Mpox continues to remain a global concern, with cases continuing to be reported globally, particularly in Africa. This viral zootonic disease, last year, triggered an emergency response by the World Health Organisation (WHO) after several people lost their lives to this infection. As per experts, it is caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, the same family as the variola virus that causes smallpox. Symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle aches, and sore throat.

As the world continues to grapple with this infectious disease, many are turning to alternative systems of medicine for prevention and healing. One such system is Ayurveda, which offers a holistic approach to managing and preventing such diseases.

Epidemics Stem From Imbalance

Practitioners of Ayurveda believe that epidemics stem from an imbalance in nature and the collective weakening of individual immunity. This branch of medicine means "science of life" and underscores the concept of maintaining balance between three vital energies or doshas, that is, vata, pita and kapha. According to this 3000-year-old Indian system of medicine, preventing diseases like Mpox involves harmonizing the body and mind through diet, lifestyle, and mindful living.

Strategies To Prevent Mpox And Similar Diseases

Ayurveda prescribes a combination of dietary changes (that includes herbs) and lifestyle alterations to build up immunity against Mpox and other diseases. Here are some strategies that you can follow:

Dinacharya (Daily Routine)

Establishing a stable daily routine—including waking up early, regular exercise, and mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation—helps maintain physical and mental balance, which is key to building resilience.

Sattvic Diet

A sattvic diet, rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, supports detoxification and boosts immunity. Ayurveda emphasizes clean, natural, and seasonal foods for overall well-being.

Nasya (Nasal Therapy)

Applying medicated oils such as Anu Taila to the nasal passages helps strengthen the respiratory tract, which is particularly vulnerable during viral outbreaks. This practice is believed to create a protective barrier against airborne pathogens.

Panchakarma (Detoxification Therapy)

Therapies like Virechana (therapeutic purgation) and Abhyanga (medicated oil massage) aid in removing toxins from the body, revitalizing the immune system, and promoting internal balance.

Ayurvedic Herbs That Boost Immunity

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Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Known for its adaptogenic properties, Ashwagandha helps reduce stress and strengthens the immune system. It is traditionally used to increase resilience against viral infections.

Think of it as a grounding herb that calms the mind while quietly preparing your body for whatever comes its way.

Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)

Guduchi, or Giloy, is regarded as an excellent immunomodulator. It helps in detoxification and boosts the body’s resistance to infections, making it ideal for strengthening immunity.

Often called 'Amrit' (nectar) in Ayurveda, Guduchi is like a gentle inner cleanser that supports you during seasonal shifts and stress.

Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)

Tulsi, or Holy Basil, is revered in Ayurveda for its potent antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

A cup of Tulsi tea isn’t just comforting—it’s like inviting a natural protector into your daily routine.

Growing up in a South Indian household teaches you one thing: ancient herbs can never go wrong. And while wellness trends come and go, Ayurveda holds its ground firmly. Black seed, from the Nigella sativa plant, is one such star. Revered in Ayurvedic and Unani traditions for centuries, this oil, squeezed from the seeds of the Nigella sativa plant, is now resurfacing as a modern-day multi-tasker. Found in parts of Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and Southern Europe, this oil's benefits are far from outdated.

What Makes It Special?

The real magic of black seed oil lies in a compound called thymoquinone. It’s a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your body’s cells from damage. Think of it as your internal rust remover, cleaning up the free radicals that age you from the inside out. And it’s not just about looking good, it’s about keeping your organs happy too.

Keeps Your Heart in Check

Heart issues aren’t just something to think about in your 60s. Even younger people are seeing blood pressure and cholesterol problems crop up. Black seed oil may help manage these by lowering “bad” cholesterol and keeping blood pressure within range. That doesn’t mean you can eat junk and drizzle oil over it, but it’s a nice addition to a heart-friendly routine.

Breathe Easy

If you’ve ever had a stuffy nose or struggled with asthma, you know how miserable it can be. Black seed oil has long been used to ease breathing troubles. It’s said to reduce inflammation in the airways, making it easier to breathe, especially during allergy season or a change in weather.

Stress Support

Ever walked into a room and forgotten why you’re there? Or struggled to stay focused? Black seed oil might help with that. Early studies suggest it may support memory and learning by protecting brain cells from damage. It’s not a miracle fix, but it’s definitely not just another overpriced “brain booster” either.

Supports Blood Sugar Balance

Managing blood sugar isn’t only for diabetics. Even small dips and spikes throughout the day can mess with your mood, energy, and cravings. Some research shows black seed oil might help stabilise blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is great news if you’re trying to keep your energy steady.

Better Brain Health

If stress is your permanent plus one these days, black seed oil could be worth a try. There’s some evidence that it can reduce cortisol levels, aka the stress hormone. You won’t suddenly float into a zen state, but it might help take the edge off without needing a long nap or a rage walk.

Faster Wound Healing

Black seed oil has been used traditionally on minor wounds, acne scars, and rashes. Thanks to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it may speed up healing and keep skin calm. Some people even mix it into their moisturiser for an extra boost (just patch-test first).

The Right Kind of Fat

We’re often told to cut out fats, but not all fats are bad. Black seed oil contains healthy unsaturated fats that your body actually needs for things like hormone production and cell repair. So, if your diet’s a bit low on good fats, a small dose of this oil could help.

Glowing Skin

Dry, angry, breakout-prone skin? This oil might soothe it all. People have used black seed oil to calm eczema, reduce acne, and restore skin's natural barrier. Some even say it gives their skin a low-key glow with regular use.

When we think of the Middle Ages, wellness probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. The era rather brings up the plague, questionable hygiene and a whole lot of superstition but Gen Z armed with smartphones and a deep skepticism of mainstream healthcare is digging deep into the past. And oddly enough, medieval wellness is trending.

TikTok is filled with castor oil packs, herbal salves, beef tallow skincare, and DIY tinctures. What’s driving this renaissance of ancient remedies in the most hyper-modern age yet? As it turns out, recent academic research may help explain the phenomenon.

Medieval Medicine Wasn’t All Superstition

A research team led by Binghamton University, alongside scholars from Fordham, St. Andrews, Utrecht, and Oslo, has been revisiting early medieval Latin manuscripts—many of which were previously overlooked or misinterpreted. Their findings are turning long-held assumptions upside down.

What they discovered is this: people living in the early Middle Ages were far more engaged with science, observation, and the natural world than they’ve been given credit for. They didn’t just pray and hope for the best. They took notes. They experimented. They documented.

Meg Leja, a history professor at Binghamton, noted that healing knowledge wasn’t confined to doctors or monasteries. “People were engaging with medicine on a much broader scale than had previously been thought,” she said in a release. Many manuscripts that weren’t even about medicine—like those covering poetry or grammar—contained references to health practices, showing how integrated wellness was in everyday life.

Rewriting the Wellness Narrative of the “Dark Ages”

The term “Dark Ages” has long been a catch-all for a time seen as backward and regressive. But that view doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. While early medieval medicine lacked the anatomical precision or germ theory of today, people weren’t blindly fumbling in the dark.

They believed in Humoral Theory—a system centered on balancing four bodily fluids—and while outdated now, it represented a structured, logical approach based on the best science available. Remedies used herbs, oils, and rituals rooted in centuries of experiential knowledge.

Thanks to the Corpus of Early Medieval Latin Medicine (CEMLM) project, the number of known medical texts from the era has nearly doubled. That means modern historians are getting a much clearer picture of how people treated everything from migraines to digestive distress.

Why Is Gen Z All Over Medieval Medicine?

It’s no secret that younger generations are disillusioned with many aspects of modern healthcare—whether it’s the impersonal nature of treatment, limited access, high costs, or side effects of pharmaceuticals. Social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram, has become a key driver of wellness culture, especially trends that promise to be “natural,” “clean,” or “ancestral.”

Medieval medicine—despite being centuries old—checks a lot of boxes for this audience. It’s holistic. It emphasizes plant-based treatments. It often comes with a spiritual or ritualistic component. And it stands in contrast to institutionalized, clinical medicine, offering a kind of “back-to-roots” alternative.

Trending remedies like chamomile for anxiety and aloe vera for skin irritations were also staples of medieval care. Some treatments were surprisingly ahead of their time. A popular headache remedy involved crushing the stone of a peach, mixing it with rose oil, and applying it to the forehead. It sounds wild—but modern science backs rose oil’s ability to ease migraines.

This convergence of medieval wisdom and modern virality is more than aesthetic. There’s something culturally powerful about ancient knowledge being resurrected in an age driven by algorithms and digital everything. The same way fashion recycles vintage styles, wellness trends are now pulling from millennia-old texts.

But there’s also risk here. Not all medieval remedies are safe or practical by today’s standards (see: lizard shampoo for flowing hair). Some tips can range from ineffective to harmful if applied without context or modern evidence. Still, the interest is pushing researchers and practitioners to revisit the roots of medicine, prompting a more inclusive narrative of history—and in some ways, offering gentler alternatives in a high-stress world.

There’s something symbolic about looking backward to move forward. In a society increasingly overwhelmed by information, pollution, and pharmaceuticals, ancient wellness can feel oddly grounding. Even if you’re not rubbing crushed peach pits on your forehead, the broader takeaway resonates: nature has long held tools for healing, and we may have underestimated the past.

In a way, this rediscovery is also about reclaiming knowledge that was buried or dismissed. For centuries, herbal medicine and folk healing—often practiced by women, midwives, and rural communities—were excluded from the medical canon. The medieval revival is helping to unearth those voices.

Where Science and Tradition Intersect?

That doesn’t mean we should replace our healthcare systems with medieval remedies. But integrating time-tested traditions into modern practice could add value. Science can coexist with rituals. Evidence-based medicine can benefit from deeper engagement with culture, environment, and experience.

Researchers like Leja hope the CEMLM project will continue expanding, giving us a more nuanced understanding of how our ancestors thought about the body, illness, and healing. And thanks to Gen Z’s curiosity (and TikTok’s endless scroll), these stories aren’t staying locked in archives—they’re getting a new life online.

The revival of medieval wellness isn’t just a quirky trend or an aesthetic throwback. It’s a reflection of our current anxieties—and our desire for something that feels human, connected, and enduring.

Whether or not lizard shampoo makes a full comeback is up for debate but the deeper story is clear: the so-called “Dark Ages” were more enlightened than we thought. And Gen Z, ironically, might be the generation to shine a light on them.

Ayurveda, the ancient subject of medicine, is an important part of Indian history. The ancient medicinal techniques in ayurveda may seem unreliable to many; however, many studies and research have shown that the ayurvedic teachings from centuries ago are still relevant.

One such medicinal fruit that we learned about from Ayurveda is Anjeer.

Anjeer, commonly known as a fig, is a sweet and chewy fruit that grows on the Ficus tree. These trees lose their leaves seasonally and can grow quite tall, reaching about 7 to 10 meters (23 to 33 feet). Figs are believed to be one of the first plants ever grown by humans, and they are still a very important crop worldwide, eaten both fresh and dried. The edible part is the fleshy, hollow fruit itself.

Nutritional Powerhouse

Figs, both fresh and dried, are packed with good things for your body. They are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, healthy carbohydrates, natural sugars, and beneficial plant compounds called phenolics and polyphenols. In fact, figs contain more of these healthy phenolics than even red wine or tea! They are also high in fiber and are fat and cholesterol-free, containing many important amino acids.

Health Benefits of Anjeer

Figs and parts of the fig tree have been used in traditional medicine for a long time due to their many health benefits:

Diabetes Management

Anjeer may help control diabetes by increasing the body's natural insulin production. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties are thought to contribute to this. However, if you're taking diabetes medication, it's best to talk to your doctor before adding Anjeer, especially the leaves, as they might lower blood sugar too much.

Digestion and Constipation

Figs are a great source of dietary fiber, which is excellent for digestion. In traditional practices, soaking 2-3 Anjeer fruits and eating them in the morning is recommended to relieve constipation by promoting bowel movements.

Skin Health

The antioxidants in Anjeer are good for your skin. Applying a paste of Anjeer mixed with honey to your face can help improve skin health and might even reduce dark spots.

Other Traditional Uses

Traditionally, various parts of the fig tree – the fruit, roots, and leaves – have been used to treat a wide range of issues. These include problems with the stomach and intestines (like indigestion, colic, or diarrhea), breathing issues (such as sore throats, coughs, and bronchitis), and even heart and blood vessel problems. Figs have also been used to reduce inflammation and muscle spasms.

Specific Uses

Fig fruit juice mixed with honey has been used for bleeding. In Indian medicine, figs are used to help with liver and spleen diseases, and they are known for being mild laxatives, helping with coughs, and increasing urine production.

Ways to Enjoy Anjeer

Figs can be eaten in various ways: fresh, dried, or even made into jams. Dried figs are also sold as a sweet snack due to their natural sugar content. A paste made from the fruit can also be applied to swellings, tumors, and inflamed areas to help reduce pain.