In today’s world, many people are turning to non-mainstream approaches to health and wellness. We see that people are choosing alternative therapies and medicines. Recently, terms like “complementary,” “alternative,” and “integrative” are often used to describe these practices. But, do we know what exactly do they mean? If you are also hearing about these terms but are new to the whole world of "alternative" therapies and medicines, then this guide breaks down these terms and explores the various approaches that fall under them, including traditional healers, Ayurvedic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, naturopathy, and functional medicine.

Complementary vs. Alternative Medicine

The terms complementary and alternative are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. Complementary medicine refers to non-mainstream approaches that are used alongside conventional medical treatments. For instance, someone may use acupuncture to manage pain while continuing to take prescribed medication. On the other hand, alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medical treatments. A person might choose to treat their illness exclusively with herbal remedies rather than seeing a doctor.

The main difference is the complementary medicine is used as something that complements along with the ongoing prescription. It is an additional support, whereas, the alternative medicine is more of a "this or that" choice. Here, you are expected to substitute a different kind of medicine from what you have been prescribed by a doctor.

Most individuals who use non-mainstream treatments also continue to rely on conventional healthcare for certain aspects of their well-being.

Integrative Health

What happens in integrative health is that it blends conventional medicine with complementary approaches. This happens in a very coordinated manner. It is important to emphasize that a person's healing depends on three elements, physical, mental, and emotional state and this is what integrative health focuses on. This approach combines various treatments, such as medication, psychotherapy, acupuncture, and yoga, to provide a holistic care plan. It has been increasingly popular in the United States, particularly in the management of chronic pain, cancer recovery, and mental health.

Functional Medicine

Functional medicine is a term often used in conjunction with integrative health. It takes a personalized approach to medicine, focusing on identifying and addressing the root causes of health issues. Functional medicine practitioners consider factors such as genetics, environment, and lifestyle when treating conditions. Though it shares similarities with integrative health, functional medicine tends to prioritize diet and lifestyle modifications, alongside traditional treatments.

Traditional Healers and Alternative Practices

Many complementary approaches stem from long-established traditions and cultures around the world. Here are some of the prominent practices:

Traditional Healers: In various cultures, traditional healers have been the primary source of medical care for centuries. These healers often use natural remedies and spiritual practices to treat illnesses and promote wellness. The role of these healers varies by region, but their approach is deeply rooted in cultural traditions and knowledge passed down through generations.

Ayurvedic Medicine: Originating in India, Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that seeks to balance the body’s energies, or doshas. It emphasizes a personalized approach, using herbs, dietary changes, and lifestyle modifications to treat illness. Ayurveda has been practiced for over 5,000 years and is recognized as one of the oldest medical systems in the world.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): TCM is an ancient practice that focuses on restoring the balance of energy, or qi, within the body. It uses a variety of treatments, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary therapy, to address imbalances and promote health. TCM is based on the idea that the body and mind are interconnected, and both need to be in harmony for optimal health.

Homeopathy: Homeopathy is based on the principle that "like cures like." Homeopathic practitioners use highly diluted substances that, in larger doses, would cause symptoms similar to those the patient is experiencing. It is a controversial and highly debated approach, with critics questioning its efficacy due to the extreme dilution of substances used.

Naturopathy: Naturopathy combines various natural therapies, such as herbal medicine, nutrition, and physical therapies, to promote healing. Naturopaths believe in the body’s ability to heal itself and aim to support this process by removing toxins and restoring balance. This practice incorporates elements of traditional medicine from many cultures, particularly those in Europe and North America.

The Role of Complementary Approaches in Health

Complementary health approaches can take many forms, ranging from nutritional methods (such as dietary supplements and herbs) to physical therapies (like yoga and massage). These approaches are often used alongside conventional treatments to enhance healing and improve overall well-being.

Research on complementary therapies continues to evolve, and some studies have shown promising results. For example, acupuncture has been shown to help reduce chronic pain, while yoga has been beneficial for mental health and managing stress.

However, it’s important to approach these practices with an understanding that not all treatments are backed by strong scientific evidence. Individuals interested in these therapies should consult healthcare professionals and consider integrating them with conventional treatments when appropriate.

From time immemorial we have all heard from our parents and grandparents to drink water from copper jugs and bottles. This is something they swear by. There are also mentions of it in ancient texts, in fact, with modern technologies, some water filters have also incorporated copper within its filtering system, claiming that it adds onto its benefits.

There are claims too that states that drinking copper water could improve your heart and brain health. It can also strengthen your immune system and offer benefits like weight loss, anti-aging, and reduce tanning.

However, how true are these claims?

In a recent Instagram post, a celebrity wellness coach, Like Coutinho stated, "Copper is powerful, but like anything powerful, it demands respect - and moderation."

In his caption, he wrote: "In India, we’ve honoured the tradition of drinking water from copper vessels for centuries. Science now backs this: copper-infused water can support immunity, aid digestion, and act as a natural antioxidant, as copper plays a vital role in forming red blood cells and maintaining healthy nerve and immune function."

However, have you thought about how much is too much? How much copper can your body handle?

Luke said that excess copper can accumulate in the body and could lead to toxicity. It can also irritate your stomach lining, cause nausea, abdominal pain, and even disrupt your zinc balance, which is indeed important for healing and immunity.

He notes: "'You don’t need to sip copper water all day or mix it with lemon, or heat it. One or two mugs of plain, room-temperature copper water a day is usually more than enough."

He also shared a series of text images on his Instagram story of a lady named Akira and told his followers: "The wisdom is always in the dose. Be educated, not influenced."

What Benefits Does Copper Offer?

As per a 2012 study published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, titled Storing Drinking-water in Copper pots Kills Contaminating Diarrhoeagenic Bacteria, copper containers help store the water in clean environment.

The study notes that in many developing countries, people still don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. While there are ways to purify water, most methods are too costly for people living in rural or low-income areas. Traditional systems like Ayurveda suggest that storing water in copper containers may help keep it clean.

To test this, researchers carried out a study to see whether copper pots could kill harmful bacteria found in dirty drinking water. They focused on several bacteria known to cause diarrhea and other stomach illnesses—like Vibrio cholerae, Shigella flexneri, different types of E. coli, and Salmonella.

The researchers added these bacteria to ground water and stored it in copper pots for 16 hours at room temperature. When they tested the water after this time, none of the bacteria could be found—even after trying special methods to bring the bacteria back to life. This suggests the bacteria were completely destroyed or made inactive.

This is the first study to show that copper can kill certain bacteria like Shigella flexneri 2a, enteropathogenic E. coli, and Salmonella Paratyphi.

The pH of the water (a measure of acidity) slightly changed from 7.83 to 7.93, but everything else about the water stayed the same. The amount of copper that mixed into the water was very low (177 parts per billion), and still within safe levels according to the World Health Organization.

Overall, this study shows that using copper pots to store water could be a simple, low-cost way to make drinking water safer, especially in places where modern purification systems are hard to access.

What do you reach for when you're not feeling well—a bottle of prescribed pills or a mug of turmeric tea? Do you trust lab results over your body's natural cues? In an age where medical advancements are saving lives daily, why are more people embracing ancient remedies based on nature? Ayurveda vs. Western medicine is more than an argument over timelines—it's an argument over what we look at when considering health itself. One is influenced by numbers, medication, and immediate results. The other wants balance, diet, and chronic healing. Can't it just be both, though?

How these two potent systems—one grounded in science, the other rooted in hundreds of years of tradition—may not actually be in conflict at all. Instead, they may become partners in devising a more holistic and aware path to wellness.

The ancient art of Ayurveda continues to be appealing to seekers of wholeness and integration. Yet with healthcare being highly individualized today, there remains a pivotal question—can modern medicine and Ayurveda in fact co-exist? Can they be rivals or synergistic forces aiming in the same direction: sustainable well-being?

Dr. Rohit Madhav Sane, a renowned Ayurvedic doctor and wellness professional, is of the opinion that it is not only possible but also essential for traditional healing systems and modern innovations to come together. "Emergency care and swift interventions are superbly done by modern medicine," he says, "but Ayurveda promotes the source of health, causing the body to heal from the inside out."

This article discusses the interaction between Ayurveda and conventional medicine, not as a conflict of tradition versus science, but as a dialogue of respect and working coexistence.

Modern medicine is certainly a wonder of the scientific age. In its power to diagnose and cure acute disease rapidly and precisely, it has revolutionized the face of emergency and symptomatic care. A patient with high cholesterol, for example, can be quickly prescribed a statin. In a matter of weeks or days, cholesterol falls. The reaction is rapid and quantifiable.

But this strategy usually falls short of treating the cause. Unhealthy lifestyle, chronic stress, and unbalanced diet often lie behind many illnesses. "What modern medicine tends to do," says Dr. Sane, "is to manage parameters. It's great at controlling symptoms, but it may not fix the site of disease."

This is not a defect, but an emphasis—contemporary medicine exists to stabilize, not always to cure in the long run.

How Ayurveda Addresses the Cause of Disease?

Conversely, Ayurveda approaches much more slowly, and on an individual basis. It aims to re-balance by finding and addressing the underlying causes of imbalance. For elevated cholesterol, an Ayurvedic practitioner might recommend dietary modification, daily yoga, meditation, and adding certain herbs.

This treatment modality does not offer overnight cures. Rather, it cooperates with the body's intrinsic intelligence to restore balance. "Ayurveda believes in enhancing the host," explains Dr. Sane, "rather than simply attacking disease."

Patients tend to notice improvements not only in particular parameters such as cholesterol but in energy, digestion, mood, and immunity as well. It is this end-to-end shift that makes Ayurveda most appropriate for long-term conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, or even autoimmune disease.

Acute vs. Chronic: Knowing When to Use What

Both systems excel in different situations. A heart attack, for example, is not the moment to drink herbal tea. It's a medical emergency that needs to be treated right away—angioplasty, drugs, and hospital monitoring. In such situations, contemporary medicine saves lives.

But what follows after the crisis has been overcome?

Here comes Ayurveda into play—providing recuperative treatment. Through the interventions of therapies such as Abhyanga (medicated oil massage), medicinal medications, and tailored nutritional support, Ayurveda aids in restoration of the body and decreases the likelihood of relapse. "Ayurveda can bring about the change of patients from drug dependency to sustained well-being," Dr. Sane comments.

In lifestyle illnesses such as hypertension or type 2 diabetes, an integrated approach is usually the most effective—first pharmaceutical treatment, followed by Ayurvedic treatment to minimize or eliminate the requirement for long-term medication.

What is Ayurvedic Panchakarma?

One of Ayurveda's hallmark practices, Panchakarma, provides a systemic cleansing unlike anything found in modern times. It's a strict, doctor-supervised regimen aimed at cleansing toxins from the body's innermost tissues.

Consider Panchakarma a body reboot," Dr. Sane says. "It doesn't only detoxify—it reprograms your metabolism and builds up your body's inner reservoirs.

Scientific research increasingly validates the detoxification role in minimizing systemic inflammation, a major contributor to chronic disease. Panchakarma involves treatments such as Basti (medicated enemas), Virechana (purging), and Nasya (nasal treatment), each selected according to individual body types (doshas). After detox, patients commonly experience enhanced mental clarity, improved sleep, and increased energy—effects that persist beyond the treatment period.

How Ayurveda and Modern Medicine Can Work Together?

Ayurveda is not merely treatment—it's empowerment. It builds what Dr. Sane refers to as "inner reserves." These are your body's capacity to recover from trauma, resist disease, and adapt to stress.

For instance, coronary flow reserve—the heart's capacity to endure stress—may be increased using Ayurvedic principles: regular Dinacharya (routine), conscious eating, and Rasayana therapies (rejuvenation). It's this proactive body building that puts Ayurveda not just as a system of healing, but also of prevention.

The future isn't a matter of sides. It's a matter of integration.

Contemporary medicine provides diagnostic means—blood work, MRI scans, genetic testing. Ayurveda brings with it individualized therapies grounded in Prakriti (constitution), Agni (digestive fire), and Ojas (vital energy). Combined, they can enable clinicians to know both the what and the why of disease.

"Integrated medicine is not a fad," Dr. Sane points out. "It's the future."

As healthcare evolves, the fusion of Ayurveda and modern medicine offers a more complete, compassionate model. Quick fixes and deep healing, emergency care and long-term resilience—when these strengths are harnessed together, patients receive the best of both worlds.

For a world facing rising rates of chronic disease, stress, and lifestyle disorders, this integrative approach isn’t just ideal—it’s essential.

Dr Rohit Madhav Sane is a Ayurvedic doctor and founder of Madhavbaug in India

As temperatures soar during summer, it is not just sunburns and sweat we need to worry about. Our internal balance could be affected too. According to Ayurveda, an ancient system of natural healing, summer is the season of pitta dosha, a bio-energy composed of fire and water elements. When this dosha becomes aggravated, it can lead to symptoms like skin rashes, acidity, indigestion, irritability, and even emotional outbursts.

But the food we eat can play a powerful role in restoring balance. Ayurvedic wisdom offers simple dietary choices to help cool the body and soothe the mind—without necessarily relying on cold drinks or air conditioning. Here is what you should know.

Choose Cooling Over Cold

Ayurveda teaches that cooling foods are always cold in temperature—they have a cooling energy, explains Lauren Gernady of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda. Think cucumbers, melons, and leafy greens—not necessarily chilled but naturally pacifying to pitta.

Hydrate The Ayurvedic Way

Staying well-hydrated is key, but plain water isn't your only option. Coconut water with a squeeze of lime is highly recommended by Ayurvedic practitioner Larissa Hall Carlson. This refreshing drink helps replenish electrolytes and balances internal heat.

Leafy Greens And Seasonal Fruits

Foods with bitter and astringent tastes help regulate pitta. Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, watercress, and arugula are ideal. Seasonal fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, and berries also help calm the body’s heat while offering essential hydration and nutrients.

Avoid Heat-Generating Foods

To stay in balance, experts advise avoiding pitta-aggravating foods like fried, oily, overly salty, spicy dishes, and processed or canned items. Even common kitchen staples like onions and garlic can stir up pitta, says Erin Casperson, former Dean of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda.

Herbs That Heal And Cool

Adding fresh herbs to your meals is another easy way to stay cool. Mint, cilantro, and basil not only bring refreshing flavor but also carry anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties. “These herbs contain volatile oils and flavones, which are powerful phytonutrients,” notes nutritionist Annie B. Kay. A homemade cilantro-mint chutney is a delicious way to incorporate these into your diet.

Think Twice Before Reaching For Iced Coffee

While iced coffee may seem like the perfect summer pick-me-up, it could do more harm than good. “Caffeine is both stimulating and dehydrating,” warns Hilary Garivaltis, Executive Director of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. She recommends switching to herbal teas instead. And if you must have your drink on ice, allow it to sit a bit—too much cold can dampen digestion, a key concern in Ayurveda.

DIY Cooling Spice Blend

To enhance your meals while keeping your inner thermostat in check. You can try this Ayurvedic spice mix for the same.

3 tbsp cumin seeds

3 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp ground turmeric

Dry-roast the whole seeds over medium-low heat until fragrant, then add turmeric and roast for 30 seconds. Let cool, grind, and store in an airtight jar. Sprinkle over fruit, yoghurt, or veggies.