People keen to treat lifestyle diseases with herbs

BHOPAL: More and more people are turning up to ayurveda and the traditional herbs for treatment of lifestyle diseases. The first day of the annual Van Mela (forest fair) at the Lal Parade ground here on Friday saw a large number of people from different sections of the society turning up to get information on traditional therapies and herbs.
It's not just the poor, this time it is mostly the white-collar executives and self-employed and their families who are trying out the herbal medicines to cure ailments like spinal disorders, back pain, rheumatic and arthritis, hypertension, cardiac disorders and even genetic disease like diabetes.
Stress at job and hypertension have made life of most people miserable presently, said Man Singh Verma, a vaidhya from Chhindwara.
People's faith in Ayurveda has gone up manifold as there are no side effects, said another vidhya Balram Jawre who claims to specialize in diabetes treatment and weight reduction herbs.
After the mela was inaugurated on Thursday evening, a large number of people thronged the different stalls put up at the ground.
The stalls, some with the rustic vaidyas and others with more sophisticated ayurveda practitioners offers an array of herbs and herbal products. Organised by MP state minor forest produce corporation, the fair will continue till November 26.
In the past years, people normally visited the stalls looking for herbal aphrodisiacs like ashwagandha, shilajit, sarpgandha and safed musli. Besides, some stalls would also offer medicines that claimed to guarantee male child birth.
Rakesh Parihar, a sales executive was seen consulting herb seller from Chhindwara who claimed to have some herbs that can control hypertension.
"Job sales' target exert pressure leading to a stressful life, hypertension and often diabetes to the people working in sales line", he said adding, "allopathic medicines provide instant relief, but herbal medicines work wonders if one gets genuine herbs".
A large number of people have also been seeking herbal remedy for arthritis, migraine, hair fall, respiratory and skin problems among others.
"When people fail to get results in allopathy, they turn to Ayurveda", Mansingh Verma, the vaidhya from Chhindwara said.