Ayurveda classifies all substances into Ahara and Oushadha (medicine). Ahara usually has very strong palatable flavors. Oushadha on the other hand is usually not very appetizing but has a very strong potency or virya. Ahara can be found either in the liquid form (dravadrayva) or as a solid substance (annadravya).
Dravadrayas
Jala (Water)
Among the dravadravyas water is the most important. It can be found in different forms. Water that is found in dry regions (jangala areas) is laghu (light) and slightly salty. It reduces kapha dosha.
Water from the wet region (anoopa area) is guru (heavy) and increases kapha dosha.
Water from a sadharana (ordinary) area balances all the 3 doshas.
Drinking water should never be mixed with weeds, leaves or mud and dirt. It should not be slimy or frothy or mixed with worms. It should not be too cold.
Persons who have a weak agni (digestive fire), general weakness, diarrhea, grahani (irritable bowel syndrome) or pandu (anemia) should not drink too much water.
Excessive drinking of water reduces agni and increases kapha and ama (toxic materials).
Boiled water is very good as it improves agni and helps in digesting ama.
It also cures vatha and kapha diseases like pinasa (runny nose), cough and gas formation.
Boiled and cooled water is very laghu (light) and can be used to cure pitta conditions.
Water that is boiled with jeera (cumin seeds) balances vata and is good for hiccoughs, breathing difficulty and gas formation.
Water that is boiled with dhanyaka (coriander) is good for digestion, vomiting and heartburn.
Water that is boiled with shunthi (dry ginger) increases agni and cures pinasa, diarrhea and colds.
Water that is boiled with gokshura (tribulus terrestris) increases urine output and cures urinary obstructions.
Water boiled with khadira (acacia catechu) can cure skin diseases.
Cocunut water
It is seetha (cooling), laghu and snigdha (unctuous). It reduces vata and pitta and thirst. It improves Agni and Urinary output.
Milk
Milk is madhura (sweet), seetha and guru (heavy). It decreases vata and pitta and increases ojas. Cow’s milk is the best in this group. It is a rasayan and strengthens and nourishes the body
Goats milk is laghu and causes constipation. It helps to improve agni and is useful in diarrhea.
Human milk is useful in eye diseases caused by vata and pitta. Grandmothers would always advise to apply it to the babies’ eyes in cases of conjunctivitis and red eye.
Dahi (Curd)
It is prepared by fermenting milk. It is guru (heavy), ushna (hot). It reduces vata and increases medhas (fat), shukra (semen), kapha, pitta and rakta (blood). It promotes digestion, appetite and strength. Amongst South Indians a meal usually ends with rice and curds. Because of its guru nature it should not be consumed at night or in hot climates. It should be consumed with cooling agents like honey, ghee or sugar.
Thakra (Buttermilk)
It is prepared by churning the dahi to remove the butter. Due to the removal of butter, it becomes very laghu and can be used to improve the agni in diseases like grahani, pandu and arshas (piles). Thakradhara is done for people who have insomnia, migraines.
Navanita (Butter)
Fresh Butter is sheeta and increases strength and agni. Due to its sheeta quality, it is used to pacify diseases where pitta and rakta are involved like arshas.
Grutha (Ghee)
It is made by heating butter till the water content is exhausted. Ghrutha increases intelligence, agni and is the best to pacify pitta. It becomes very potent after it is mixed with herbs example mahatriphaladi ghrutha, mahatiktaka ghrutha.
to be continued . . .
Mrs. Mira Swami, Department of Ayurveda