Cover The gut-brain connection: Understanding why Ayurveda holds the key to women’s gut health (Photo: Getty Images)
The gut-brain connection: Understanding why Ayurveda holds the key to women’s gut health (Photo: Getty Images)
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On Global Wellness Day, Tatler finds out how the future of women’s gut health may lie in going old school
Gut health affects everyone, and women are more prone to stomach issues than men. Here’s why: every month, women’s bodies go through changes due to their periods. The hormones that regulate their periods can also mess with digestion, causing bloating, bathroom troubles and that uncomfortable feeling that your stomach just isn’t working right. During big life changes like having a baby or going through menopause, these stomach problems often get much worse and can persist for years.
Modern medicine’s approach to women’s gut health often focuses on symptom management rather than addressing root causes. Patients bounce between gastroenterologists, gynaecologists and psychiatrists, receiving fragmented care that treats individual symptoms without recognising the interconnected nature of digestive wellness. This results in a growing number of women being dependent on medications that mask the problems rather than solve them.
Also read: Wellness retreats, healing villages and sustainability: Exploring Ayurveda’s lasting appeal
Above Amla or gooseberry is one of the key ingredients in triphala, which supports gut health and digestion (Photo: Pexels)
Amla or gooseberry is one of the key ingredients in triphala, which supports gut health and digestion (Photo: Pexels)
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This is precisely where Ayurveda’s 5,000-year-old wisdom becomes revolutionary rather than antiquated. Ayurveda views digestive health as the foundation of overall wellness, recognising that nearly every health issue can be traced back to compromised digestion.
The gut produces approximately 90 per cent of the body’s serotonin and 50 per cent of its dopamine, which are crucial for mood regulation and cognitive function. Ayurveda understood this gut-brain connection millennia before neurogastroenterology became a recognised medical speciality. The system’s emphasis on individualised treatment based on individual body constitution (vata, pitta, kapha) aligns remarkably with current research on personalised medicine and the unique microbiome signatures that influence gut health.
Ayurvedic herbs restore the body’s natural digestive capacity from within
In India, several wellness centres are targeting to heal women’s gut health by following dedicated Ayurveda practices. One such is Dharana at Shillim, a luxury wellness resort located just a few hours’ drive from Mumbai. Their approach combines traditional diagnostic methods with modern testing to create personalised treatment plans that address individual constitutional needs while incorporating contemporary nutritional science.
From the moment guests check in, the medical expert team at Dharana conducts a body constitution checkup, and based on the findings, they customise a specific Ayurvedic diet for each guest.
According to Dharana at Shillim CEO Gavin de Souza, this gut purification approach is based on the idea of “panchakarma.” He says, “Panchakarma is Ayurveda’s comprehensive detoxification system, which offers a systematic way of eliminating accumulated toxins while also strengthening digestive function. Unlike trendy cleanses that can shock the system, panchakarma works gradually to reset digestive capacity without causing additional stress to an already compromised gut.”
Above At Dharana at Shillim, guests are served customised meals based on the concept of panchakarma
At Dharana at Shillim, guests are served customised meals based on the concept of panchakarma
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Ayurvedic treatments focus on adjusting the element of “agni” or heat in our body through dietary changes, herbal formulations and lifestyle modifications. For example, triphala, a combination of three fruits (amla, haritaki and bibhitaki), has been used for centuries to support digestive function and is now backed by clinical studies that show its effectiveness in improving gut motility.
“Pharmaceutical interventions can often create dependency, but Ayurvedic herbs work from within to restore the body’s natural digestive capacity,” says de Souza.
This means that for women struggling with digestive issues, Ayurveda offers something conventional medicine often lacks: hope for genuine healing rather than lifelong management. The growing body of research supporting Ayurvedic interventions for gut health suggests that the future of women’s digestive wellness may lie not in newer drugs, but in rediscovering the profound wisdom of the past.
Suchetana Mukhopadhyay is the Digital Content Manager for Tatler Hong Kong. In this role, she leads all digital editorial and branded content on Tatler Hong Kong’s website, from brainstorming story ideas with the writers to editing and publishing the articles, and from managing the overall content flow to driving search engine optimisation. She also leads the beauty content at Tatler Hong Kong and across the region, and is always looking to champion diversity through her articles. She was previously with Cedar Hong Kong and Gafencu, and freelanced for the South China Morning Post, Campaign Asia-Pacific, CNN and more. Contact her here.
