Hour 60 Ayurveda – Tastes & Health II
Shad Rasa – Part 2
Qualities, Benefits & Effects of Excessive Consumption
- Sweet Taste (Madhura)
- Qualities: Heavy, cooling, and oily.
- Benefits:
- Promotes nourishment, strength, and weight gain.
- Provides energy and calms the mind.
- Induces pleasantness and happiness in the senses.
- Effects of Excess Consumption:
- Aggravates Kapha Dosha.
- Leads to conditions like obesity, diabetes, laziness, indigestion, difficulty in urination, coughing, fever, and heaviness in the body.
- Sour Taste (Amla)
- Qualities: Hot and sharp.
- Benefits:
- Stimulates appetite and digestion.
- Enhances taste and benefits heart health.
- Unique characteristic: Sour foods feel cool to the touch but have a hot potency—causing heat in the body after digestion.
- Effects of Excess Consumption:
- Aggravates Pitta Dosha.
- Can lead to hyperacidity, swelling, fever, muscle weakness, weak bones, frequent thirst, itching, and other skin disorders.
- Practical Insight: Avoiding sour foods in individuals with bone, joint, or muscle issues helps reduce aggravated Pitta and improves symptoms.
- Salty Taste (Lavana)
- Qualities: Heavy and sharp.
- Benefits:
- Improves digestion and taste perception.
- Relieves stiffness and clears blockages in body channels.
- Effects of Excess Consumption:
- Aggravates Pitta Dosha and affects blood.
- Can cause high blood pressure, burning sensations, excessive thirst and sweating, hair fall, greying of hair, wrinkles, skin diseases, gout, worsening of wounds, loss of strength, mouth ulcers, bleeding disorders, loose teeth, toxin buildup, low sperm count, and water retention.
Conclusion
- Understanding the effects of tastes enables us to guide dietary choices for health issues.
- For example : For hair fall or skin diseases, reduce or avoid Sour, Salty, or Pungent (Spicy) tastes as they aggravate Pitta Dosha and affect the blood, worsening such conditions.
- Understanding the effects of each taste allows for better control over Dosha imbalances, promoting overall health and well-being.
- This knowledge helps in selecting the right foods and herbs for specific health conditions, improving the effectiveness of Ayurvedic treatments.
- By recognizing how tastes influence the body according to seasons, we can adjust our diet to maintain Dosha equilibrium throughout the year.
- Awareness of the consequences of excessive consumption of certain tastes enables us to prevent conditions like obesity, acidity, skin disorders, and digestive issues.
- Understanding Shad Rasa empowers us to make informed dietary and lifestyle choices that align with our individual health needs, leading to a more harmonious life.