Koshtha - Explore The Gut Behaviour

 

Key Factors- 

• Koshtha physiologically defined as bowel movements or gut behavior of the individual.
• It follows the Agni i.e digestive fire.
• Koshtha has significance for a physician as well as for a healthy being.
• For physicians, it is important to decide the dose of medicine.
• In every stage of the panchakarma procedure, koshtha assessment has great significance. 
• For healthy beings assessment of koshtha is beneficial to understand their own body and to prevent several diseases.

Koshtha And It's Assessment 

The term koshtha is explained in Ayurveda in two situations, one as an anatomical position and secondly as a physiological term which represents the gut behaviour. 

Koshtha has three types based on the Prakriti(basic constitution) of an individual. 

1. Krura Koshtha
2. Mrudu Koshtha 
3. Madhyam Koshtha 

For assessment of koshtha, one can evaluate its own koshtha with the help of standardized classical criteria. 

For assessing Krura Koshtha criteria are-

• Does not pass stools regularly.
• Stools are hard and dry.
• Requires a long time for defecation.
• Feel unsatisfactory defecation.
• Requires enormous straining.

How to maintain a healthy krura koshtha?

• Make sure to practice an abhyanga on regular basis.
• Avoid excessive exercise.
• Restricts Fasting.
• Time to time purification of the body especially Basti karma is beneficial in maintaining krura koshtha.
• Avoid suppression of natural urges like urination, defecation, etc.
• Late-night awakening should be restricted.
• Stress and fear should be avoided.
• Cut down excessive consumption of cold foods.
• Consumption of Sweet, Sour, and Lavana should be promoted(except Diabetic and hypertensive patients).

For assessing Mridu Koshtha criteria are -

• Individual passes stools daily once or twice regularly.
• Easy defecation.
• Less time required for defecation.
• The satisfactory feeling after defecation.
• Semi-formed or formed stools.
• More prone to diarrhea. 

How to maintain a healthy mridu koshtha?

• Promotes the consumption of ghee in the food.
• Consumption of cold food should be encouraged.
• Make sure to include milk in daily routine.
• Restricts the consumption of hot, sour, and salty foods.
• Consumption of curd should keep under control.
• Exposure to sunlight should restrict.
• Exposure to moonlight should be raised.
• Control anger.

For assessing Madhyam Koshtha criteria are -

• He/She passes stool daily once.
• Formed stools are passed.
• Requires minimum stress during defecation. 
• The satisfactory feeling after defecation.
• Requires a little longer time during defecation.

How to maintain a healthy madhyam koshtha?

• Promotes the consumption of honey.
• Encourages to practice fasting or a moderate amount of food.
• Avoids heavy to digest food.
• Cut down the utilization of sweets.
• Day sleep should be avoided completely.
• Limits the usage of ghee.
• Exercise should be done daily. 

Why it is important to understand koshtha?

As koshtha is decided from conception it is not possible to change it but it is important to manage the health of koshtha with some diet and lifestyle modification. Healthy koshtha prevents several diseases and promotes the healthy well being.

It is also important to understand the koshtha as it is followed by our Agni( digestive fire). Healthy koshtha leads to healthy Agni and well being of Agni is required to combat the diseases.

For the physician point of view assessment of koshtha is one of the most important tasks as understanding the patient's koshtha is necessary to decide the dose of medications as well as in every stage of panchakarma koshtha assessment plays a key role.