Eat your way to good health!

Importance of Diet in Ayurveda

The diet plays an important role in adopting the Ayurvedic way of life, i.e., the pursuit of total wellness and holistic healing. A healthy and wholesome diet is probably the most important factor that Ayurveda mentions as critical to enjoying good health.

Ayurveda considers the diet as a medicine that promotes healing in the body and mind.  The formulation and dosages of this Ayurvedic “medicine” must also be tailored to the individual, just as is the case with allopathic medicines.

In order to use the diet as a medicine, we first need a good understanding of the human body as well as the significant properties of various foods. Ayurveda helps us in this as described below.

We discussed in the blog Discover the hidden truths about yourself! that all three Doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) are present in individuals in certain combinations and, based on the Dosha that is predominant, the individuals are categorized as belonging to one of the three Dosha types.

This balance in Doshas must always be maintained for one’s well-being. The Dosha helps us in understanding an individual’s physical, physiological, and psychological makeup. For example, Dosha provides an insight into the nature of various physiological processes and the individual’s vulnerabilities to various diseases, among other things. This concept is described in the post Discover the hidden truths about yourself while the posts Vata, Pitta, and Kapha provide specific details about the three Doshas.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacology, on the other hand, helps us in understanding various foods in terms of Rasa (taste), Gunas (qualities), Virya (potency), Vipaka (post-digestive effect), and Karma (therapeutic action). We shall discuss these concepts shortly.

With the above understanding of the human body and various foods, we are able to formulate a diet that corresponds to one’s Dosha. This prevents any imbalance in Dosha or restores it if it has become imbalanced.

Understanding Aahar (food) in Ayurveda

The gastrointestinal tract is an important part of the human digestive system. It is the tract from the mouth to the anus and includes various organs involved in the digestive system. As food passes through this tract, it creates different tastes and sensations which have bearing on our Dosha and thus our well-being. Ayurveda helps us in understanding the effect of various foods and medicines on our body in a very structured way using the concepts of Taste, Qualities, Potency, Post-digestive and Therapeutic effects. Let us discuss these concepts below.

Rasa (Taste)

The taste is central to our enjoying various foods. The taste is what is experienced first when we eat any food. It is one of the Six Senses we discussed in Discover the hidden truths about yourself! and is partially responsible for the perception of taste (flavor). When we keep food in the mouth, it reacts chemically with the taste receptor cells located on the tongue and produces the perception of taste.  However, the taste is more than just an “initial experience”. It has deep connections to our body and mind. It triggers a complex chain of actions that has implications for our body, mind, and consciousness and is an important source of healing.

Generally speaking, the taste is influenced by the geographical location where the food is grown or cultivated, the time of the year when it is harvested, the method employed for cultivation, storage, preservation, its age, etc.

Taste and Elements

Our food, as is the case with all other substances, is composed of the Five Basic Elements in various combinations.  These innumerable combinations of elements produce many tastes and flavors. 

However, Ayurveda mentions six tastes that can be most narrowly identified. These are: Astringent, Bitter, Pungent, Salty, Sour, and Sweet.  Although each of these six tastes contains all elements, there are two predominant elements that determine the “perception of taste”. It can then be generally said that if a diet incorporates all six tastes, it will also include all elements thus ensuring that the diet is balanced and appropriate in terms of nutrients.

The following table lists the six tastes, their respective elements, and illustrative examples of various foods of these tastes.

Six Tastes and Elements

Taste and Body Organs

Generally speaking, various foods act on multiple organs in our bodies. However, Ayurveda states that the six tastes have a more direct relationship with certain organs.

The tongue is divided into various taste areas corresponding to the six tastes. When we eat food, the taste buds in the corresponding taste area get activated and stimulate the corresponding body organs.  This stimulation is important for the optimal functioning of our body organs, recovery of those organs from diseases, and keeping us in good health. This further underlines the importance of including all tastes in our diet in the right proportion.

 A diet lacking in or having an excess of any taste can have a negative impact on the corresponding body organs.  When we experience a craving for a specific food (or taste), it is actually a signal from the corresponding organ that the organ may not be working optimally.

The following table maps the various tastes with their respective body organs and describes at a high level the relationship between the two.

Tastes and Doshas

In the blog Discover the hidden truths about yourself!, we discussed how the Five Basic Elements have bearing on our body, mind, and consciousness through our Dosha. The six tastes too are derived from the same elements and, depending upon the tastes present in our diet, can alter the balance of elements in our body resulting in aggravated Vata, Pitta, or Kapha.  For example, individuals of Kapha Dosha should avoid a large amount of Sweet foods because both the Sweet taste and the Kapha Dosha consist of Earth and Water elements and it can lead to weight gain or water retention in the body.

The following table captures the main essence of the Taste-Dosha relationship.

There are various Ayurveda textbooks that discuss the Taste-Dosha relationships in greater detail in case readers are interested in a deeper understanding of the topic.

Qualities (Gunas)

The qualities (Gunas) of elements (see Discover the hidden truths about yourself!) which are inherent in the food too can vary and can influence the nature of food.

Let us recall the 20 Gunas again:

Heavy – Light, Slow/Dull – Sharp, Cold – Hot. Moist / Oily – Dry, Smooth – Rough, Liquid – Dense, Soft – Hard, Subtle – Gross, Stable/Static – Mobile, Clear – Cloudy

We can associate these food qualities with the different reactions we experience after eating food.  For example, easily digestible foods make us feel light, rich and indigestible foods make us feel “heavy”, spicy foods generate heat in the body, etc.

Gunas are closely linked to the Potency of foods discussed below.

Potency (a.k.a. tasir)

In addition to the six tastes discussed above, the Potency of the foods is another important factor in the formulation of an appropriate diet.

As the food enters the stomach, we experience a “cooling” or a “heating” effect.  This property is known as the Potency of the food and it determines the “action” or “impact” it will have in our body on the consumption of that food.

A few examples of foods that have a “heating effect” are onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, spinach, beans, broccoli, mangoes, apples, oranges, black pepper, etc.  Eating too much of such fruits, vegetables, and spices can lead to excess heat in the body and result in various stomach-related ailments like ulcers, gastritis, and rashes.

Examples of foods that have a “cooling effect” are cucumbers (“cool like a cucumber”), melons, and fennel.

The Potency of food impacts our Doshas.  The foods having “heating effects” are known to aggravate Pitta and balance Vata and Kapha. Since Pitta already derives from the Fire element and is responsible for transformation, digestion, and metabolism, eating “heat-producing” foods in excess may cause an imbalance of Pitta in the Dosha and impact digestion and metabolism.  Furthermore, aggravated Pitta can also affect an individual’s psychological well-being, resulting in anger, hatred, jealousy, etc.

Whereas foods having “cooling effects” aggravate Vata and balance Pitta and Kapha Doshas.

The following table lists the relationship between the Doshas and the two Potencies.

Foods with “heating effects”   Promote digestion, increase body temperature, and enhance blood circulation. Examples: onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, spinach, beans, broccoli, mangoes, apples, oranges, black pepper, etc.

Effect on Doshas Pacify Vata and Kapha Dosha. Aggravate Pitta Dosha (physiologically, impact digestion and metabolism, psychologically, arouse anger, hatred, and jealousy).

Foods with “cooling effects” Slow down digestion, soothe irritation and inflammation, and promote growth and weight gain. Examples: cucumber, melon, fennel.

Effect on Doshas Aggravate Vata Dosha (slow down digestion and metabolism). Aggravate Kapha Dosha. Pacify Pitta Dosha.

Post-digestive Effect (Vipaka)

In general, there is no change in the predominant taste of the foods post-digestion.  However, the taste of certain foods changes post-digestion.  A common example is Indian Gooseberry (Amla) which tastes sour in the mouth but whose post-digestive effect is sweet. The dry ginger tastes pungent but its post-digestive effect is sweet.  We need to be aware of this post-digestive effect when studying foods as it can override the initial taste and therefore the actions of the foods in the body may be different.

Specific Potency (Prabhav)

Some foods may have a specific effect on the body defying the rules we discussed so far under the concepts of Taste, Qualities, Potency, and Post-digestive effect. The properties that are responsible for this specific or peculiar action in the body are known as Prabhav. For example, clarified butter is known for its “cooling” effect, but yet it kindles Agni (Fire) which is critical to digestion. Awareness of such aspects of foods is crucial to using diet as a medicine.

Therapeutic Effect on the Individual (Karma)

The concepts of Taste, Potency, and Post-digestive effect help an Ayurveda practitioner understand the therapeutic qualities of the foods and apply the knowledge in ascertaining the causes of disease, its symptoms, and treatment.

Other factors influencing food choices

Since our meal may consist of a variety of foods, it is quite possible that the properties of these foods are not complimentary.  While it may be safe to consume each food separately, their simultaneous consumption may not be beneficial.  We must understand these incompatible foods.

The potency of foods, method of preparation or processing, the quantity of the meal, method of consumption, time or season of consumption, etc. lead to various incompatibilities.

For example, it is a no-brainer that acidic and citrus items should not be combined with milk.  Jackfruit and milk do not go hand-in-hand.

We should also consider the source of foods when formulating our diet.  For example, there are many sources of milk such as human beings and animals.  The milk has specific Qualities depending on the source and will have a specific effect on different individuals.

Foods are also classified as Pathya (wholesome) and Apathya (un-wholesome).  Pathya foods relieve symptoms of a disease.  Apathya foods on the contrary aggravate diseases.

Triguna: Satva, Rajas and Tamas

As per Hindu philosophy, every individual is associated with three Gunas (qualities) known as Triguna and in varying proportions.  The Triguna describes the personality of an individual and is closely linked with Tridosha (the three Doshas, namely, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha).

Please note that the Triguna are different from the 20 Gunas associated with the Five Basic Elements discussed before. The Triguna are:

Sattva Guna (an individual with dominant Sattva Guna stands for spirituality, good character, wisdom, stability, self-control, non-violence, goodness, constructive, and harmonious)

Rajas Guna (an individual with dominant Rajas Guna stands for desire, passion, greed, action, restlessness, and confusion)

Tamas Guna (an individual with dominant Tamas Guna stands for darkness, destruction, chaos, inertia, fantasies, being self-centered, lethargy, idleness, and cynicism).

The Triguna gives an individual a unique personality with the dominant Guna providing the overall bent.

The ancient literature suggests that our food habits have a strong relationship with Triguna, almost confirming the adage “You are what you eat”.

The Sattvic diet, one that promotes Sattvic states in individuals comprises fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables, various grains, and milk products. Canned and preserved foods are strict no-no in the Sattvic diet.

The Rajasic diet, one that promotes Rajasic states in individuals comprises hot and spicy foods, foods that generate heat in the body and spur individuals to action.

The Tamasic diet is generally heavy, such as meat, cheese, etc. With Rajasic and Tamasic diets, moderation is the key.  The associated states show up when we eat these foods in excess.

To summarise, in this post, we understood that elements combine in unique proportions to form the Tridosha of each individual, which is why every person is unique. The same elements also combine in various combinations to form various tastes. Therefore, we should choose the diet carefully so as to protect the balance of Tridosha and avoid excess or deficiency of certain elements. This post also contains links to relevant posts which can provide further knowledge of the subject.