Concept of Ama in Ayurvedic Medicine

Abstract

Ama is derived from the ‘Am’ Dhatu + ‘Nich’ Pratyaya. Ama is the substance which remains unripe, uncooked, immature and undigested. It means the substance which is still unripe and undergoes further digestion and associated changes. It is the outcome of improper digestion, the main cause of which is Agnimandya. It denotes the impaired metabolism that leads to build up the toxins, which cannot be neutralized or eliminated easily by the body. Ama vitiates Doshas and disturbs the Dhatu Samya, which lead to combination of Dosha and Mala by which the pathogenesis is initiated to develop certain diseases like Amavata, Grahani Dosha, Katigat Vata, Tamak Swasa etc. Thus, Ama denotes the transition from physiology to pathological conditions as it is the precursor of many inflammatory, infective and degenerative changes that ultimately causes the fully fledged diseases.