Ayurveda has defined and explained food under the title of Annavarga. In the explanation it is clearly mentioned that food is the basic of life and our health is highly dependent on that we eat. Moreover, the importance of food is much more than medicines because healthy and right food if consumed, one might not require the need of medicine and vice versa.

Ayurveda has classified food based on three concepts, viz. Rasa or taste, Vipak or post-digestive effect and Virya or potency of food.

RASA or TASTE

Ayurveda describes 6 primary types of taste, and the flavors are a form of permutation and combination of these six tastes in more or less proportion. Following are the six different tastes and their properties.

Sweet (Madhur) taste is composed of earth and water and is usually experienced dominantly in sugars and starches. It balances Vata and Pitta, increases Ojas and promotes growth in the body. It nourishes and revitalizes the body and creates contentment in the mind. It is found in almonds, raisins, honey, fennel, licorice, sesame seeds and cereals.

Sour taste is composed of earth and fire and is present in fermented or acidic substances. It is heating and increases digestive power by enkindling Agni, the digestive fire. It balances Vata, enlivens the mind, increases strength, reduces bloating and gas and promotes salivation. Typically sour substances are lemon, lime, raspberry and alcohol.

Salty taste is composed of water and fire and is present in salty substances and alkalis. It balances Vata, increases Agni, acts as a sedative and laxative and promotes salivation. Salt is found in kelp, seaweed, celery, Irish moss, sea salt and rock salt.

Pungent taste is composed of fire and air and is present in most spicy, acrid or aromatic substances. It stimulates the digestion, increases appetite, acts as an expectorant, increases circulation, promotes clarity of mind, kills worms, alleviates kapha, reduces weight, clears obstructions, opens vessels and relieves blood stagnation. Pungent herbs and spices include; asafoetida, basil, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, eucalyptus, garlic, ginger, horseradish, mustard, onions,, peppermint, rosemary.

Bitter taste is composed of air and ether and balances Pitta and Kapha. It is detoxifying, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It also cleanses the blood and liver, stimulates the digestive fire and scrapes away fat. It is present in bitter herbs and foods such as aloe, dandelion, rhubarb, yarrow and yellow dock.

Astringent taste is composed of earth and air and is present in food and herbs of a constricting nature. It balances Pitta and Kapha, stops diarrhea, stops bleeding, heals wounds, stops sweating and is anti-inflammatory. Astringent substances include black tea, beans, mullein, pomegranate, raspberry leaves.

Vipak or post digestive effect

Apart from Rasa or the taste, another factor contributing towards action of medicine or food is the Vipaka. Vipaka is the post-digestive effect the herb or spice will have on the body. Sweet and salty tastes have a sweet or moistening post-digestive effect; sour taste will however remain as sour or heating post-digestive effect and pungent, astringent and bitter have a pungent or drying post-digestive effect.

Sweet tastes are digested during the first (Kapha) stage of digestion; in the mouth and stomach. Sour or acidic tastes are digested during the second (Pitta) phase of digestion; in the stomach and small intestine. Pungent tastes are digested during the third (Vata) phase of digestion; in the colon. Thus, we can determine the long-term effect an herb will have on the body. Sweet vipaka will increase kapha and reduce vata and pitta; pungent will increase vata and pitta and reduce kapha; sour will increase pitta and kapha and reduce vata.

Virya or Potency

The third factor in the process of digestion that plays an important role is Virya. Virya is the energy or potency of a herb or spice and can be heating or cooling. Sweet, astringent and bitter tastes are cooling whilst salt, sour and pungent are heating. Heating herbs increase Pitta but reduce Vata and Kapha. They create sweating and increase the digestive fire. Cooling herbs reduce Pitta but increase Vata and Kapha. For Pitta they are refreshing and help cleanse the blood as well as calm the mind.

Prabhava - The special effect of specific substances.

Prabhava is a term used to describe herbs and spices that have a ‘special’ potency or effect that is unique to it and does not always correspond to the rasa, virya or vipaka. Thus, a plant may be classified as ‘heating’ according to Virya but is generally known to be very effective during high fever.

All these factor together work on an individual’s body constitution and bring healthy or unhealthy effects. Sometimes, a specific food being healthy for a person but might not be same for some other individual with a different body constitution. And the effect of food on body also changes according to the climatic conditions. To know more about all these factor stay tunned with our informative blog.