Agni as immunity spices in boosting immunity Hypofunctioning of agni and low immune system.

1. 1

2. Topic : Role of Agni in
boosting Immunity
 Presenter: Dr Soumya P
Designation : 2nd year PG scholar , Dept of Kayachikitsa
Institute : BVVS Ayurveda medical college and hospital Bagalkot
2

3. Contents
 Introduction
 Importance of Agni
 Agni as innate immunity
 Agni / spices in immunity
 Hypo functioning of Agni and low immune system
 Jataragni / gastric juice a barrier in immunity
 Discussion
 Conclusion
 References
3

4. Introduction
samadoshah samagnischa samadhathu malakriyaha prasannatmendriya manaha svastha iti
abhidiyate | ( Ref- su su 15/47)
According to Ayurveda , when dosha ,dhatu,mala are in sama avstha and indriya atma ,mann all are
working properly then the person is considered as swastha .
For dosha dhatu mala to be in the state of proportionality agni should be normal ( samagni).
Agni in Ayurveda is correlated with digestive power of the body .
Agni is basically divided into 3 types ,jataragni in maintaining metabolism ,bhutagni and dhatvagni in
maintaining the cellular metabolism.
According to Astanga hrudayakara : rogaha sarve api manadagnou ( impaired agni is the root cause
for all diseases
Similar saying by Hippocrates : all diseases begins in your gut .
By these two statements we can infer that almost 80% of human immunity lies in GI tract
Thus functioning of jataragni can be compared with the GI tract immunity.
4

5. Importance of Agni
 Shanthe agnou mriyate , yukte chiram jeevatyanamayaha | (Ref – cha chi 15/4)
When the normal functioning of agni is hampered then the individual dies , as far as Agni remain
in sama avastha person live long without any ailments.
 Agnimoolam balam pumsam retomulam hi jeevitam tasmat sarva prayatnena agnim cha retam
cha rakshayet| (yogaratnakara)
Agni and retas are considered as source of strength and life hence one must protect them
 Ayurvarno balam svasthyamuthsahopaschayou prabha |
ojastejoagnayaha pranaschokta dehagnihetukaha || (Ref-cha chi 15/3)
 Agnayanti agryam janmam prapayanti iti | ( sha .kalp. Dru.)
Agni is foremost among that which controls our body and responsible for the janma ( life).
5

6. Agni as innate immunity
6
 Innate immunity is resistance that is pre-existing and
is not acquired through contact with a foreign
substance known as antigen
 Agni acts as a chemical barrier in stomach
Mode of action
Agni actsas GI tractimmunoglobulin ,by
preventingabsorptionofantigensfromfood
Acts as defence
Trapsthe organism
Hydrochloricacid ingastricjuice
Acts on digestive fire Agni (enzymes)
Enter stomach
Contain microbes
Food we ingest

7. Agni/ spices in immunity
 Spices are storehouse of antioxidants, minerals and
micronutrients
 Spices acts by speeding up of metabolism by 50%
and maintains it for 2 to 3hr.
 Acts by increasing mucosal discharge
 Acts by blocking the NfkB
 Acts by supressing anti-inflammatory cytokines .
 All spices with tikshna ,ushna and agneya
mahabhoota predominance acts on pathogens and
kills them and further helps to increase the
immunity.
7

8. Hypo functioning of Agni and low immune system
Here the treatment is to ignite AGNI
Fever etc
Allergic disease
Causing anaphylactic reaction
Acts as antigen in circulation
Decreases bhutagni
Enters circulation
Formation of ama – sukshma amarasa
Improper digestion
Mandagni
Rogaha sarve api mandagnou
8

9. Jataragni /gastric juice : A barrier in immunity
Jatara – means gut
Agni- fire
Jataragni – the agni present in jatara ( stomach and
duodenum)
a/c to ashtanga hrudaya , the seat of jataragni is grahani
(duodenum) [ Ref – As Hr Sha 3/50-
54]
Jataragni is considered as important among all because
each and every nutrient that one ingest, first comes to
jatara and is subjected to action of jataragni.
(Ref chakrapani)
Jatragni helps to separate the food composition into sara
and kitta bhaga.
And thus nourishes all dhathu and forms dhathu sara .
Jataragni controls all other bhutagnis and dhatvagnis.
9

10. Continued……..
 Gastric acid denatures proteins ,activates pepsinogen and augments the intestinal absorption of
dietary iron and calcium.
 The main function of gastric juice is to inactivate the ingested microorganism
 Gastric juice is a combination of HCL and pepsin
 Gastrin acts by releasing histamine from the so called ECL cells by activating gastrin receptors.
 In addition to immunological mechanism ,the gastric juice ,intestinal motility, bile and pancreatic
secretion and intestinal microflora constitute important line of defense against invasion of the gut
by microorganisms
 Based on research study
 H+ ions have an inhibitory effect on gastrin cell activity at pH<4, an increase in gastric pH leads
to a decrease in gastrin cell inhibition and an increase in gastrin release (Walsh et al. 1975).
 At pH below 4 the gastric juice has a powerful bactericidal effect, killing exogenous bacteria
introduced into the stomach usually within 15 min.
 The bactericidal effect is reduced at a pH above 4.0 (Gianella et al. 1972; Wilder‐Smith et al.
1992).
 Anything that raises the intragastric pH above 4 will allow bacterial overgrowth (Gianella et al.
1972). It is of interest that in healthy subjects, gastric acidity is maintained at a pH<4.0 (Cederberg
et al. 1993; Waldum 1995).
 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-7843.2005.pto960202.x
10

11. Discussion
 As it is clearly said in Ayurveda ,
“ rogaha sarve api mandagnou” by vagbhata( ref a.hr.ni 12/1)
 Research states , anything that raises intragastric pH above 4 will allow bacterial overgrowth
resulting in diseases.
 Mandagni leads to ama formation , due to its snigdha and guru guna ,thus interferes the pH level in
stomach and leads to amavisha the bacterial growth.
 Further causing allergic reactions ,autoimmune and metabolic disorders .
 In turns decreases the proper supply of macro and micronutrients leading to loss of immunity .
 Hence to overcome this , the agni should be in normalcy ( samagni), and pH should be <4.
 Hence at this stage amapachana dravya are given , with agni mahabhoota predominant.
 This holds good in present pandemic scenario : where the govt of Ayush has listed out the use of
spices such as turmeric , garlic, clove , pepper etc in daily routine ,
 So as to increase the Agni of individual , helping to fight against the Covid .
11

12. Conclusion
 Thus Agni plays a vital role in boosting immunity to fight
against pathogens .
 Agni is life living in each cell helping in cellular
metabolism and influx and efflux of nutrients.
 Hence preservation and protection of Agni is the
important to be in healthy state
 Tasmat vidhivatyuktairannapanendhanairhitaha |
( ref cha chi 5/136)
 References :
 Charakasamhita
 Sushrutha Samhita
 Asthanga hrudaya
 Research journal : https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-
7843.2005.pto960202.x
12

13. 13