AN AYURVRDIC REVIEW OF BREAST MILK

*Dr. Roshan V. Dhumale and Dr.Vijaykumar U. Gawai

ABSTRACT

Ayurveda gives due importance on good nutrition at every stage of life, in order to preserve health of an individual. Breast milk is optimal food for almost all infants In the first year of life. Ayurvedic text describes the Ksheerap stage of child, in this the children up to one year of age have their main diet as milk. Ayurvedic and modern texts both describes breast milk in detail. Ayurvedic scholars have praised breast milk and mentioned many benefits of it .As per modern aspect, the 1st breast milk called as COLOSTROME should be fed to baby as it contains the antibodies which protects baby from many diseases. On other hand Ayurveda describes the 1st milk secrete after 3-4 days of delivery is called as PIYUSH or MORAT, which is guru and kaphakarak in nature and that’s why it is contraindicated for baby. In ayurvedic texts, stanya nirmiti (formation of breast milk), causes of stanya pravritti (breast milk ejection), stanyasampat (merits of breast milk), stanyakarya (functions of breast milk), stanya mahattva (importance of breast milk), stanya vikruti (disorders of breast milk), stanyavridhhi dravyas (drugs increasing quantity of milk) etc. are discussed in detail.

Keywords: Breast milk, Stanya nirmiti, Stanya pravritti, Stanyasampat, Stanyakarya, Stanya mahattva, Stanya vikruti, Stanyavridhhi dravyas.