Dr. A. Malathi Syamala is a respected figure in India’s integrative healthcare landscape, combining ancient naturopathic wisdom with modern medical science. As Hospital Superintendent of the Sri Konijeti Rosaiah Government Nature Cure Hospital and In-charge Director of the Vemana Yoga Research Institute, she leads transformative approaches to chronic disease management through evidence-based drug-free interventions. With over three decades of experience in naturopathy and yoga therapy, Dr. Syamala has trained hundreds of practitioners, published research in peer-reviewed journals, and serves on the Advisory Board of the Swasthya Ayush Wellness Expo. Her work addresses India’s growing chronic disease epidemic through comprehensive metabolic assessment, individualized dietary interventions, hydrotherapy, therapeutic fasting, and tailored yoga therapy protocols.
In this conversation with Rashmi Kumari of Neo Science Hub, Dr. Syamala explained the comprehensive naturopathic approach at India’s first Nature Cure Hospital, established in 1949. She detailed drug-free treatments based on Panchamahabhutas—including hydrotherapy, mud therapy, fasting, and therapeutic yoga—for chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Dr. Syamala emphasized personalized diet therapy, the critical importance of detoxification within one week, and offered practical lifestyle advice for youth regarding meal timing, sleep, seasonal eating, and avoiding late-night dinners to prevent metabolic disorders.

 

Can you tell us about Nature Cure and this hospital?

 This is the first-ever established Nature Cure Hospital, also known as the Nature Ashram. It was established in 1949, making it a very old and special clinic. Since then, thousands of people have been coming to us for treatment, experiencing natural medicine firsthand.

In our naturopathy practice, we follow a treatment method without medicines. We don’t give any pharmaceutical medications. Instead, our treatment is based on the Panchamahabhutas—the five great elements: Bhu (Earth), Jala (Water), Apa (Water), Vayu (Air), and Agni (Fire). Each element forms the foundation of specific therapies we offer.

What types of therapies do you offer based on these elements?

 We offer a comprehensive range of therapies:

• Mud Therapy (Earth element): Utilizing the healing properties of clay and earth

• Water Therapy (Hydrotherapy): This goes far beyond what people think. Many assume it’s just about drinking water for colds, but water therapy encompasses many specialized treatments. We customize the type of treatment needed for each body type, varying temperatures, different types of packs, and different pressures

• Fasting Therapy: Structured therapeutic fasting with medical supervision

• Diet Therapy: Customized nutritional interventions based on individual needs

• Yoga Therapy: This is therapeutic yoga, not the same yoga for everyone. It’s specifically designed for those with particular health problems

• Sun Therapy: Utilizing the healing properties of sunlight

• Chromotherapy: Color therapy for healing

• Pranayama: We teach specific breathing exercises in a definite way, along with mudras and relaxation techniques

What conditions can you treat, and what are the limitations?

 We have certain limitations. We cannot treat emergencies—if someone is in an emergency situation, we cannot provide treatment. However, the wonderful aspect of natural medicine is that it can prevent emergencies from occurring in the first place.

Conditions we successfully treat include:

• Chronic diseases: Obesity, diabetes, hypertension

• Musculoskeletal problems: Back pain, muscle pain, disc bulge, rheumatoid arthritis

• Skin conditions: Eczema, psoriasis, various skin problems

• Endocrine disorders: Thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances

• Gynecological issues: Including infertility treatment (when caused by hormonal imbalance, not organ problems)

• Mental health: Depression (though not severe psychological problems)

• Post-operative care: Recovery without secondary complications

• Paralysis: We can provide wonderful treatment for paralysis patients

We also offer additional therapies including physiotherapy and acupuncture (leaf puncture therapy). Each patient receives a customized treatment plan based on their specific condition.

Age is not a limitation: Senior citizens and patients of any age group can come to us for treatment. This is a wonderful treatment method that requires no medication and focuses primarily on detoxification of the body.

What is the admission process and required documentation?

 Many people come to us after trying all other options. They often have chronic diseases and feel they have nowhere else to turn. Our process is straightforward:

1. OP Registration: First, you need to complete outpatient registration.

2. Doctor Consultation: After registration, our panel of doctors will conduct consultations.

3. Treatment Plan: Based on their assessment, doctors will determine whether you need outpatient treatment (coming daily) or inpatient treatment (staying at the facility).

At Prakriti Vaidya Chikitsa Alayam, we have both OP and IP treatment sections. Some patients can come daily for outpatient treatment, while others benefit more from staying as inpatients for a week to 10 days or longer, depending on their condition.

What are the advantages of inpatient treatment over outpatient care?

 Inpatient treatment offers significant advantages. When patients stay with us, they understand all our procedures thoroughly, which helps tremendously when they return for follow-up OP visits.

The challenge with outpatient-only treatment is continuity. Patients receive OP treatment and leave, but there’s often no sustained focus on following dietary rules and lifestyle modifications at home.

Inpatient benefits include: Treatments from morning to evening, including specialized therapies like enemas, specialized packs, and other interventions that we cannot provide to outpatients. This comprehensive, intensive approach yields better results.

How long do patients typically need to stay?

 The duration is determined by our OP doctors based on individual assessment. Some patients need treatment for just one week, while others may require a month or more.

For example, patients with chronic skin diseases may not recover quickly. Those with PCOD (Polycystic Ovarian Disease) require at least three months for menstrual cycle regulation. Such patients may need to stay for a month.

Important milestone: Detoxification occurs within one week for everyone. Through treatments including enema, mud bath, full wet sheet pack, mud therapy, sunlight therapy, and chromotherapy, the body undergoes complete detoxification within a week.

Detoxification automatically enhances immunity, making subsequent treatments more effective for the body. For many people, taking natural medicine for at least 15 days can provide significant therapeutic benefits.

Can you explain the diet therapy approach?

 There’s a common misconception that Nature Cure hospitals only serve upma with lemon juice and honey with lemon juice. While we do offer juice fasting and eliminative diets, our approach is much more comprehensive and individualized.

Dietary progression:

• Initial phase: Juice fasting, lemon water, coconut water, eliminative diets

• Transition phase: Boiled rice gruel (ganji) and boiled vegetables

• Regular phase: Whole grain rotis (pulka) and fruit diet

Customization is key: The diet is never the same for everyone:

• Diabetes patients: Receive two full meals with appropriate portions

• Hypertension patients: May follow a fruit diet one day and cooked meals the next

• Skin disease patients: Can benefit from elimination with fruit juices—four days of liquid diet followed by complete fruit diet

• Paralysis patients: Need massage therapy

• Obesity patients: Need massage for relaxation

• Skin disease patients: Don’t require massage therapy

Each condition has its specific therapy protocol. The differentiation in treatment approach is what makes our care effective.

Do patients need to follow a special diet after discharge?

 Yes, absolutely. When we discharge patients, we provide them with a customized diet chart. For example, if someone has hypothyroidism, we specify which foods they should and should not eat. This guidance is essential for maintaining the benefits achieved during treatment.

Can you tell us about your personal journey in Nature Cure?

 I joined as a student in the 1990-91-92 batch at the Nature Cure Hospital. After completing my studies, I immediately got a job here.

Career progression:

• December 2006-2017: Senior Medical Officer

• 2017: Director of Vemana Yoga Research Institute (while continuing as Senior Medical Officer in charge of VYRI)

• 2024: Chief Medical Officer for 4-5 months

• 2024-present: Superintendent with full additional charges

Throughout my journey, I’ve remained committed to the same institution where I began as a student, witnessing and contributing to its evolution over more than three decades.

What advice do you have for young people regarding health and wellness?

 Young people today face unique health challenges, and I have several important recommendations:

1. Meal timing matters: Consume more food in the morning when metabolic activity is highest, reduce portions in the evening. Our metabolic activity follows a natural cycle—we feel less hungry in the morning, more hungry in the afternoon, and less hungry again in the evening.

2. Exercise daily: At least one hour of exercise per day. If intense exercise isn’t possible, walking at least one kilometer is beneficial.

3. Prioritize sleep: Six to seven hours of sleep daily is essential. Sleep releases stress, boosts energy for the next day, and organizes our thoughts properly. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to insomnia and numerous other health problems.

4. Avoid prolonged AC exposure: Continuous air conditioning causes various health problems.

5. Practice movement breaks: If you sit in the same position for extended periods, take regular breaks. Walk in the corridor, then return to work. This prevents cervical pain, lumbar pain, and other musculoskeletal issues.

6. Choose fresh over packaged: Whatever is in tetra packs—if you continue drinking those continuously, even if you don’t exercise, it contributes to weight gain. Instead, consume freshly made fruit juices.

7. Skip meals wisely: If you must skip a meal, skip dinner, not breakfast. Food consumed late at night becomes like poison to the body. During such times, opt for fruits, fruit juices, or easily digestible foods.

8. The late-night dinner problem: Eating heavy foods late at night—like cake at birthday celebrations at midnight—is particularly harmful. Food consumed at midnight doesn’t digest properly. It accumulates and becomes waste matter, leading to disease.

The obesity epidemic: Today’s youth face alarming rates of central abdominal obesity. This leads to:

• Insulin resistance

• PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)

• Hypertension

• Diabetes

• Dyslipidemia

• Cancer

9. Choose seasonal, local fruits: Many people think they need expensive fruits like kiwi or avocado. This isn’t necessary. We have seasonal fruits that are affordable and nutritious. Every season provides fruits appropriate for that time:

Jackfruit, mangoes, oranges, sapota—all seasonal fruits contain necessary nutrients. Eat fruits that are in season during that season.

Important: Don’t eat out-of-season fruits. Eating mangoes in cold season or watermelon in rainy season can be harmful. Nature provides the right fruits at the right time for our health.

Final advice: Late-night dinners should be treated like medicine—consume them only when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, you’ll end up needing actual medicines. Young people should be particularly careful about what they eat and when they eat it.

What kind of diet do you provide to inpatients at the hospital?

 The diet we provide to inpatients is completely customized—we don’t give the same diet to everyone. Each condition requires specific dietary modifications.

Condition-specific modifications:

• Thyroid patients: Specific foods to include and avoid

• Kidney patients: Boiled vegetables that are leached (excess minerals removed)

• Diabetes patients: Bland food with reduced salt content

Daily meal structure:

Morning offerings:

• Ragi malt (finger millet porridge)

• Barley water

• Jeera kashayam (cumin decoction)

• Special kashayams for sinus patients

• Sprouts: Daily rotation including green gram, fenugreek, bengal gram, horse gram, ragi, etc.

Brunch (no separate breakfast):

• Millet khichdi

• Pulka (whole grain rotis)

• Boiled vegetables

• Vegetable soups

• Chutney

• Buttermilk

• Two types of curries: mixed vegetable curry and plain curry

• Fresh fruits

• Raw salads with daily variety: coconut salad, cucumber salad, carrot salad, beetroot salad, sprouts and chaat salad

Afternoon:

• Coconut water (seasonal drink)

Dinner:

Similar to brunch but may include variations like raita, vegetable soup, buttermilk, and fruits.

The key principle is that everything is customized based on the patient’s specific condition, ensuring optimal therapeutic benefit while maintaining nutritional adequacy.

What accommodation facilities do you offer?

 We have three types of accommodation for inpatients, with complete separation of male and female treatment sections to maintain privacy.

General Ward (A Ward and B Ward):

• 20 beds per ward

• Common toilet facilities

Special Ward:

• 16 beds

• In-room toilet facilities

• Separate facilities for males and females

• Individual rooms available

Cottages:

• 24 cottages total

• Individual rooms and two-bed accommodations available

• Two cottages have ground floor plus first floor

• All other cottages are ground floor only

Female patients have separate special ward facilities to ensure complete privacy and comfort during treatment.

Is the treatment affordable for patients?

 Yes, treatment is very reasonable and accessible:

For Telangana residents with white ration cards:

• Treatment is completely free

• Diet charges are free

• Bed charges are free

For government employees:

• Pay initially and claim reimbursement later

This ensures that quality naturopathic care is accessible to all sections of society, particularly those who might not otherwise afford such treatment.