Effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicines in iron deficiency anemia: A review

Abstract

Anemia is a major global public health issue that mostly affects young children, menstruating adolescent girls and women, and pregnant and postpartum women. The most typical kind of anemia worldwide is iron deficiency anemia (IDA). According to a World Health Organization report, IDA accounts for half of all cases of anemia. The emphasis is moving toward investigating alternative therapy modalities as a result of an expanding amount of data on the adverse effects and long-term implications of conventional treatments for IDA. Ayurveda offers several formulations for the management of IDA. This study will provide the strength of evidance based Ayurveda herble remedies to manage the IDA by the review of published clinical trials which has been competed. Data searches were conducted using databases, including Medline, Cochrane Database, Embase, AYUSH research portal, and many others. All randomized controlled trials involving individuals with IDA using Ayurveda formulations (alone or in combination) with an exposure period of ≥4 weeks were included. The primary outcome assessed was hemoglobin levels. Ten clinical studies were selected, evaluating various Ayurvedic formulations including Aamalki Rasayan, Dhatri Avleha, Dhatri Lauha, Opuntia elatior juice, Trikatrayadi Lauha suspension, Dhatryarishta, Trikatrayadi Lauha, Kasisa Bhasma, Punarnava Mandura, and Pandughni Vati, all of which were found effective in treating IDA. No untoward effects were observed. Most of the Ayurvedic formulations showed statistically significant improvements in subjective and hematological parameters. From this review, it can be concluded that the results of clinical studies conducted on IDA demonstrate the definite role of Ayurveda medication in managing the condition.