Ayurveda is
now the mantra in America too
by
Sutirtho Patranobis
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_166763,000600010001.htm
Guess
what the Americans are turning to lately after eating all that junk food?
Isabgol. A survey funded by the Commerce Ministry and conducted by the Health
Ministry has found that Ayurvedic drugs are becoming popular in the United
States with more Americans trying to "return to nature".
"Though
the market for Ayurvedic drugs in the US is not very big, four to five
formulations have already gained acceptance there. Isabgol is very popular. The
acceptability for such drugs is growing as well," says Joint Secretary,
Indian Systems of Medicine, Union Health Ministry, L. Prasad.
In
fact, a delegation of 15 US scientists is likely to fly down in April to
interact with Ayurveda experts here. "We are in touch with the National
Centre for Complementary and Alternative Systems of Medicine of the US. The
scientists are expected in the second week of April," Prasad adds.
The
survey, in which the Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturing Association (ADMA) taking
part, was commissioned last year and the report was submitted recently. ORG-Marg
was hired to distribute questionnaires to doctors and health officials all over
the US and collect the data. The thick report at the end of it came at a cost of
around Rs 25 lakh.
The
report also threw up the problems that plague the fledgling industry. Says
ADMA's Dr Narendra Bhatt: "Lack of awareness about is the main problem.
Also the formulation of the drugs needs to be done.”
Ravi
Prasad of an Ayurvedic drug manufacturing company adds the herbs need to
identified and analysed and series of tests need to be conducted before being
released into a new market. "The US health authorities insist on trials and
toxicity studies followed by clinical trials. The drugs would also have to be
standardised according to laid down rules," he adds.
That
could pose a problem, according to the experts, as there are 4,000 Ayurvedic
formulations, combining different herbs, written down in 54 ancient books.
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