When people think of Ayurveda, they often think of wellness treatments such as the well-known forehead pour that many hotels use to advertise their spa areas. In fact, Ayurveda is probably the oldest traditional medicine in the world, as it has been handed down without interruption for more than 2,000 years and thus has an extremely comprehensive empirical knowledge. Neither TCM, which was only politically revived in the 20th century, nor European medicine - with the exception of the writings of Hildegard von Bingen - can look back on such a tradition.
Ayurveda means "science of life" (ayus = "life" and veda = "knowledge") and has its roots in the holy Indian scriptures, the so-called Vedas, which, like traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), combine physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects. In Ayurveda, nutrition is particularly important - both in the prevention and treatment of diseases. Spices and herbs are used specifically as remedies. In Ayurveda, spices are comparable to the herbal teas of Western naturopathy. We have put together the most important spices and herbs for you in this category.