Virudha Ahara - The Ayurvedic Insight into Incompatible Food Combinations

Abstract

Food is the fundamental requirement for the human survival. Ayurveda described the Trividha Upasthambha (sub-pillars), including Ayurveda Ahara (food) being one of the most important for a healthy lifestyle. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of eating a well-balanced diet. Virudha Ahara (Incompatible Diet) is a diet that disrupts the body's elemental balance, digestion, metabolism (Agni), and homeostasis leading to the accumulation of Ama (toxins). Consuming two incompatible food items together or adhering to a specific type of diet can result in toxicity, this is referred to as Virudha Ahara (incompatible diet). Virudha Ahara can be caused by consuming food in the inappropriate dose, time of day or season. The article discusses the modern perspectives on Samskara Virudha, Veerya Virudha and so on. These perspectives contain incompatible dietary items that can be harmful to a person's health. Ayurvedic literature describes food incompatibility as Gara Visha. This term refers to a substance's toxic effects that become apparent over time. This article focussed on unhealthy food habits that speed up the catabolic process in our bodies.