Describing the effects of Rasayana, the classical texts of Ayurveda say that from Rasayana one attains longevity, improved harmony and intelligence, freedom from disorder, youthful vigor, excellence of luster, complexion and voice, optimum strength of physique and senses, command over language, respectability and brilliance. Ayurveda considers the physical structure to be composed of 7 dhatus starting from Rasa {Rasadi Dhatus} and Rasayana is the tool to create premium dhatus (body tissues). The main utility of Rasayana therapy is in functional and degenerative disorders that have a chronic or long standing nature. In such cases, in fact, Rasayana is the only solution from the point of view of effective management in any system of medicine.

Rasayana becomes more fruitful and effective if it is preceded with suitable panchakarma (purificatory therapy). The reason we see mixed results in many cases where Rasayana is employed is because of the fact that either this purification is not done or improperly done.

Panchakarma is a bio-cleansing regimen comprising of five main procedures that facilitates better bioavailability of the pharmacological therapies, helps to bring about homeostatis of body-humors, eliminates disease-causing complexes from the body and checks the recurrence and progression of disease. The five fold measures comprehended in this therapy are-Vamana (Therapeutic Emesis), Virechana (therapeutic Purgation), Asthapana Vasti (Therapeutic Decoction Enema), Anuvasana Vasti (Therapeutic oil Enema), Nasya Karma (Nasal administration of medicaments).

Panchakarma procedures are preceded by Snehana (therapeutic Oleation) and Swedana (Sudation) applications to make the body system conducive for elimination of bio-toxins and cleansing of channels. This is effective in managing autoimmune, neurological, psychiatric and musculo-skeletal diseases of chronic and metabolic origin.

Ayurvedic treatment as such is very individualistic and one medicine found to be useful in a condition in a particular person might not work at all in another. Hence it is a challenge to come out with generalized management solutions for a condition that would suit all. It is difficult to bring out management plans for a particular disease condition and implement the same on a large scale. It is important that we respect both holism of traditional medicine as well as reductionism of modern biomedicine because both are ways of looking at nature and depending on the purpose both the views can be extremely useful. Furthermore the whole and the part are certainly related but it is not a one-to-one relationship.

Ayurvedic treatment is not one-to-one relationship and learning how to relate the whole perspective (the systemic theories of Ayurveda & Yoga) with part (structural theories of western biomedicine) is the outlook that should underline the implementation of trans-disciplinary research projects. Today, nobody in the academic field has all the answers of how to combine and correlate part and whole perspectives in the context of clinical research design, clinical practice, content of courses on Ayurveda and Yoga, in the context of laboratory research in pharmacognosy and product development, and in assessment of community based local health practices. It is important to understand that drug a trial for evaluating efficacy of Ayurvedic interventions is a reductionist approach and is an inappropriate design. Instead clinical trials should evaluate the efficacy of a whole management package, which may consist of drugs, diet, Yoga, Panchakarma including differential diagnosis to identify the specific nature of tridoshic imbalance.