Ama Reduction

What is Ama?

Ama is the toxic product of improperly digested food. It blocks the subtle channels of the body, disturbs digestion and attracts localized imbalances of the Doshas that may give rise to disease. For example, Rheumatoid Arthritis was originally described by Ayurveda as the accumulation of Ama in the joints combined with Vata.

Ama most commonly results from either weak digestion or improper dietary habits. The modern American lifestyle causes many people to adopt habits that contribute to the formation of Ama, especially from eating a late heavy dinner, frequent eating out, and reliance on processed, convenience food. Too often the diet does not include a proper balance of all six tastes and the meal is eaten in a rush without attention on the food.

Other factors that disturb the digestive fire (Agni) and which contribute to the formation of Ama include:

Over-eating
Fasting
Irregular eating habits
Eating during indigestion or emotional upset
Suppression of natural urges to urinate, defecate, sneeze, yawn, cry, belch, pass wind, eat, drink, breathe or sleep
Intake of unsuitable food or food combinations
- Too heavy, cold, rough, raw
- Leftover, spoiled or frozen
- Cheese or yogurt and other heavy foods taken in evening
- Milk not boiled before drinking or combined with other foods such as eggs, fish, sour or salty tastes
- Improper use of purgatives, enemas and self-induced vomiting

Ama Visha Needs Special Attention

Ama Visha is a highly reactive form of Ama that often signals external toxins. It may also be associated with a Pitta imbalance. If your Ama Visha score is elevated, you'll benefit by thinking deeply about your exposures including work, hobbies and home environment. For example, older homes, particularly those painted before 1978, may be a source of lead. Many Vietnam War veterans were exposed to Agent Orange. There is increasing recognition of the risks of endocrine disruption from a variety of chemicals including plasticizers. What chemicals are you or your gardener adding to your property?

Food can also be source of environmental toxins. For example, large fish like tuna concentrate mercury that has passed up the food chain. Certain conventionally grown foods may be heavily contaminated with pesticide residues. Glyphosate (Roundup) residues are now pervasive while their long-terms effects remain unknown. Are you following a lactovegetarian diet? Do you favor organically grown foods?

How Do I Reduce Ama?

If Ama is accompanied by significant symptoms or highly disturbed digestion, then it's a good idea to seek consultation. Otherwise, there are a few simple steps that anyone can take to reduce the burden of Ama, in addition to correcting faulty eating habits.

Boiled Water Routine

Amazingly enough, frequent sips of boiled water between meals during daylight hours can do wonders for mobilizing Ama and unblocking the channels of the body. Each morning, bring a quart of water to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Then pour it in a thermos. For maximum effect, boil the water with 1/2 tsp. each of fennel, cumin and coriander seeds. Then strain into your thermos. Take an ounce or two as hot as is comfortable every 20-30 minutes. You can get these spices indiviudally in bulk or premixed in a form known commonly as CCF Tea. If you are suffering from hyperacidity or other Pitta imbalance, skip the cumin seed and allow the water to cool a bit in your cup before sipping.

Four weeks of this routine is often sufficient to make a big impact, if you correct the causative habits. Those with high Ama should generally continue for three months.

Light Diet

The metabolism has a lot of work to do in "cooking" the Ama. You can facilitate the process by shifting to a lighter diet for a few weeks - in quality and quantity. That means avoiding heavy foods or taking them only occasionally in small amounts at lunch. Consider using the Purification Diet as a guide if you want to accelerate your progress.

Here are the most important points:

Take your main meal at noon.
Favor soupier foods and stews, especially in the evening.
Heavy foods include animal flesh, eggs, nuts, fried food, avocado, banana, root vegetables, cheese, undiluted yogurt and sour cream.
Have dilute lassi with lunch or as an afternoon snack (1 part fresh yogurt to 4-5 parts water). It's nourishing and helps to strengthen the digestion. See Yogurt for more information.
Add flax seed (about 1 Tbs.) and/or psyllium husks (about ½ -1 tsp.) to your lunch and dinner. This will improve elimination and provide a source of fiber and essential fatty acids.

If you are overweight, consider a liquid fast one day per week on a regular schedule.

Tongue Scrapping

Before brushing your teeth in the morning, scrape your tongue. Traditionally a U-shaped sterling silver scraper is used, but stainless steel will suffice. It is much more efficient and satisfying than using a tooth brush for this purpose. The scrapping process removes coatings from the tongue (a form of Ama), freshens the breath, and stimulates digestion.

Lemon-Honey Water

If hyperacidity is not a problem, first thing in the morning after scrapping your tongue, brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth, drink a cup of warm water with 1 tsp. raw honey and a little squeeze of fresh lemon or lime. This cleanses the digestive tract and stimulates digestion. If there is acidity, skip the citrus.

Spices

Use spices appropriate for balancing your Doshas according to any symptoms of imbalance or to the season. Spices not only balance the digestive fire, the make the food itself more digestible. See the diet sheets for details.

Herbs

Herbs are a beneficial adjunct to the elimination of Ama. I highly recommend them when digestion is significantly disturbed. If you order herbs or personal care products from Maharishi Ayurvedic Products (MAPI.com) using the links on my website, you will receive a 20% discount on most products except Amrit. I will receive a 20% commission. If you order products from Banyan Botanicals (banyanbotanicals.com) using the links on my website, I will receive a 15% commission. You can get a one-time 15% discount by using this code: EDWARDS15.

Organic Triphala Rose

Take 2-4 tablets (2-4 gm.) at bedtime with warm water or boiled milk. The higher dose might be needed if you suffer from constipation. Triphala gently cleanses the digestive tract and has Rasayana value. The cabbage rose component provides a little extra soothing for Pitta. Plan to take this for at least 3 months.

The comparable Banyan productfeatures 500 mg tablets instead of 1000 mg, so twice the number of tablets would be required to achieve the same dose. But Banyan offers Triphala Powder which is the most cost-effective solution if you can handle the taste. Take up to 1 tsp. in 1/4 cup warm water.

Aci-Balance

If you suffer from hyperacidity, reflux or excessive hunger, you will find this beneficial. Take two tablets twice daily. When taken after meals, it is most balancing for digestion. When taken on an empty stomach, about 8 AM and 4 PM, it helps to eliminate Ama as well.

The Banyan alternative is Pitta Digest Tablets. Dosing is the same.

Herbal Digest

Herbal Digest is helpful for those who suffer from irregular hunger with bloating, gas, cramps or constipation. It is also excellent for those with weak digestion with lack of appetite or heaviness after meals, who are overweight or frequently have the sensation that the food just sits there. Those who have both acidity and weak digestion can take this along with Aci-Balance. Chew two tablets twice a day before the first bite of food at lunch and dinner. Since it contains some salt, do not take before a milk-based porridge like oatmeal. If needed, chew a thin slice of fresh ginger instead.

Banyan offers a somewhat stronger product, Vata Digest Tablets. It could be better for those with cramps and bloating. On the other hand, it might be more likely to aggravate acidity in those who have been having such Pitta-related trouble. Dosing is the same: chew 1-2 tablets before the first bite of food. Vata Digest Tablets are equivalent to Hingvastak Powder. Hingvastak Powder (aka Churna) can be sprinkled on food or taken mixed with a little warm water before meals. The usual dose would be up to 1/4 tsp.

Detoxification

If you are suffering from the ill effects of Ama, the first step is to follow the above process. After the burden of Ama has been reduced, you may proceed with detoxification procedures. While these are best timed to the change of seasons, as long as your Ama Score is no greater than mild, you can undertake detoxification whenever your schedule can accommodate the requirements.