Almost anywhere you turn, you will hear about digestive impurities, detoxifying, and colon cleanses. First of all, I would just like to say that doing a detox or colon cleanse by yourself is dangerous and you should only do one under a trained professional. Ayurveda has a lot to say about impurities and cleansing processes. In Sanskrit, impurities resulting from incomplete digestion and metabolism is known as Ama. Madhav Nidan Samhita, a text of Ayurveda, states, “The place where ama resides gives rise to pain and becomes the origin for many diseases.”

When there is an accumulation of Ama, it means that the srotas (channels of circulation) are blocked. Ama gives rise to many diseases including diseases of the colon and heart. Some of the preliminary symptoms of ama are deranged strength, heaviness, laziness, indigestion, repeated spitting, constipation, no taste for food, and mental and physical fatigue.

An experienced Vaidya (Ayurvedic physician) will be able to tell you how much ama you have and whether or not you are in need of cleaning out the channels.

If you do have ama, the first thing you want to do is clear it out. You can use spices, such as ginger, cumin, fennel, and black pepper, which will increase your digestive power. Drinking hot water will also clear out the channels and remove any impurities. You can mix in the spices with the water if you like. Then, the next step is to cleanse the digestive tract and the best, safe way to do that is to drink hot water with ginger, turmeric, fennel, and lemon. These are two effective and simple ways to eliminate ama and restore your digestive power.

But remember, rather than having to eliminate ama, the best measure is to prevent the build-up of ama. A healthy balanced diet and a balanced routine will help in the prevention of ama.