Ayurveda (Sanskrit Ayurveda ????????, "life-knowledge"; English pronunciation /?

a?.?r've?d?/[1]) or Ayurvedic medicine is a system of Hindu traditional medicine

[2] native to the Indian subcontinent and a form of alternative medicine. The ol
dest known Ayurvedic texts are the Susrutha Sa?hita and the Charaka Sa?hita. The
se Classical Sanskrit texts are among the foundational and formally compiled wor
ks of Ayurveda.

CharakBy the medieval period, Ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medi
cinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments
.[3] Practices that are derived from Ayurvedic medicine are regarded as part of
complementary and alternative medicine,[4] and along with Siddha Medicine and Tr
aditional Chinese medicine, forms the basis for systems medicine.[5]
Concerns have been raised about Ayurvedic products; U.S. studies showed that up
to 20% of Ayurvedic U.S. and Indian-manufactured patent medicines sold through i
nternet contained toxic levels of heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic
.[6][7]
Contents [hide]
1 Eight components of Ayurveda
2 Principles and terminology
3 Practice
3.1 Diagnosis
3.2 Treatment and health protection
3.3 Natural medical substances used
3.4 Panchakarma
4 History
4.1 Origins
4.2 Main Texts
4.3 Illnesses portrayed
4.4 Further development and spread
5 Current status
5.1 India
5.2 Nepal
5.3 Sri Lanka
5.4 Outside the Subcontinent
6 Scientific appraisal
7 Use of toxic metals
8 See also
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links