Ayurveda weight gain treatment or brimhana therapy increases healthy body weight, boosts immunity and rejuvenates body tissues.
Table of content
Why underweight persons have to gain weight ?
Ayurveda weight gain therapy – Brimhana therapy
Who needs Ayurvedic Weight Gain Treatment ?
Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Weight Gain
Benefits of Ayurveda Brimhana Therapy or healthy weight gain therapy:
Why do underweight persons have to gain weight?
Frequently we come across many people who suffer from obesity and they struggle hard to lose weight. But there is a section of people who put a great effort to gain weight or increase their body weight. There are various ayurvedic weight gain recipes for this. Underweight men and women are at an increased risk of medical problems. Skinny women are more prone to miscarriages and breast cancer. Underweight men are at an increased risk of infertility problems, such as low sperm count, reduced semen volume, etc. Apart from these asthma, repeated lung infections, hair loss, dry skin, wrinkles, osteoporosis, arthritis, weakened immune systems, etc can affect men and women who are underweight. A good diet plan with well-balanced nutrients and a little change in lifestyle help to gain healthy body weight.
According to Ayurveda a person who has very low body fat or less medha dhatu experiences the following problems
1. His body immunity reduces. He is susceptible to infections.
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2. He experiences claibya or erectile dysfunction.
3. The quality and quantity of shukra dhatu (semen) reduce.
4. His iccha (libido ) decreases
5. The quantity of veerya (semen volume) reduces
6. He feels difficult to breathe.
7. He suffers from arshas (piles or haemorrhoids), pleeha vriddhi (enlargement of spleen) and grahani roga (IBS Irritable bowel syndrome)
Ayurveda weight gain therapy – Brimhana therapy
It is very important to maintain optimum weight (neither too obese nor too thin) to be healthy and active. Ayurveda adopts two types of treatments to maintain optimum body weight.
- Brimhana Chikitsa (ayurvedic weight gain treatment)
- Karshana Chikitsa (Ayurvedic treatment for obesity)
Ayurveda acharyas recommend a special therapy, called “Brimhana therapy” to increase body weight naturally, boost the immunity of the body and rejuvenate body tissues. This therapy helps the individual to gain healthy body weight and enhanced immunity.
Acharya Charaka defines brimhana therapy as follows.
This means the treatment which increases healthy body weight is brimhana therapy.
Commonly persons who are underweight have aggravated vata dosha. This causes lightness and dryness of tissues and prevents the accumulation of moistness and heaviness in the body. When we administer brimhana treatment, vata dosha reduces, there will be an increase in pitta dosha and kapha dosha . Thus three doshas get balanced and there will be a healthy weight gain. This is done after a prakruti analysis or constitution analysis.
Who needs Ayurvedic Weight Gain Treatment?
Texts of ayurveda recommend “brimhana therapy” or natural Healthy weight gain therapy for persons who have lost body weight due to the following reasons.
- When a person is suffering from chronic illness.
- When a person has to use medications regularly lifelong.
- In those who are addicted to alcohol.
- Men who overly masturbate and indulge in increased sexual activities.
- For those who suffer from psychological disorders like anxiety, stress, and depression.
- People who do heavy physical work like walking, carrying heavy loads etc.
- In persons who have aggravated vata.
- Women who have delivered babies and lactating.
- Children who are thin, weak, and underweight.
- In the elderly who have more vata imbalance.
In all the above conditions when a vaidya or physician observes muscle wasting, loss of energy, lowered immunity level, and weight loss, he has to opt for brimhana therapy.
Qualities of ayurvedic medicines and treatment which increase healthy body weight.
Heavy (Guru) –
The herbs and preparations used in this therapy are heavy in nature. Example – Oils, fats like ghee, banana, butter etc.
Cold (Sheeta)
These herbs are also body coolants and have coldness as their property. Example-. milk, grapes, banana etc are used.
Soft (Mrudu), smooth (Shlakshna), sticky (Picchila) –
Herbs that have the above qualities help in healthy weight gain.
The following foods and herbs can help to gain healthy weight in ayurvedic way.
- Fresh meat from young animals, fishes, and birds meat
- Milk, Ghee, Sugar, cheese, and other dairy products
- Raisins, dry fruits, nuts, beans, pomegranate, Aloe vera
- Oils, jaggery, sugarcane, jackfruit
- Sweet dishes, rice, wheat
- Sweet tasting (madhura rasa) fruits.
- Gambhari fruit – Gmelina arborea
Daily Activities that help to gain weight
Snana –
Snana or taking bath regularly helps to relax the mind and muscles (mamsa dhatu) .
Body massage
Massaging the body with ayurvedic herbal oils prepared with herbs like ashwagandha, bala, masha (urad dal or black gram ), etc in sesame oil, helps to improve muscle strength and blood circulation.
Good Sleep (swapna)
Regular good sleep for at least 6 – 7 hours at night helps the body to recover and gain a healthy weight.
Apart from the above-mentioned activities, oil enema with sweet substances and nourishing nasal drops also help to boost body bulk.
Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Weight Gain
Include foods which have earth and water as major elements
Vata causes emaciation or weight loss in body. Ayurveda physicians advise to use of herbs and other ingredients which have earth (prithvi mahabhuta) and water (ap mahabhuta) elements in larger proportions (These are included in 5 basic elements or Panchamahabhuta). Also natural foods which are sweet to taste (madhura rasa), help in this . Banana, Grapes , Raisins, Mango , Jackfruit , dates, rice , Urad dal (black gram), Moong (green gram ), ghee, milk , Sugarcane Juice, etc are best foods to gain weight. These foods alleviate vata and balance all three doshas. Dates with milk is best option to increase body bulk.
Avoid using soy (soybean), horse gram, karela (bitter gourd) and other bitter foods as they increase vata. Use spices like jeera (cumin seeds), saunf (fennel seeds), long pepper, cinnamon, badi elaichi (black cardamom), small cardamom (elaichi), ajwain (carom seeds), ginger etc in very little quantity. When used in small quantities, these spices increase appetite and digestion. But when used in excess they can cause weight loss when used in excess. These spices are used in large quantities while treating obesity in an ayurvedic way.
Massaging whole body with vata balancing herbal oil like ksheerabala oil or sesame oil is recommended for those who are willing to gain healthy weight. Oil massage balances vata and help to improve strength of mamsa dhatu or muscle tissue.
Using of ayurvedic herbal preparations called Brimhana Rasayanas like amalaka rasayana and drakshadi rasayana , help to increase healthy body weight and also boost immunity. Men can use Vajikarana Rasayana (Vajikara Lehyam) for weight gain and also to boost sexual energy. Ashwagandha is also a best herb for weight gain. Ashwagandha milk or ashwagandha ksheerapaka is ideal for brimhana therapy. Shatavari is another herb which helps to gain weight. Like ashwagandha even shatavari powder can be boiled in milk and consumed for weight gain.
Inclusion of ghee, milk, meat and other nutrient foods in diet helps to increase body weight. These foods must increase kapha and reduce vata.
Reducing stress and anxiety level, sleeping comfortably for long hours and taking afternoon naps are very essential to increase healthy body mass. Make it a habit to consume turmeric milk at night.
Restriction of strenuous physical activities also contributes to weight gain. But a regular brisk walk for 45 minutes is very essential to initiate weight gain. Walking also helps men who suffer from impotence.
Mix figs, almonds, dates and raisins in equal quantity. Add guda (jaggery) twice the proportion of dry fruits. Sauté this with pure cows ghee till it becomes like a jelly. Eat a teaspoon of this twice daily after food.
Benefits of Ayurveda Brimhana Therapy or healthy weight gain therapy:
The person who undergoes ayurvedic weight gain treatment or brimhana therapy enjoys the following benefits-
- The healthy body weight increases. Person looks healthy and fit.
- Body immunity gets a boost. Susceptibility to diseases reduces.
- Skin gains healthy and young look. Dryness of skin and wrinkles disappear. Luster and glow occupy the place of dullness.
- Energy levels increase.
- Men sexual problems like klaibya or erectile dysfunction, low sperm count, reduced semen volume etc disappear.
- Volume of milk increases in lactating mothers.
- Children gain energy, healthy body weight and can easily digest the food consumed. They become more resistant to common diseases like cough and cold.
- Recuperation from illness is achieved quickly without any complications.
If you are trying to gain weight, keep regular appointments with your doctor to make sure you are staying in a healthy range.
(Whats App Dr.Savitha Suri @+ 91 6360108663/ to know more about gaining healthy weight )
Author : Dr. Savitha Suri Consultant Ayurvedic Physician
Call us at +91 9945995660 / +91 9448433911
Whats App + 91 6360108663/
