Ayurvedic Perspective for Poop and Mala

Abstract

What do you think, except your skin, what else reflects your health? I am going to answer that but you must believe it. So ending the suspense let me tell you the answer. It’s your poop. Half of you might be surprised and half of you might be shocked but it’s true. Your poop tells a lot about your digestive system and a lot more about your health. This article is not like usual articles you generally read on our site or blog but sharing information about how your poop or stool explains your digestive and overall health is really important. The article is all about stool, its type, significance of the appearance and a lot more. So, keep reading to unlock some secrets about the human body and feces too.

Introduction

Before starting let us understand some basis of mala or stool or poop from the angle of Ayurveda. Whatever we eat gets inside our stomach where the food is digested by digestive fire known as agni. Anna rasa (nutritive portion of food) is then formed and then it is followed by formation of six other dhatus. The waste part is then discarded and is called vit bhaga of the food (the part of food which has no specific nutritive effect and is considered as waste by the body). This vit bhaag says a lot about dosha aggravation in your body and also about your digestive health. Now let’s discuss types of poop and significance of their appearance.

Types of mala or poop or stool (whatever you want to call it!!)

According to modern science there are just seven types of poop but for this Ayurveda acharyas have mentioned a lot of properties of mala which indicates different types of diseases. So starting with the types of poop modern science mentions. These types are basically kept under Bristol stool scale and are termed as the diagnostic medical tool designed to classify the form of human faeces. The scale is called BSC or BSF in short. The scale explains the color, shape, size and consistency of the stool.

Now coming on to what Ayurveda has explained regarding the type of poop or type of mala.

Ayurveda has explained that the appearance of poop tells about the dosha aggravation in your body, whether there is accumulation of endotoxins or not, prognosis is poor or good etc. along with certain examinations which can explain a lot about mala.

Types of mala according to dosha

• Mala with predominance of vata dosha
• Mala with predominance of pitta dosha
• Mala with predominance of kapha dosha
• Mala with vitiation of all three dosha

Mala with predominance of vata dosha

It is dry, hard and has blackish discoloration. (ruksha, kathin and krishna varna)

Mala with predominance of pitta dosha

Such stools are generally deep yellow in color and are hot. (Peet varna evum ushna)

Mala with predominance of kapha dosha

Mala with vitiation of kapha dosha is pale white in color. (Shwet varna)

Mala with vitiation of all three dosha

The appearance of this type is black, loose, yellowish, constipated and a bit whitish in color.

Appearance of mala indicating poor prognosis

Stool passed by a person which is too black, too white, too yellow and too red definitely will kill the patient and the patient dies quickly if associated with excessive hotness.

Relationship of ama and mala

When we discuss mala in Ayurveda then there is one thing which should be mentioned and that is ama. Ama and mala are having a very close relationship. Ama which is the outcome of improper digestion, incomplete or partial digestion has the potential of bringing discomfort to the srotas. This means that accumulation of ama can be clearly visualized by the appearance and consistency of the mala.

The ama is produced and accumulated due to he disturbed function of the agni leads to formation of underprocessed anna rasa and which is obviously immature and hence is given the term ama.

Biophysical properties of ama

These biophysical properties can be seen in mala when there is accumulation of ama in the body. The properties are:

• Dravam (liquid)
• Guru (heavy molecular weight)
• Anek varna (different colour)
• Snigdha (slimy)
• Pichial (viscid)
• Tantu (thready)
• Badh (sticky nature)
• Durgandh yukt (having foul smell)

Some Appearances of mala according to diseases mentioned in Ayurveda

• Hot and ama containing mala — Arsha and atisaar
• Inadequately processed stool– vataj grahani
• Badh mala– in many types of arsha, fevers, prameha, shoola, diabetes etc.
• Little or scanty mala– vataj arsha
• Sticky greasy stool– kaphaja atisaar
• Evacuation of stool with sound– vataj grahani
• Coldish stool excretion– sangrahani
• Stool with mucus– kaphaja atisaar, asadhya pandu roga
• Reddish yellow stool– in jaundice
• Frothy stool– vataj atisara and vataj grahani

Conclusion

We really hope that you have gained a lot of knowledge from this article as it has both aspects like what modern science says about stool and what is the Ayurvedic opinion about mala. Though it’s a topic which is not generally discussed until unless you are severely ill with some digestive tract disorder, it must be on the top of the list in a discussion with your doctor. The reason is simple: it explains a lot about your health. As you have read about ama in this article then there is one more thing that ama is the cause for almost every disease and its presence is capable of putting your body at danger. So, according to us this much push is enough for every reader of this article to examine your poop on your own. In case of any query kindly visit www.planetayurveda.com