Jain Journal 1976 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 31

Ayambil Prevents Us from High Blood
Pressure & Heart Attacks
DR. J. C. BAID, M.S.
Ayambil is a type of fast people are doing for ages without knowing its scientific value. They are doing it just to complete their so called religious responsibility. After carefully going through its details, I realised its immense value in eradicating cardiac diseases.
The incidence of the above mentioned diseases are increasing with the average increase in the life-span. The main predisposing factors are more consumption of fat, sugar and salt in regular diet.
Fat gets deposited in the lumen of the blood vessels, resulting into lack of blood supply to the vital organs like heart, brain and kidneys, which in turn disturb the normal homeostasis of the body. Salt is also an enemy to the patients suffering from high blood pressure and cardiac troubles. Increased sodium contents in the body is the result of increased intake of salt in the diet and decrease of sodium in the urine. Sugar indirectly provokes the hypertension and heart attacks by increasing weight. Obesity is one of the predisposing factor of many diseases like diabetes, hypertension and cardiac, renal and respiratory insufficiencies. Thus it is an established fact now that apart from stress and strain, diet is an important factor in the causation of cardiac ailment.
Ayambil fast mentioned in Jaina religion, if practised once or twice a week in severe cases, the incidence of cardiac cases will certainly come down in old age group patients and also in obese people.
Ayambil means one meal consisting of fat free, salt free, sugar free food, not fried, no milk and no curd. Only boiled cereals-rice, or Cāpāti or similar cereal preparations. Boiled water only is consumed and that too in the day and not at night.
People do it for one week continuously twice a year. First before the summer, i.e., in early April and second, after the rainy season, i.e., in August. It certainly has scientific value on these two occasions as gastroentritis and many other digestive disturbances occur in