Western outrage over traditional Chinese medicine can seem more hypocritical than Hippocratic. 

Moreover, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and plants is threatening many of the gains of modern medicine, as more and more microorganisms develop resistance to antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance is a major global public health threat and is estimated to be directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths in 2019.     

Researching traditional medicines and practices is increasingly exciting as they gain popularity worldwide. With the growing use of traditional remedies, more research and evidence of their effectiveness are expected to emerge. In the meantime, I will continue to practice Ayurveda, incorporate powerful adaptogens and Shilajit into my routine, and enjoy the significant benefits they provide.

Learn more about Shilajit here DISCOVER THE HEALING POWER OF SHILAJIT