Things my mum would say
Last year, I posted a series of Instagram posts about the things that my mum would say or do when I was a child, which I’ve now learnt have their roots in the science of Ayurveda.
Growing up, my mum would advise us on what to do, what to eat, and when, just like all mothers do. But, as a teenager, anything our parents suggest needs a reason to even consider it. On top of that, if what our mum is suggesting doesn't correlate with what the rest of society is doing, what we're seeing on screen, in the books, and being told by scientists, there's even more reason to be sceptical of it.
Learning Ayurveda over the years, I've come to understand the underlying principles behind those tips my mum was giving me. She is of a generation that didn't question these practices but understood that they were beneficial, so is also finding it interesting to hear about the rationale behind them.
The nurse in me tries to marry up all this information with modern-day research because we're always told how important it is to use evidence-based practice. But, how do we define evidence? Does it have to be a randomised-controlled trial published in a journal? And do we need modern science to justify and validate our intuitive knowledge of millennia?
Here are those home remedies and practices that once seemed absurd but are actually backed by science, both Ayurveda, and the modern-day one:
1. What my mum used to say: “Onions are good for you – they clean your blood”
What Ayurveda says:
Pungent foods like onions have a purifying effect.
What modern research shows:
Onions have an anti-platelet (reduce stickiness of blood) effect (1, 2), reduce blood cholesterol levels (3), and reduce blood glucose (4, 5, 6) levels among many other activities. So, it could be interpreted and understood as blood purification.
2. What my mum used to say: “Don’t exercise, lift heavy things or do too much around your period.”
What Ayurveda says:
The week leading up to our period is marked by Pitta so we need to take things easy rather than over-exerting ourselves, leading to exhaustion, irritation, and possibly heavy bleeding. Our bleeding days are overseen by Vata, and again, we run the risk of depletion if we over-do it.
What modern science says:
The week before our period, progesterone is building but is easily knocked off by stress (cortisol competes for the same precursor). Outside of preparing and nourishing the body for a pregnancy, progesterone is important for good sleep (7, 8, 9, 10) feeling calm (enhances the GABA neurotransmitter) (8), helping bone formation (11, 12, 13), and protecting our brain and nerve cells (14, 15, 16, 17). So, it makes sense to take things easy in the time leading up to our period.
3. What my mum used to say: “Soak and peel the almonds”
Ayurveda teaches us that by soaking and peeling the skin, the almonds become easier to digest and increase ojas (immunity).
Modern science shows us that soaking and peeling almonds removes the excess anti-nutrients (phytic acid reduces mineral absorption) and releases enzymes that improve absorption (18).
4. In our house, head massages were a regular occurrence. I don’t know if it was my mum’s way of managing three under-5s or something else, but all I knew was when she offered it, we’d run to sit between her feet and melt while having our scalp kneaded.
The Ayurvedic view:
Of the 107 marma points we have on our body, 37 are on our head, face and neck. These are vital points where nerves, vessels and joints intersect. They are also important junction sites for our spiritual wellbeing as locations where Prana (life-force) or consciousness can be accessed. Through massaging these points, we can release blocked energy, promoting improved nervous system function and overall wellbeing.
The modern, scientific view:
Massage of the scalp stimulates blood supply to the area (19, 20). Studies show following head massage, participants had increased parasympathetic nervous system activation, reducing their blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones (cortisol, norepinephrine) (21, 22, 23). It has also been shown to reduce anxiety and depression symptoms (24, 22).
From an evolutionary perspective, social grooming behaviours have long been universally practiced in the animal kingdom. Whether to nurture, for hygiene purposes, to create social bonding, to relieve aches and stress, for appearances, or just to feel good!
5. When we were unwell, my mum would put oil into our belly button
The Ayurvedic view:
The naval is a vital point for several reasons. An important structure when we are in our mother's womb, the umbilical area is a central marma point, the centre where our 72,000 nadis (energetic channels) meet, and holds prana (our life force). Anatomically, Ayurveda recognises it as a point where there is a higher concentration of vessels under its thin skin, creating an easier access to our circulatory system. The practice of pouring oil into the naval is known as nabhi chikitsa in Ayurveda. It has wide-ranging benefits from restoring digestive capacity, relieving digestive symptoms, improving skin health, strengthening immunity, and relieving disruption in other underlying structures (intestines, uterus) because of improved blood flow and detoxification. As the location for the Manipura chakra, nabhi chikitsa also impacts our emotional wellbeing, releasing deep-seated emotions, restoring a sense of vitality and confidence. It is an exceptionally relaxing treatment.
Modern scientific view:
The belly button is a converging point for many large blood vessels that serve the underlying organs (25). It makes sense then that stimulating it could have some effect on these organs such as improved blood flow. It is also innervated by the vagus nerve. This is our longest nerve (mixed sensory and motor), stretching from our brain and branching out to various organs in our body. It is responsible for both autonomic (involuntary) physiological functions of the body, as well as our stress responses. Because it supplies the body with parasympathetic nerve fibres, it gets us into a state of rest (lowered heart rate, digestion etc.) Since the vagus nerve terminates in the abdominal region, and the belly button contains a cluster of nerves (26, 27), it is thought that stimulating it can be therapeutic for our nervous system.
In many cultures across the world, ancient knowledge was preserved and passed down the generations through stories, song and dance. As it became common practice in households, it became second nature so people wouldn’t ask why. I’m grateful I was exposed to these practices and knowledge from such a young age, and now that I’ve learnt the underlying science, it fascinates me even more.
References:
1. Ali et al. (1999) Effect of raw versus boiled aqueous extract of garlic and onion on platelet aggregation. Prostaglandins, leukotrienes and essential fatty acids, 60(1)
2. Yamada et al., (2004) An onion variety has natural antithrombotic effect as assessed by thrombosis/thrombolysis models in rodents. Thrombosis Research, 114(3)
3. Huang et al. (2021) Effect of onion on blood lipid profile: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Food, Science & Nutrition, 9(7)
4. Hoffman et al., 2016) Inhibition of the glycaemic response by onion: a comparison between lactose-tolerant and lactose-intolerant adults. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70
5. Jafarpour-Sadegh et al. (2016) Consumption of fresh yellow onion ameliorates hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance in breast cancer patients during Doxorubicin-based chemotherapy: A randomised-controlled clinical trial. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 16(3)
6. Jung et al (2011) Onion peel extracts ameliorate hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Nutrition & Metabolism, 28
7. Caufriez et al. (2011) Progesterone prevents sleep disturbances and modulates GH, TSH and melatonin secretion in postmenopausal women. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96(4)
8. Lancel et al. (1996) The GABA(A) receptor antagonist picrotoxin attenuates most sleep changes induced by progesterone. Psychopharmacology, 141(2)
9. Plamberger et al. (2020) Impact of menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptives on sleep and overnight memory consolidation. Journal of Sleep Research, 30(4)
10. Schussler et al. (2008) Progesterone reduces wakefulness in sleep EEG and has no effect on cognition in health postmenopausal women. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 33(8)
11. Ishida & Heersche (1997) Progesterone promotes proliferation and differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells in bone cell populations derived from adult female but not adult male rats. Bone, 20(1)
12. Prior (2018) Progesterone for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in women. Climacteric, 21(4)
13. Seifert-Klauss & Prior (2010) Progesterone and bone: Actions promoting bone health in women. Journal of Osteoporosis
14. Djebalili et al. (2005) The neurosteroids progesterone and allopregnanolone reduce cell death, gliosis and functional deficits after traumatic brain injury in rats. Journal of Neurotrauma, 22(1)
15. Liu et al. (2012) Progesterone receptors: A key for neuroprotection in experimental stroke. Endocrinology, 153(8)
16. Pettus et al. (2005) Progesterone treatment inhibits the inflammatory agents that accompany traumatic brain injury. Brain Research, 1049(1)
17. Zhu et al. (2017) A role of endogenous progesterone in stroke cerebroprotection revealed by the neural-specific deletion of its intracellular receptors. The Journal of Neuroscience, 37(45)
18. Lee & Mitchell (2019) Determination of d-myo-inositol phosphates in ‘activated’ raw almonds using anion-exchange chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Journal of the Science of Food & Agriculture, 99(1)
19. Soga et al. (2014) Effects for scalp blood flow and properties from scalp massage. Journal of Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan, 48(2)
20. Tan et al. (2020) Mechanical stimulation of the scalp improves the extra- and intracranial blood circulation in humans and mice. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences. 7(4)
21. Kim et al. (2016) The effect of a scalp massage on stress hormone, blood pressure and heart rate of healthy female. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(10)
22. Murota et al. (2016) Physical and psychological effects of head treatment in the supine position using specialised Ayurveda-based techniques. The Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 22(7)
23. Shimada et al. (2013) Effects of scalp massage on physiological and psychological indices. Journal of Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan, 47(3)
24. Kim et al. (2023) The effect of scalp massage on adult stress. Journal of the Korean Society of Cosmetology, 29(4)
25. Stokes et al. (1998) Arterial vascular anatomy of the umbilicus. Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, 102(3)
26. Blyumkin (1957) The functional significance of the innervation of the human umbilical cord. Bulletin of Experimental Biology & Medicine, 43
27. Fox & Jacobson (1969) Innervation of the human umbilical cord and umbilical vessels. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 103(3)