Skip to content

The foundation of Āyurveda and the traditional systems of medicine in today's bioactive substances - Do we still require scientific evidence for the epidemiological data?

Section - I

Introduction

All knowledge systems in India are said to be originated from the Vedas. Veda is a corpus/body of the oldest texts that have been handed down from generation to generation by oral tradition. The knowledge systems contained in these texts belong in various domains.

The corpus of the Vedic texts is broadly divided into four Vedas called Rig, Yajus, Sama and Atharva. Further there are some other Vedas like Natyaveda, Dhanurveda, Āyurveda etc., which are called Upavedas. Āyurveda is said to be the Upaveda (subsidiary) of Rigveda.

The word 'Veda' is derived from the root 'vid' - to know. Hence, that which makes you know something is called 'Veda'. In other words, the provider of knowledge with regard to various domains is called 'Veda'.

Āyurveda belongs in the domain of life sciences. It is one of the most ancient and unique healing systems in the world based on the innate philosophy of the Vedas and Upanishads. Generally, the word 'Āyurveda' is translated as Life-Science.

Further, it is defined as follows: “Āyurveda is that branch of science in which advantages and disadvantages, happy and unhappy states of life and those things which are good and bad for life are described.”

The value of this science cannot be easily measured as it encompasses life itself in a holistic and comprehensive manner.

The Philosophy of Āyurveda and other systems of Indian Medicine -

Like every other Veda, it lays down the four main objectives of Human life.

  1. Dharma - The Do's and Don'ts to protect the human existence (Duty)
  2. Artha - Wealth or physical resources that are required to preserve life.
  3. Kama - Desires or needs of a living system.
  4. Moksha - Ultimate liberation from the cycle of births and deaths - Spiritual emancipation.

The first three objectives have to be achieved to lead a successful, healthy and peaceful life during one's lifespan.

According to Āyurveda, utilizing the various resources (Artha) to fulfil the needs and preserve the human system within the framework of Dharma will lead to successful, healthy and peaceful life; this eventually leads to spiritual emancipation in the form of unlimited bliss.

The Domain of Āyurveda

Though Āyurveda deals with all life systems, its prime concern is the human life. It deals with all life systems like beasts, birds, plants and human beings. Hence, the names, Vrikshāyurveda, Pasvāyurveda and so on. In this article, we confine ourselves to human systems and the Indian life sciences dealing with human lives.

As per the principles of Āyurveda every human being is a microcosm (pindanda) of the Macrocosm (Brahmanda) i.e. man is a universe within the universe. In this way, everything in the world is connected. Āyurveda emphasises the relationship and interaction between energy and matter, individual and consciousness which determine the healthy state of a person. A doctor is one who keeps the equipoise of the complementary systems viz. Microcosm (Pindanda) and Macrocosm (Brahmanda).

Macrocosm and Microcosm - Man is the epitome of the Universe

To understand the human system, it is essential to understand the Macrocosm or the Universe. The Universe consisting of living and non-living beings, is made up of five great elements that provide the physical base of this Universe:

Here's the markdown table conversion with centered headers:

No. Element Nature Attribute
1 Akasha (Ether) Space Sound
2 Vayu (Air) Activity and initiation / dynamism Touch
3 Agni (Fire) Change Colour
4 Ap (Water) Cohesive force, which binds the divergent forces together Taste
5 Prthivi (Earth) This represents man and all solids manifested in this world Smell

The Theory of Panchikarana

As in modern science, the pure five great elements are not available in this universe. Every element is an admixture of other four elements with its own domination. Hence, the five great elements may be shown as follows -

Akash

1/2 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8
Akasha Vayu Agni Ap Prithivi

Vayu

1/2 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8
Vayu Akasha Agni Ap Prithivi

Agni

1/2 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8
Agni Akasha Vayu Ap Prithvi

Ap

1/2 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8
Ap Akasha Vayu Agni Prithvi

Prithvi

1/2 1/8 1/8 1/8 1/8
Prthivi Akasha Vayu Agni Ap

The physical world is a combination of these five great elements.

Similarly, the human system (Pindanda) is also a combination of these five great elements with a domination of earthly portions. Hence, the body of human being is called Earthly-body or ParthivaSharira.

To understand the human body further, we should have the basic knowledge of the physical world created by Matter (Prakruti).

graph TD
    A[Prakruti <br> Prime-ordeal matter - unmanifest]
    -->
    B[Mahat <br> Manifested matter]
    -->
    C[Ahankara <br> Ego]
    -->
    D(( ))
    D --- E1[Five <br> Tanmantras]
    D --- E2[Five <br> Great elements]
    D --- E3[Five <br> Sense Organs]
    D --- E4[Five <br> Motor Organs]
    D --- E5[Mind]
    %% Styling
    classDef invisible fill:none,stroke:none
    class D invisible

The micro-level of every physical human system is the combination of these 24 elements. These things are held together because of the presence of consciousness called the 'Individual Self' present in that physical human system.

The 24 physical components act as the basic material to create the human being and soul or Purusha and Atma functions as the unifying force of this complex.

The human body is called Sharira because it is bound to disintegrate after a certain time. It is also called Shiryate iti shariram - occupied as a base by the soul, for its existence and functioning. That is, the soul resides in the body. In fact, the presence of the conscious principle, viz. Soul, sustains the physical body.

Origin of the Human Body

The union of Sperm (Shukra) with the ovum (Shonita) in the womb of the Mother is the main cause of the formation of the body. The human body consists of Prakrti, Mahat (Manifest matter), Ahankara (Ego), five subtle elements - Five gross elements; five sense organs, five motor organs and Mind (All these are physical) + Individual Soul. Only because of the presence of the Individual Soul, the foetus (the combinations of 24 varieties of matter) grows in the womb.

The development of Human System in the womb

Element Function
Akasha Provides space and scope for developmental changes and ensures growth
Vayu Helps in shaping the physical mass into organs, limbs, constituents, tissues etc.
Agni Helps mutation and metabolism
Ap Helps to cool the system and moistens the mass
Prthivi Stabilizes the total mass and gives structural integrity to all organs and to the whole body

This physical body comprising of these five elements is insentient and provides the base for the sentient being, viz. the Individual Self, for its existence. Only the presence of this Self in the physical body sustains it. Mind (Manas), a product of the physical matter displays intelligence only due to the presence of the sentient being viz. Individual Self.

flowchart TD
    Atma["**Atma** <br> (neither an evolvent nor an evolute, does not undergo any change or transformation)"]
    MoolaPrakriti["**Moola Prakriti** <br> (Root matter, pradhanam and avyaktha) an evolvent"]
    Mahat["**Mahat** <br> (Budhi or intellect) <br> evolute and evolvent"]
    Ahankara["**Ahankara** <br> (Ego) <br> evolute and evolvent"]
    Satwic("Satwic")
    Rajas("Rajas")
    Thamas("Thamas")
    Manas["**Manas** <br> (mind)"]
    Jnanendriya["**Jnanendriya** <br> (sense organs - <br> eye-sight <br> ear-hearing <br> nose-smell <br> tongue-taste <br> skin-tactile)"]
    Karmendriya["**Karmendriya** <br> (motor organs - <br> Vak-speech <br> Pani-hand <br> Payu-anus <br> Pada-feet <br> Upastha-genital organ)"]
    Shabdatanmatra("Shabdatanmatra")
    Roopatanmatra("Roopatanmatra")
    Gandhatanmatra("Gandhatanmatra")
    AkashaBhoota["akasa bhoota <br> evolute"]
    TejaBhoota["teja bhoota <br> evolute"]
    BhoomiBhoota["bhoomi bhoota <br> evolute"]
    Vatha("Vatha")
    Pitta("Pitta")
    Kapha("Kapha")
    Shareeram["SHAREERAM <br> LIFE"]
    Ekadashendriya["Ekadashendriya"]

    Atma --> MoolaPrakriti
    MoolaPrakriti --> Mahat
    Mahat --> Ahankara
    Ahankara --> Satwic & Rajas & Thamas

    %% Connections from both Satwic and Rajas
    Satwic & Rajas --> Manas & Jnanendriya & Karmendriya

    %% Connections from both Rajas and Thamas
    Rajas & Thamas --> Shabdatanmatra & Roopatanmatra & Gandhatanmatra

    Shabdatanmatra --> AkashaBhoota
    Roopatanmatra --> TejaBhoota
    Gandhatanmatra --> BhoomiBhoota

    AkashaBhoota --> Vatha
    TejaBhoota --> Pitta
    BhoomiBhoota --> Kapha

    Vatha & Pitta & Kapha --> Shareeram

    %% Merging to Ekadashendriya
    Manas & Jnanendriya & Karmendriya --> Ekadashendriya
    Ekadashendriya --> Shareeram

The human system, a combination of a sentient being and matter (Prakrti with 24 varieties mentioned earlier) has to be maintained perfectly for performing its destined activity in this world. This system has got an optimum life cycle of 100 years according to Āyurveda. To maintain this system, to aid its designated functioning, certain DOs and DON'Ts mentioned in Āyurveda have to be followed. To know these details and other Indian systems such as Siddha, one has to understand the foundations of these systems in a comprehensive manner.

The Human System - Three Doshas - Three Mental States

To understand this diagram, we should understand the Tridosha theory first.

According to Āyurveda the five great elements or Panchamahabhutas shown in the above diagram integrate into physical form as three humours (Doshas). Every human being is a unique combination of these three Doshas in various proportions, which are the manifested forms of the integrated Panchamahabhutas.

graph TD
    A[Three Doshas] --> B[Vata]
    A --> C[Pitta]
    A --> D[Kapha]

These three Doshas or biological humours, the manifestations of the five great elements, play a very important role in the health of the human beings. Maintenance of the perfect balance of these three humours causes health, and imbalance caused by seasonal changes, abusive lifestyle or irregular and incorrect consumption of food will lead to ill-health or disease.

According to Āyurveda and other Indian Systems of Medicine, the following 12 basic concepts have to be understood to know the human system:

  1. The 13 natural urges
  2. Panchamahabhutas and 4 forces
  3. Three Mental properties (Gunas)
  4. Tridosha theory
  5. The digestive fire
  6. Doshas and imbalances
  7. 7 Dhatus and process of digestion
  8. Three Malas (Wastes)
  9. Srotas
  10. Daily and seasonal changes
  11. Misuse of senses
  12. Samprapti - disease process

Every human being has 13 natural urges as mentioned below. According to Āyurveda human beings should never suppress these natural urges if they desire to preserve health. The non-suppression of these urges will also help to maintain proper functioning of the body, mind and emotions.

13 natural urges are:

  1. Crying
  2. Yawning
  3. Hunger
  4. Thirst
  5. Sleep
  6. Breath (Shallow)
  7. Urination
  8. Defecation
  9. Ejaculation/ Orgasm
  10. Flatulence
  11. Vomiting
  12. Sneezing
  13. Belching

The nature or the properties of the Panchamahabhutas are described earlier.

The four forces

Every human being is considered to be the miniature replica of the Universe. Hence, every human being is endowed with these four forces:

  1. Atma - Individual Soul - The force of Consciousness
  2. Manas - Mind - an evolute of Matter
  3. Kala - Cycle of Time
  4. Indriyas - the Five Sense Organs - the means of experiencing this Universe

The Primordial Matter or Prakrti is the combination of the three Gunas viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. But the mental level of these Gunas manifested as Sattva, Rajas and Tamas control the psychological behaviour of the human beings accordingly as shown below.

  1. A mind dominated by Sattvaguna is:
    1. Pure
    2. Compassionate
    3. Clear
    4. Cooperative
  1. A mind dominated by Rajoguna is
    1. Egoistic
    2. Ambitious
    3. Aggressive
    4. Competitive
    5. Controlling
    6. Restless
  1. A mind dominated by Tamoguna is
    1. Lazy
    2. Possessive
    3. Depressed
    4. Sad
    5. Dull

Each mind is a unique blend of these three Gunas in different proportions; hence the psychological behaviour of every human being is also unique.

Tridosha theory of Āyurveda

As shown earlier, every human being is a blend of the three Doshas in various proportions, wherefore the constitution of every human being is unique. According to Āyurveda, the three Doshas viz. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are found in every cell, tissue and organ in different proportions. To understand the unique individual constitutions, one has to use the pulse diagnosis method called Nadivijnana in Āyurveda. This Nadivijnana is the key to understand the changes that take place in the three Doshas of human beings due to seasonal changes, daily routines, consumption of different varieties of foods, inputs received through the sense organs and so on. By the study of the three pulses located at the root of the thumb it is possible for an expert in Nadivijnana to make out the various mental states, the balance or the imbalance of the three Doshas. These pulses are windows to look into the various happenings in the human system.

According to Āyurveda, human beings can be classified into seven constitutional types.

  1. Vata-Prakrti
  2. Vata-Pitta Prakrti
  3. Vata-Kapha Prakrti
  4. Pitta Prakrti
  5. Pitta-Kapha Prakrti
  6. Kapha Prakrti
  7. Vata-Pitta-Kapha (Tridosha) Prakrti

To understand various constitutions further it is necessary to understand the constituents of these three Doshas, their properties and functions in detail.

  1. Vata is constituted by Ether (Akasha) and Air (Vayu).
  2. Pitta is constituted by Fire (Agni).
  3. Kapha is constituted by Water (Ap) and Prthivi (Earth).

Functions of the Doshas or controls

Effect of Constitution Type on Body or Microcosm

Vata Pitta Kapha
Function of the Dosha (or controls) Movement, Breathing, Natural Urges, Transformation of the tissues, Motor functions, Sensory functions, Ungroundedness, Secretions, Excretions, Fear, Emptiness, Anxiety, Thoughts, Lifeforce Body heat, Temperature, Digestion, Perception, Understanding, Hunger, Thirst, Intelligence, Anger, Hate, Jealousy Stability, Energy, Lubrication, Forgiveness, Greed, Attachment, Accumulation, Holding, Possessiveness
Manifests in living things as The movement of: nerve impulses, air, blood, food, waste, thought Pitta controls the enzymes that digest our food and the hormones that regulate our Cells which make up our organs and fluids which nourish and protect them
Characteristics Cold, light, irregular, mobile, rarefied, dry, rough Hot, light, fluid, subtle, sharp, malodorous, soft, clear Oily, cold, heavy, stable, dense, smooth
Aggressive Dosha can result in Nerve irritation, high blood pressure, gas confusion Ulcers, hormonal imbalance, irritated skin (acne), consuming emotions (anger) Mucous build-up in the sinus and nasal passages, the lungs and colon
Too little Dosha force can result in nerve loss, congestion, constipation, thoughtlessness Indigestion, inability to understand, sluggish Metabolism a dry respiratory tract, burning stomach
Predominant during the life stage of Old age - As we get older, we "shrink and dry out" Teen and Adult - During this stage, our hormone changes transforms us into adults. Childhood years - During this period, we grow or increase in substance of the body

The seats of Vata, Pitta, Kapha The seats of Vata, Pitta, Kapha

The seats of Vata, Pitta, Kapha

Other important basic principles of Ayurveda which are briefly mentioned here are:

  1. Dhatus- These are the basic tissues which maintain and nourish the body. They are seven in number namely – rasa (chyle), rakta (blood), mamsa (muscles), meda (fatty tissue), asthi (bone), majja (marrow) and sukla (reprodutive tissue). Proper amount of each dhatu and their balanced function is very important for good health.

  2. Mala- These are the waste materials produced as a result of various metabolic activities in the body. They are mainly urine, feaces and sweat. Proper elimination of the malas is equally important for good health. Accumulation of malas causes many diseases in the body.

  3. Srotas- These are different types of channels which are responsible for transportation of food, dhatus, malas and doshas. Proper functioning of srotas is necessary for transporting different materials to the site of their requirement. Blockage of srotas causes many diseases.

  4. Agni- These are different types of enzymes responsible for digestion and transforming one material to another.

All these factors should function in a proper balance for good health. They are inter-related and are directly or indirectly responsible for maintaining equilibrium of the tridoshas.

Samadōṣaḥ samāgniśca samadhātumalakriyaḥ।
Prasannātmēndriyamanāḥ svasthah ityabhidhīyate॥

Section - II

The modern bioactive substances used to prepare diets are not only to provide adequate nutrients to meet metabolic requirements, but also to contribute to the improvement of human health. Due to this, there are efforts to identify extracts of plants or single compounds that are said to be beneficial to human health. This will pave way for the preparation of a balanced diet. But, many a times, it becomes very much difficult to the scientist to evaluate the efficacy and safety of these natural bioactive substances. There is also a possibility that the excessive use of these bioactive substances may aggravate certain diseases which will cause new diseases.

In this context, the time-tested bioactive compounds and many other processed foods which have very high nutritional values come to our rescue. From the point of view of Āyurveda and other systems of Indian medicine, a comprehensive view of human health is already provided in the previous section of this article.

From that point of view, Āyurveda provides ample information regarding dietary regimen for people of different constitutions or Prakrti.

According to Āyurveda, diet consisting of various bioactive substances is one among the three pillars of health, the other two being sleep and celibacy. When the diet is taken according to prescribed norms it acts as both nourisher and medicine. If it is consumed without any of the norms prescribed, it may result in adverse reactions.

In modern times, several terms are used with regard to varieties of foods such as nutraceuticals, wellness foods, functional foods, medicinal foods, pharma foods and so on. But Āyurveda uses terms such as Rasayana, Pathya, Anna, Aharadravadravya etc., which have special significance when we look into the etymologies of these words.

The word Rasayana is very significant. Rasayana is that which nourishes all the body tissues and prevents aging. This not only promotes health but also prevents complications of chronic diseases. A Rasayana may be in the form of single herb, different types of herbal teas, medicated ghee, herbomineral pastes etc. Rasayanas are most efficacious and high nutrition-packed functional foods. Chyavanaprash is the best example for Rasayana.

Six Tastes (Shadrasas)

Rasas are caused by the permutation and combination of different elements in various proportions. Hence, before knowing how these tastes are generated by the five great elements (Panchamahabhutas), it is essential to note the different properties present in these five great elements. The chart below shows the properties of the five great elements in the descending order.

Sl. Name of the element Properties present in it
1. Akasha (Ether/Sky) Shabda (Sound)
2. Vayu (Air) Shabda (Sound), Sparsha (Touch)
3. Agni (Fire) Shabda (Sound), Sparsha (Touch), Rupa (Colour)
4. Ap / Jala (Water) Shabda (Sound), Sparsha (Touch), Rupa (Colour), Rasa (Taste)
5. Prthivi (Earth) Shabda (Sound), Sparsha (Touch), Rupa (Colour), Rasa (Taste), Gandha (Smell)

These elements are not available in their pure form. Every element is always associated with all other elements. They admix with other elements, and when they do so, they support each other, strengthen each other and enter into each other.

Since they get mixed with each other in varied proportions, every object or substance in this physical world appears to be different in nature. Rasa or Taste is an exclusive property of water. Since water is present in all the other elements which are naturally available, it imparts tastes to the substances. The water thus mixed with other elements generates six tastes called -

  1. Madhura - Sweet
  2. Amla - Sour
  3. Lavana - Salty
  4. Katu - Pungent / Hot
  5. Kashaya - Astringent
  6. Tikta - Bitter

By their permutation and combination, we can produce 63 Rasas or tastes.

When these Rasas are mixed further, there is a chemical reaction which produces a new Rasas.

The general property of a Rasa/Taste present in pure water gets transformed into six tastes as stated above.

Dominant portions of the five great elements create the 6 Rasas as shown below -

Prthivi (Earth) + Jala (Watre) generate Madhurarasa (Sweet taste)

Prthivi (Earth) + Agni (Fire) generate Amlarasa (Sour taste)

Jala (Water) + Agni (Fire) generate Lavanarasa (Salty taste)

Vayu (Air) + Agni (Fire) generate Katurasa (Pungent taste)

Vayu (Air) + Akasha (Ether) generate Kashayarasa (Astringent taste)

Prthivi (Earth) + Vayu (Air) generate Tiktarasa (Bitter taste)

  1. Vayu - Causes - Vata
  2. Agni - Causes - Pitta
  3. Soma - Causes - Kapha

The rasas are derived from these elements aggravate their original elements and also put an end to other elements.

Rasas can also be divided into the following groups:

Agneya - Caused by Agni (Fire) - Pungent, Salty, Bitter.

Saumya - Caused by Soma (Moon) - Sweet, Sour, Astringent.

Sweet, Sour, Astringent - Snigdha (oily) and Guru (heavy) - Cold.

Pungent, Salty, Bitter - Ruksha (dry) and Laghu (light) - Hot.

graph TD
    madhura[मधुर:]
    amla[अम्ल:]
    lavana[लवण:]
    katu[कटु:]
    kashaya[कषाय:]
    tikta[तिक्त:]
    prithvi[पृथिवी]
    apah[आप:]
    agni[अग्नि:]
    vayu[वायु:]
    akasha[आकाशम्]
    madhura --> prithvi
    madhura --> apah
    amla --> prithvi
    amla --> agni
    lavana --> apah
    lavana --> agni
    katu --> agni
    katu --> vayu
    kashaya --> vayu
    kashaya --> akasha
    tikta --> vayu
    tikta --> akasha
    linkStyle 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

graph TD
    madhura[मधुर:]
    amla[अम्ल:]
    lavana[लवण:]
    katu[कटु:]
    kashaya[कषाय:]
    tikta[तिक्त:]
    prithvi[पृथिवी]
    apah[आप:]
    agni[अग्नि:]
    vayu[वायु:]
    akasha[आकाशम्]
    madhura --> prithvi
    madhura --> apah
    amla --> prithvi
    amla --> agni
    lavana --> apah
    lavana --> agni
    katu --> agni
    katu --> vayu
    kashaya --> vayu
    kashaya --> akasha
    tikta --> vayu
    tikta --> akasha
    linkStyle 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

graph TD
    madhura[मधुर:]
    amla[अम्ल:]
    lavana[लवण:]
    katu[कटु:]
    kashaya[कषाय:]
    tikta[तिक्त:]
    prithvi[पृथिवी]
    apah[आप:]
    agni[अग्नि:]
    vayu[वायु:]
    akasha[आकाशम्]
    madhura --> prithvi
    madhura --> apah
    amla --> prithvi
    amla --> agni
    lavana --> apah
    lavana --> agni
    katu --> agni
    katu --> vayu
    kashaya --> vayu
    kashaya --> akasha
    tikta --> vayu
    tikta --> akasha
    linkStyle 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Āyurveda strongly recommends the intake of foods having all six varieties of tastes, stated earlier, in various proportions to ensure prolonged immunity and perfect health. Āyurveda gives in detail, specific rules and regulations with regard to seasonal foods, circadian variations, infancy, puberty, menopause, old age, sickness, post-surgery, expectant mothers, lactating mothers and so on. According to many Ayurvedic texts, for the seriously ill, “Medicine is their food”. But, for those who are in good state of health, “Food is their medicine”.

There are several interesting works in Āyurveda such as Kshemakutuhalam, Bhojanakutuhalam etc., which discuss in great detail about various time-honoured Indian recipes and their medical implications - both preventive and curative. They are interdisciplinary as they discuss cuisine on the one hand and the medicinal aspects of the same on the other hand.

Research with regard to various foods, types of recipes, single ingredients, the qualities and actions have been conducted and the results have been recorded over the last 2,000 years.

Āyurveda briefly describes the effect of food based on the properties of food. Food that is difficult to digest is said to be Guru or heavy. Examples are - dishes made of Black-gram, red meat, meat of animals of marshy and wetlands, sesame seeds etc.

The foods classified as Laghu (light or easily digestible) are - Moongdal (green-gram), red rice, bird meat and deer meat.

Many of the texts on dietetics deal with the qualities of various varieties of beverages, fruits, vegetables, meat of different sources, wine prepared using multiple materials, water obtained from different sources, types of honey and so on. Several recipes made from the materials mentioned above are standing proof of the wisdom of our predecessors in preparing the functional foods.

The ideal food which possesses the required nutrients must have a pleasing aroma, attractive colour and delicious taste.

Charaka-samhita, while dealing with several bio-active substances, gives many details about the properties of several foodstuffs. A few important of them are given below.

  • Saindhava Lavana is the best among the salts, especially with regard to eye conditions.
  • Among the varieties of milk, cow milk is best.
  • Among the tubers, ginger is highly preferred.
  • Grapes rank high among the fruits.
  • Among oils, Gingelly oil is the best.

In the same manner, many foodstuffs are also to be avoided. Among them, very few are mentioned here.

Among the meat, Cow meat to be avoided.

Mustard leaves should never be consumed.

Among tubers, potato is to be avoided.

Causes of changes that will be brought about in the physical body at the physical level and mental level

So far we have discussed about the Tridosha theory which clearly interprets the concept of health according to Āyurveda and other Indian Systems of medicine such as Siddha.

According to each Prakrti (or, one's own constitution of the body), there is a balanced state of the three humours which can be clearly discerned by testing the three pulses in the right hand for men and in the left hand for women located prominently at the root of the thumb.

This balance of the three humours in the human system will be disturbed by so many factors which will be continuously impeaching on the human system. The following diagram shows the impact which will cause an imbalance in the human system resulting in ill-health or disease.

This can be explained further as shown below

A human system which is the Microcosm is said to be in perfect health as long as the three humours are in perfect balance. It can be disturbed by his daily routines or Dinacharya. The daily activities will bring about many changes in the human system. This is one of the causes of the changes in the balance of the three humours. Hence, to counter this imbalance he should adopt certain practices as prescribed in the Ayurvedic texts.

The second factor is the seasonal changes that are brought about in the human beings resulting in the imbalance of humours. The changes in the Macrocosm brought about by the celestial objects such as Sun, Moon, etc., result in the climate changes, based on which the six seasons (Rutus) result, and will wield an impact on the human system, by bringing about certain imbalances. This has to be countered by the intake of foods and other bio-active substances with the proper understanding of their properties, functions and impact on the human system.

The other most important factor that affects the human system is the Aahara (anything that is consumed). According to Āyurveda, the sensations received through the sense organs are called Aahara, because it is consumed by the Mind. This would have an impact on the resulting in arousal of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas which in turn will affect the three humours at the physical level resulting in the disturbance of the three Doshas. Hence, we should also be careful with regard to our sense perceptions.

The most important aspect we have to be worried about the various foodstuffs and different food ingredients we consume at the physical level .............................. This wields a telling impact on the human resulting in his ill-health. So, Indian systems of medicines have a long history of studying the impact of bioactive substances based on their properties (Guna), functions (Virya) and impact (Vipaka).

A few important food practices those are prevalent in India even today, which are conducive to health.

  1. In India earlier, instead of coffee or tea, people used herbal drinks consisting of cumin, cardamom, liquorius, ginger, coriander, clove, jaggery or sugar boiled in milk. Apart from being tasty, they used to impart good health to the consumer. The bio-active substances used in the morning drinks act as appetizers, carminatives help in easy movements of bowels, calm the mind and enhance memory.

  2. Temples even today distribute Pancamrita/Banana salad, after offering it to the deity. This salad is a mixture of Banana, Sugar, Honey, Ghee, Coconut-gratings, cardamom etc. This salad is highly nutritious and has immense therapeutic values. This also bestows satiety.

  3. Indian housewives use several bio-active substances everyday while preparing various varieties of foods at home. In most of the recipes, pepper, turmeric, coriander, mint, coconut, peanuts, cumin etc., are used. Not only they nourish the body, but also act as preventive and curative medicines.

  4. In many houses, beverages made of Sarsaparilla are served. This has several medicinal actions and therapeutic values. It bestows complexion (Varnya), reduces burning sensation (Dahaprasamana), cleanses breast-milk (stanyashodhana) and removes fever (Jvarahara). It is also said that the saporin content of the root of this herb disables the bacterial components known as endo-toxin, that show up in the blood streams of people suffering from psoriasis. Modern science has extensively acknowledged this fact.

  5. Garlic or Lasuna is another important bioactive substance used daily in many Indian homes.This is said to have all the tastes mentioned earlier, except sour taste. Ayurvedic texts consider garlic as one of the essential ingredients in certain special dishes (Kritannasamskara). People using garlic regularly are allowed to eat meat, consume alcoholic drinks also. Garlic bestows energy, vigour and vitality, improves complexion, enhances memory and improves voice. It is a good medicine for persons suffering from joint pains. This is also advocated to the patients suffering from cardiac diseases, leprosy, fever and so on.

Garlic boiled in milk with other specified herbs in functional food in cases of hyper lipidemia, high blood pressure, nervous disorders and muscular skeletal disorders.

Garlic optimizes cholesterol, HDT levels and blood pressures. Garlic has significant antianhymatic effect on the heart.

Conclusion

Indian Food Sciences and Technologies have a history of at least five thousand years. Information about these aspects are available in a fragmentary way in the basic texts of Āyurveda such as Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Bhavaprakasha and also later texts of Āyurveda. The scattered information needs to be collated and presented in a succinct way so that people at large can understand the nature and properties of each and every natural ingredient and the foodstuffs prepared utilizing the natural food materials.

Thus there arose a necessity to systematize food-science based on strictly scientific principles, keeping in view the impact of the different food ingredients and the food stuffs prepared out of them, on the human system. The human body, as is well known, is a combination of the five great elements viz. Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Even the food ingredients and food stuffs prepared by using them are a combination of the five great elements. Therefore, foodstuffs and their ingredients are bound to wield a considerable impact on the human system at the physical, mental and spiritual levels according to the attributes and properties they possess. This was well documented and proved by our predecessors.

It is often said that “you are defined by the food you eat”. A famous Indian saying states that a person who knows his food will never suffer from any diseases. Besides, even our mental dispositions and spiritual outlook depends upon the food we consume. The Taittiriyopanishat explicitly states that “Every being is born out of food; every being is sustained by food, and ultimately dissolves into food”. Such hoary statements of our sages of yore alert us that we should be very careful with regard to the food we consume, not only from the point of view of our health but also from the point of view of our mental dispositions and spiritual and philosophical pursuits.

Thus food science and technology developed by our Ancient saints will never become obsolete. In fact, analysis of food, (as is done in the present work), is becoming more and more relevant nowadays; more so as people in the modern scientific world indiscriminately consume various foodstuffs and even junk food without bothering about the impacts of those foodstuffs on human system. It is observed that taste plays the all-important role in people's eating habits and not the desirable properties that impact their physical and spiritual well-being.

Āyurveda, the science of life developed in India with its holistic approach has viewed Man (the Microcosm) as part and parcel of the universe (Macrocosm). According to this science, man is the combination of the five great elements with his consciousness being the sixth component. It also avers that 'Man' is the replica of the universe (purushoyam loka-sammitah) keeping in view the impact of the food materials and foodstuffs on the three humors of the human being viz. vata, pitta and kapha that play a major role in the well-being of human beings. Our ancient sages have not only found out from their intuitive knowledge the attributes (Dravyagunas) of each and every food material and foodstuff that is being used in India from long ago, but also the effects that take place on persons of different types of body-constitutions (Prakritis) who consume them. This information is vital from the point of view of our health. Modern science has also contributed much in this field as it has concentrated much upon the nutritional value of each and every food material and foodstuff. However, modern science seems to have completely ignored the medicinal properties of these due to obvious reasons.

After the lengthy study of foundations of Āyurveda and the other Indian systems of medicine in today's bio-active substances, this question lingers in our mind - Do we still require scientific evidence for the epidemiological data?