A new scientific study has revealed the significant effectiveness of the Ayurvedic Whole System (AWS) in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting millions worldwide, the AAYUSH Ministry said on Thursday.

This research demonstrates that AWS not only alleviates the symptoms of RA but also induces a metabolic shift towards normalisation in patients, offering a promising complementary approach to conventional treatments, it said.

The study was conducted by a group of senior researchers from reputed research institutions, including Arthritis Treatment and Advanced Research Center (A-ATARC), Department of Kaya Chikitsa, State Ayurvedic College and Hospital, Lucknow University; Centre of Biomedical Research (CBMR), SGPGIMS Campus, Lucknow and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, the Ayush Ministry said in a statement.

“This study is significant from the perspective of possible pathology reversal in case of RA being treated with the whole system Ayurveda approach. This endorses ayurvedic concepts of ‘Samprapti Vighatan’ where a pathogenesis – disease complex is dismantled and ‘Doshas’ are brought back to normality,” the Ministry quoted the first author Sanjeev Rastogi.

Published in the PubMed-indexed research journal, Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medicine (JAIM), the study highlighted substantial improvements in key clinical parameters among RA patients who underwent AWS intervention. There was a notable reduction in Disease Activity Score-28 Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (DAS-28 ESR), as well as decreases in both the total number of swollen and tender joints.

Additionally, the Ama Activity Measure (AAM) Score, which assesses the presence of toxins in the body, also showed a significant reduction post-intervention.

The research further explored the metabolic profiles of RA patients, comparing them to healthy controls. At the study’s outset, RA patients exhibited elevated levels of certain metabolites, including succinate, lysine, mannose, creatine, and 3-Hydroxybutyrate (3-HB), alongside decreased alanine levels.

However, following AWS treatment, these metabolic markers began to shift towards the levels observed in healthy individuals, indicating a return to a more balanced metabolic state.

As per the researchers, this study is the first of its kind to clearly demonstrate the clinical efficacy of AWS in managing RA. The intervention not only reduced symptoms but also promoted a metabolic environment conducive to homeostasis, potentially leading to long-term benefits for RA patients.

The study’s authors emphasise the need for further research to confirm these preliminary results and to better understand the mechanisms through which AWS exerts its therapeutic effects.