Vol. 2, Issue 2, Part A (2025)

Background: Chronic psychosocial stress disrupts neuroendocrine and metabolic homeostasis, giving rise to anxiety, insomnia, and inflammatory disorders. Ayurveda attributes these disturbances to vāta-pitta vitiation, ojas depletion, and disordered agni.
Objective: To compare the effectiveness of an Ayurvedic diet-and-lifestyle intervention versus conventional lifestyle advice in reducing stress, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and inflammation among adults with stress-induced disorders.
Methods: A randomized, controlled, parallel-group trial was conducted over eight weeks with 120 participants (Ayurveda = 60; Control = 60). The intervention group received a doṣa-specific diet plan, daily āsana-prāṇāyāma-dhyāna, and Withania somnifera (300 mg twice daily). The control group received standard counselling on healthy living. Outcomes—Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), heart-rate variability (HRV), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)—were measured at baseline and week 8.
Results: At week 8, the Ayurvedic group showed a greater mean reduction in PSS-10 (−8.3 ± 5.1) compared with control (−3.1 ± 3.6; p < 0.001). Anxiety and insomnia decreased significantly (ΔGAD-7 = −5.0 ± 3.9 vs −1.9 ± 3.4; ΔISI = −7.6 ± 5.2 vs −2.7 ± 4.5; p < 0.001). HRV (RMSSD) increased (+11.8 ± 10.7 ms vs +2.4 ± 8.2 ms; p < 0.001), and hs-CRP decreased (−0.68 ± 0.84 mg/L vs −0.18 ± 0.63 mg/L; p = 0.002). No serious adverse events occurred.
Conclusion: The Ayurvedic regimen significantly outperformed standard advice in lowering perceived stress and anxiety, improving sleep and autonomic balance, and reducing inflammation. This demonstrates Ayurveda’s relevance for modern stress-management strategies.