The Effect of Ayurvedic Panchakarma Therapy on Body Mass Index, Blood Parameters, and Quality of Life in Individuals of Different Constitutional Types: A Pilot Study
Abstract
Background. Panchakarma therapy and Ayurvedic nutrition are traditional interventions increasingly evaluated for their role in metabolic and psychosocial health. However, limited evidence exists regarding their effects when stratified by Prakriti (constitutional) Vata, Pitta, Kapha types.
Aim. To evaluate the impact of a 14-day Panchakarma intervention combined with a plant-based Ayurvedic diet on body composition, metabolic markers, and quality of life, stratified by Prakriti type.
Methods. A pre–post interventional study was conducted with 12 female participants (mean age 54.2 ± 7.9 years). All underwent a 14-day Panchakarma therapy at a certified Ayurvedic centre, combined with personalised dietary guidance. Body composition, blood markers (glucose and lipid profile), and quality of life (SF-36 questionnaire) were assessed before and after the intervention. Changes were analysed within and between groups, and effect sizes were calculated to estimate clinical significance.
Results. Statistically significant improvements were observed in overall quality of life, vitality, mental health, and physical functioning. Body weight, BMI, fat mass, biological age, and fasting glucose decreased significantly. Effect size analyses confirmed clinically meaningful changes, with large effects for glucose reduction and medium effects for BMI and fat mass. Improvements were particularly pronounced among Kapha participants, consistent with their predisposition to metabolic imbalance. Pitta participants demonstrated normalisation of cholesterol values, while Vata participants showed improvements in quality of life domains without statistical significance due to small subgroup size.
Conclusions. Panchakarma therapy combined with Ayurvedic nutrition improved physiological and psychosocial outcomes, with the greatest benefits observed among Kapha participants. These findings highlight the importance of individualised, Prakriti-based approaches. Larger and longer-term studies with control groups are needed to confirm these results and further evaluate Ayurveda’s potential as a complementary strategy in modern healthcare.
Keywords: Ayurveda; Panchakarma; constitutional types; quality of life; metabolic health
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