Prameha and Madhumeha – Defined and Differentiated

Before we draw a comparison between Prameha and Madhumeha, let us understand the origin and meaning of each of these terminologies.

Prameha and Madhumeha are the terms used in the science of Ayurveda to denote a disorder or a disease which arises as a result of a particular imbalance or Dosha in the body.

Getting familiar with Ayurveda-

What is Ayurveda?

In the Sanskrit language, which is believed to be the language of the Gods, Ayurveda is termed as the “Science of life” or the “Mother of all healing”. It is an ancient science and one of the oldest treasures of medicine which introduced the natural power of healing by understanding the cause of the disease and eliminating it from the root.

It originated over 5,000 years ago and the wisdom of Ayurveda has been passed down from the teachers to their devoted disciples across generations. Although Ayurveda can be found from the ancient Indian scriptures, most of it was not able to survive and be preserved as literature.

Principles that constitute the beliefs of Ayurveda –

1. Balance– According to Ayurveda, every human is made up of a unique balance between 5 elements, the space, air, fire, water and earth. Any imbalance among these elements leads to roga or disease.
2. The 3 principle energies of Ayurveda– Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
3. The 6 stages of a disease – accumulation, aggravation, dissemination, localization, manifestation and disruption.
4. The core belief of Ayurveda is that nature is the healer.
5. Elimination or the eradication of disease by treating its root cause. 

The foundation of Ayurvedic healing is by the 3 principle energies which are the Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Let us look at the element of each energy, the characteristics of a person with the predominance of each of these energies and the consequences of imbalance of these energies in the human body.

Now that we have understood the basic framework of Ayurveda, let us get to the depiction and differences between Prameha and Madhumeha.

What is Prameha?

Prameha is a metabolic syndrome that occurs due to factors like obesity, prediabetes and diabetes. However, Prameha roga refers to the variety of disorders of the urinary system.

The two types of Prameha:

1. Sahaja Prameha
2. Doshaja Prameha

Sahaja Prameha occurs due to natural causes or due to hereditary or genetic factors.

Doshaja Prameha occurs due to the imbalance in one of the 3 primary energies which leads to doshas are the Vata Prameha, Pitta Prameha and Kapha Prameha.

In Ayurveda, since the symptoms of the modern diabetic disease are identical to the Prameha roga, Diabetes according to Ayurveda is also called Asrava or Madhumeha or Prameha which is mainly due to excessive carbohydrate or junk food in the diet and an inactive lifestyle accompanied by stress.

According to Ayurveda,  the purest form of diabetes occurs as a result of the imbalance in the fire element or Pitta which is related to digestion. Thus, an impairment in digestion causes Pitta dosha or Diabetes.

There are a total of 20 types of diabetes or Prameha as mentioned in Ayurveda.

What is Madhumeha or Diabetes mellitus?

Madhumeha or Diabetes mellitus according to Ayurveda translates to Madhu or honey and Meha or urine. Madhumeha is also called Kshoudrameha (Kshoudra also called honey).

Facts mentioned about Madhumeha or Diabetes mellitus in Ayurveda-

• Unlike Prameha which is predominantly due to Pitta, Diabetes mellitus or Madhumeha is due to Vata imbalance.

However, Madhumeha or the type 2 diabetes can happen due to Kapha predominance as well, due to the overconsumption of sugary food, leading to obesity and metabolic disorders.

Classification of Madhumeha or Diabetes mellitus-

1. Type 1 Diabetes mellitus- Caused due to malfunction of pancreas in not producing enough insulin, due to which it is categorised as an autoimmune disorder and insulin administration is required.
2. Type 2 Diabetes mellitus- This is known to be caused due to obesity and lifestyle factors leading to spike in glucose levels and the body develops insulin resistance where the body is unable to respond to insulin. This is the most common type of diabetes.

It is important to remember that there is no cure for type 1 diabetes but type 2 can be controlled and reversed through lifestyle changes.

Conclusion

Ayurvedic treatment is one of the most sought after treatment methods even in the modern era due to –

• No side-effects
• Slow but long-lasting relief
• No consequence of imbalance in the body.

Since ayurvedic formulations are natural and herbal, they are effective with almost no side-effects while eliminating the disease from its root.

Consult a diabetes specialist to adopt an ayurvedic approach in treatment and management of diabetes.