Today, Kerala is one of the states in India that promotes research and practices of Ayurveda. This has been attributed to its well established Ayurveda centers and Ayurveda pharmaceuticalcompanies, as also the presence of medicinal herbs and plants on the Western Ghats mountain range that runsthrough the state. There are many Ayurvedic centers (known as Vaidya shalas) all over Kerala.

In the earlier days of its conception, the system of Ayurvedic medicine was orally transferred via the Gurukul system until a written script came into existence. The practitioners also gained knowledge of unusual remedies from laypeople who were outside the Ayurvedic community such as hillsmen, herdsmen, and forest-dwellers.

Ayurvedic literature has been written by several authors in languages such as Sanskrit, Hindi, and more recently, in English.The Shaligram Nighantu was written in Sanskrit.The Banaushadhi Chandrodaya was written in Hindi.The Indian Materia Medica was written in English.Ayurveda was first described by Agnivesha, in his book Agnivesh tantra. The book was later revised by Charaka, and renamed to Charaka Samhitā. Another early text of Ayurveda is the Sushruta Samhitā, which in addition to the Charaka Samhitā. Hinduism believes in the divine origin of Ayurveda.Dhanvantari is called as the God of Ayurveda.Mythology also refers to another Ayurvedic physician known as Vangsen. Myths place him in ancient Bengal where he wrote a classic Ayurvedic book, simply called Vangsen. The book is written in easy and understandable language and adds many new chapters to the previous texts.After Vangsen, a scholar by the name of Madhavacharya composed the book, Madhav Nidan. He is thought to have been the prime minister for the Emperor of Vijaynagara. Madhav Nidan is widely considered the best Ayurvedic book for the diagnosis of some diseases known during that period.

Medications
Ayurvedic practitioners believe that the tulsi (holy basil) plant has medicinal qualities
Ayurveda operates on the precept that various materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value. The medicinal properties of these materials have been documented by the practitioners and have been used for centuries to cure illness and/or help maintain good health. Ayurvedic medicaments are made from herbs or mixtures of herbs, either alone or in combination with minerals, metals and other ingredients of animal origin. The metals, animals and minerals are purified by individual processes before being used for medicinal purposes.The details of the medicinal herbs are given according to the nature, effects, and curative properties as observed by the Ayurvedic practitioners.

Ayurvedic Massage
Ayurvedic massage is a form of treatment for various age related and other common disorders. Some of the advantages which can be cited are pain relief, improved circulation, stress relief, better sleep, flexibilty, athletic perfomance and emotional benefits. Massage therapy can soothe pain, relax stiff muscles, and reduce the swelling that accompanies arthritis. Advocates claim that, with ayurvedic massage, deep-seated toxins in the joints and tissues are loosened and released into the system for elimination through natural toxin-release processes

The efficacy of certain Ayurvedic regimens, such as the Panchakarma, Kshar Sutra and the Triphala herbs, has been established by medical research . Some of the plants commonly used in Ayurveda have been shown to potentially combat certain ailments in double-blind clinical studies . One study (although this is as yet unpublished, and it is not clear whether blinding was used) appears to show that some of the plants commonly used in ayurvedic medicine prevent the breakdown of neurotransmitters, improving memory and concentration in people with Alzheimer's disease

In the United States, the National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine (established by Scott Gerson) is an example of a research institute that has made modern scientific progress in Ayurvedic practices. Gerson has published part of his work on the antifungal activities of certain Ayurvedic plants in medical journals].As a result of strong regulations in medical practice in Europe and America, the most commonly practiced Ayurvedic treatments in the west are massage, dietary and herbal advice.Seven American and four Japanese firms have filed for grant of patents on formulations containing extracts of the herb Ashwagandha. Fruits, leaves and seeds of the Indian medicinal plant withania somnifera have been traditionally used for the Ayurvedic system as aphrodisiacs, diuretics and for treating memory loss. The Japanese patent applications are related to the use of the herb as a skin ointment and for promoting reproductive fertility. The U.S based company Natreon has also obtained a patent for an Ashwagandha extract. Another US establishment, the New England Deaconess Hospital, has taken a patent on an Ashwagandha formulation claimed to alleviate symptoms associated with arthritis. It is clear that the Ashwagandha plant is catching the attention of scientists and more patents related to Ashwagandha are being filed or granted by different patent offices since 1996.

The turmeric patent was just one of the hundreds that the several academic organizations and Pharmecutical companies in the west have claimed by ignoring Ayurvedic knowledge. Vandana Shiva, a global campaigner for a fair and honest Intellectual Property Rights system, says patents on herbal products derived from Neem, Amla, Jar Amla, Anar, Salai, Dudhi, Gulmendhi, Bagbherenda, Karela, Erand, Rangoon-kibel, Vilayetishisham and Chamkura also need to be revoked.

In India, scientific research in Ayurveda is largely undertaken by the statutory body of the Federal Government, the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS), through a national network of research institutes. A large number of non-governmental organisations are also conducting research work on different aspects of Ayurveda.