Relation between kshudha (digestion) and oja (immunity) according to ayurveda

Digestion is the most important process to maintain the health. A healthy digestive system is essential for well being because every digestive disorder is caused due to improper digestion. Agni plays important role in digestion. In ayurvedic text it is describe that balanced condition of agni is responsible for proper production of oja. Oja is the essence of all the dhatus which are produce from digested food. It plays important role in building our immunity. Immunity cannot be produced only with immunity booster product but also proper balanced diet habits are important. In ayurvedic text hunger is also described as one of the cause of ojakshya. Oja is important factor for good health and relaxed condition of body and mind. This oja is depending on condition of agni. This article tries to show the relation between proper digestion and oja according to ayurveda.


INTRODUCTION:
Ayurveda states that the digestive system of an individual determines the health and well being of an individual. The healthy digestion is directly proportional to healthy living. Agni plays important role in digestion. (1) Agni is responsible for every transformation going on in living body. Also agni performs various function the nature of agni is described as Pittoshma. i.e.Pitta+Ushma. Here Ushma is the energy required for the transformations and Pitta facilitates this transformation. (2) There are 13 types of agni describe in the ayurveda-7 Dhatvagni, 5 Bhutagni and 1 Jatharagni. ( Samagni maintains the equilibrium of Dosha, Dhatu and Mala resulting in healthy status of body. Mandagni affects the ahara pachan kriya leading to production of saama ahara rasa, which ultimately causes rasa dhatwagni mandya and uttarottar dhatu remains malnourished. (6) In ayurvedic text an oja is described as 'Saptadhatusara'. (7) Due to dhatwagni mandya there is improper formation of rasa dhatu an uttorottara dhatu and hence there is improper prodution of oja.
Acharya Charak also states that jatharagni is also important causative factor for Bala, Varna, Swastha, Utsaha, Upachaya, Prabha, Oja and Teja etc. So this article intends to theoretically comprehend on the concept of digestion and oja.

Importance of digestion
Digestion is most important process to maintain the health. A healthy digestive system is essential for well being because every digestive disorder is caused due to improper digestion and all the digestive disorders affect person's health, due to this immunity of the person gets affected. (9)

Description of oja
Ayurvedic texts state that oja plays important role in building our immunity. Oja is the essence of all dhatus starting from rasa dhatu upto shukra dhatu . The place of the oja is hridya but it is present all over the body. Oja is the support of life. The condition of good health depends on oja. If oja is getting affected it shows adverse effects on our body. (10)

Relation between agni and oja
Oja is responsible for all the metabolism of body. Immunity cannot be produced only with immunity booster products but also proper balanced diet habits are important.

Types of oja
There are two types of oja-Para oja and Apara oja. According to some acharyas Para oja is ashta bindu in quantity and resides in heart. Death of individual occurs when para oja gets destroyed. Apara oja is eka anjali in quantity and it is present all over the body. Whenever there is loss of apara oja there is loss of immunity. (11)

Ojovruddhi and Ojakshaya
Ojovruddhi or proper oja is essential for healthy and enthusiastic body. Similarly decreased condition of oja means ojakshaya also shows certain symptoms on our body like weakness, sluggishness, loss of enthusiasm. According to Acharya Sushruta ojakshaya may leads to Murcha,Mansakshya,Pralap and Marana.
In ojakshaya immunity of the person decreases and he will get infected easily. (12)

Digestion & Oja
If one should not take proper diet or remains hungry for longer time, the digestive system gets affected. The products like carbohydrate, proteins, fats etc are produced after the process of digestion. Whenever digestive system is getting affected, these products are not produced in proper quantity.
All these components which are required for stronger immunity obtained through digestion and to maintain digestion proper diet have to be taken by avoiding fasting. One should avoid fasting for proper formation of oja in body. This oja is responsible for good health, relaxed condition of body and mind. Digested food is responsible for the nourishment of dhatu and nourished dhatu produced good quality of oja because oja is the essence of saptadhatu. If there is agnidushti then it affects the Kshudha (digestion). Due to improper digestion vikrutdhatu will form and improper quality of oja is produced which leads to unhealthy condition of body and mind. If there is samagni then the Kshudha (digestion) will be proper. Due to proper Kshudha (digestion) samdhatu will form and good quality of oja is produced which leads to healthy condition of body and mind. In ayurveda factors responsible for reduction of Oja are Ativyayam, Anashan, Chinta, Pramitashana, Vataatap seven, Bhaya, Rukshpan, Kala, Abhighat, Krodha, Ativyavaya, Prajagar. In between all the causes of ojakshaya, Anashana, langhan, ruksha, alpa-pramitashan affects digestion. (13), (14),(15) Due to all these causes digestive system get disturbed and affect the process of formation of saptadhatu.

DISCUSSION
Proper formation of saptadhatu is essential for production of oja.