The 6 Tastes In Ayurveda – How it works?

You may have heard of Ayurveda, but do you know what the six flavors that are part of it mean? As food is one of the most important parts of this alternative medicine that seeks balance between body and mind, the entire diet is designed to achieve this goal.

So, much more than just looking for healthier foods, this Indian practice seeks to find the perfect combination of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, spicy, and astringent to improve what seems to be not working very well in the body or emotionally.

Six Flavor diet concepts of Ayurveda

One of the concepts of Ayurveda is that the taste of food can influence our body and mind – both for good and for bad.  So it can be said, an old saying that you are is what you eat.

So, instead of focusing only on the nutritional value of foods, the practice should be to consider a six flavors diet, which cannot be left out of the dish of those who want a healthier life: sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter, and astringent.

Also known as rasa – “flavor” in Sanskrit, the language of India, where Ayurveda emerged seven thousand years ago – these flavors can bring a number of benefits to the body if consumed in the right way.

Therefore, more than just adding them all to your daily diet, it is necessary to understand what each one delivers in order to know what should be more or less consumed in each case. The aim is for the doshas – Pitta, Vatta, or Kapha – to be in balance.

As a result, the body and mind become much healthier. It is worth noting that, in general, one of the doshas stands out in relation to the others, and that is why it is necessary to consult a specialist, who will indicate which foods should be avoided or consumed so that they are paired.

The balance between flavors also helps the diet

According to Ayurveda, text one should eat the six flavors of food in the main meals, it may also help the people who want to stop eating a certain food in excess.

This is because, with the right percentage of each of them, the body will have all the nutrients it needs in balance – which, over time, will cause it to lose its “addiction” to a specific flavor.

If you’re the type who can’t stay away from sweets, for example, and are going on a diet to reduce consumption, this concept of Ayurveda can be a good ally.

Eat the six flavors of food throughout the day – of course, some more and some less according to your need. This way your sugar craving will be reduced and the doshas come into harmony.

Discover the six flavors of the Ayurveda diet

As we have learned the basics of how important these six flavors are to Ayurveda, many of you may be wondering what the benefits of each of them are, we will take a look:

1. Sweet: Resulting from the union of earth and water elements, the sweet taste can be found in carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. When consumed in excess, in addition to not favoring the balance of the doshas, ​​it can bring various harms to health – such as diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol, for example.

However, if added to the diet in the right way, it can help to strengthen the body’s tissues and still bring more calm to the mind.

2. Salty: According to Ayurveda, fire and water come together to form a salty taste. In excess, it can favor premature aging – causing wrinkles and baldness, for example -, while its use in the right amount helps to lubricate the tissues and also calm the emotions.

3. Bitter: Air and ether are the fundamental elements that make up bitterness – a flavor often found in green leafy vegetables and greens. Its unbalanced consumption can make the stomach heavy and cause anxiety problems, but, in the right measure, it helps to detoxify the organism and relieve emotions.

4. Spicy: Formed by the elements of fire and air, the spicy flavor – present in foods such as pepper, onion, garlic, and mustard – brings balance to the metabolism, as well as helps to open the mind. In excess, however, it can cause irritation and pain in the lower back.

5. Acid: The acid taste – the result of the combination of earth and fire elements – benefits the heart, and digestion and also stimulates intellectual development.

But, out of measure, it can cause fever, and weakness, and arouse some bad feelings, such as envy and anger. It is commonly found in citrus fruits, alcohol, tomatoes, and also in some salad dressings.

6. Astringent: The earth and air form the astringent flavor known in Ayurveda for its benefits.