A voice for
herbal medicine

We share traditional, scientific and practical insights written by experienced herbalists and health experts from the world of herbal medicine and natural health

← Back to Insights

Cleansing from the Ayurvedic perspective: Which cleanse is suitable?

  • Jo Webber
    Jo Webber

    Joanna Webber is a fully qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner with a BSc in Ayurveda as well as a Hatha Yoga teacher. She loves to weave the two sister sciences together to support a more integrated approach to health. She lives in Somerset and spends all her spare time growing, foraging and cooking local, sustainable food and herbs. She is founder of the Ayurvedic Yogi clinic and co-founder of The Ayurveda Academy, offering practical and engaging courses combining Ayurveda’s ancient wisdom with modern insights on how to live well. You can follow her daily exploits on how to live an Ayurvedic lifestyle on Instagram.

    Listen to Jo Webber’s Herbcast episode “The journey of becoming a herbalist“.

  • 13:43 reading time (ish)
  • Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine Cleansing & Metabolising

Written by Jo Webber

Short periods of regular cleansing are considered an important part of an Ayurvedic lifestyle. This could mean once a week, once a month, or when the seasons change. The specific approach should take into consideration the constitution and current state of balance, strength and age, as well as environmental and seasonal influences. Like much of Ayurveda, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach and the length and intensity vary. Prolonged cleansing is usually not advised as it can weaken digestion. Many research studies support the benefits of ‘intermittent fasting’ which mimics how our ancestors ate with regular periods of reduced food intake or avoiding food completely (Patterson et al, 2017). Several studies also support the Ayurvedic concept that reducing eating in the evening and prolonging the period between our last meal and breakfast leads to sustained improvements in human health. Such regimens promote weight loss and improve metabolic health via positive effects on our circadian rhythm, gut microbiome and sleep quality. These approaches to cleansing are clearly outlined in ‘The Paleovedic diet’, ranging from alternate day fasting, a complete 24 hour fast, to eating one large meal every day (Palanisamy, 2015). They are being seen as offering promising non pharmacological approaches to improving health. However, even the gentlest cleanse is not appropriate for everyone, including pregnant or breastfeeding women, or the debilitated. On the other hand, if you are considering becoming pregnant, Ayurveda highly recommends that both partners undertake a cleanse approximately three months prior to conception. 

Jo Webber

Joanna Webber is a fully qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner with a BSc in Ayurveda as well as a Hatha Yoga teacher. She loves to weave the two sister sciences together to support a more integrated... Read more

Sign up to our Newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to receive the very latest in herbal insights.

Sign up to our newsletter