1. In the holistic science of Ayurveda, food has
been praised as the best entity among all life-
sustaining factors.
Ayurveda has identified six different tastes
called rasa and has described their health
benefits on judicious intake as well as their
harms on excess/improper usage. The six rasa
(tastes) are: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter
and astringent.
Regular intake of all the six tastes through
food is said to be the most effective measure
for strength promotion; whereas intake of only
a single taste on regular basis is the most
important reason for debilitated health.
Based on Ayurveda principles, the qualities and
benefits of common food items have been
summarized as under:
Liquid Dietary Items:
• Water is essential for life and is the best
among factors that offer instant satisfaction.
• Milk is said to be the best to provide vitality.
• Honey is the best dietary item to pacify

2. vitiated Kapha and Pitta doshas.
• Ghrita/Ghee (milk fat) is the best dietary
item to pacify vitiated Vata and Pitta doshas.
• Natural oil from plant sources is the best
dietary item to pacify vitiated Kapha and Vata
doshas.
• Mutton soup is the best nourishing food for
relieving satiety.
• Goat milk can be the single best remedy if a
person is suffering from emaciation with
bleeding tendency/internal hemorrhage and
requires pacification of all vitiated doshas to
seek normalcy and equilibrium.
• Buffalo milk is the most effective diet for
insomnia.
• Butter milk is the best remedy if taken on a
regular basis for colitis/spruce or irritable
bowel with piles and obesity.
• Wine, especially from grapes, if taken in
moderate quantity, is said be the best item to
relax, overcome fatigue, and feel tranquility.

3. • Soup of carnivorous animals’ meat is best
diet for those ailing with piles together with
colitis/ irritable bowel and emaciation.
• Ghrita/Ghee with milk if taken in right
quantity every day is the best food for
promotion of overall health and longevity.
Solid Dietary Items:
• Sugarcane is most beneficial for persons
who are suffering with decreased urine output.
• Barley, if taken as part of regular diet, can
benefit persons with abnormally lesser
quantities of stool.
• Horse gram is excellent for stones or calculi
of kidney/urinary tract. Its decoction or
cold/hot infusions are most preferred.
• Roasted grain flour mixed with equal
quantity of ghrita/ghee is the best diet where a
good aphrodisiac is required and if the person
is also suffering from belching or flatulence.
• Meat/mutton is the best regular diet for
persons who complain of being underweight
(poor BMI) and wish to put on weight.

4. • Chicken is the best ‘tonic’ among all food
items.
• Salt is the best additive that can make the
food tastier.
• Citrus fruit is the best food among all
cordials; it nourishes the heart and improves
its blood supply.