Bones form the core of our body, giving every human their basic shape and size. But that’s not all! Bones have many critical roles to play; however, very often wear and tear that comes with aging starts eroding the bones, leading to multiple bone health complications, from osteoporosis and osteoarthritis to scoliosis.

Ayurveda refers to bone as ashtidhathu and is closely related to vata roga. This is why complications in the digestive tract, especially the intestines, cause serious bone-related issues. Vata roga is related to strong intestinal health; hence the presence of ama or toxins in the intestine increases the acidity of the blood. As a result, it takes up all the available calcium to neutralize the excessive acidity. This leads to weak and calcium-depleted bones. Hence, vata imbalance causes reduction in asthidhatu, resulting in osteoporosis.

In orthopedic treatment , we will find different body constitution requires different nutrition to support the bones. For example, people with a predominantly vata constitution require food rich in calcium to sustain their bones, so they have to include curd, root vegetables, sesame, and other nuts in their diet. People with pitta-based constitutions should include legumes such as beans, citrus fruits such as oranges, and kale in their diet, while those with kapha-based constitution should include green vegetables such as ladies finger and legumes.