Virudhha aahar – hazardous food combinations

The wellbeing of the individual chiefly depends upon the kind of food he consumes. The maximum benefits of Ahara (food) can be achieved only by following the healthy dietary guidelines mentioned in classics of Ayurveda.

Wholesome food, maintains the balanced Dhatus-bio tissues in normalcy and restores the equilibrium in the body, should be taken, as unwholesome does exactly opposite to it.

Along with many dietary guidelines described in Ayurved texts, the concept of “viruddhaa ahar” is novel, unique and is altogether very important in prevalent times

Viruddha aahar According to Ayurveda, The food which  may cause undesirable or unwanted effects on body and/or mind when consumed.

– wrong in combination,

– has undergone wrong processing,

– consumed in incorrect dose and/or

– consumed in incorrect time of the day and /or

– consumed in wrong season

can lead to incorrect metabolism, which inhibits the process of metabolism and have the opposite property to the Dhatus (fundamental tissues) are called as Viruddha Ahara.

Certain vicious characteristics of viruddhaa ahara makes them more dangerous to health. They  causes derangement in equilibrium of the doshas and remain antagonistic to the tissues. These substances that cause vitiation of Doshas in the body but do not expel them.

The ancient and recent studies  both prove that incompatible food habits are one of the chief causes of physical and psychological pathologies The food which is incompatible in respect to climate, quantity, method of preparation, combination etc. are described as potent cause of both physical and psychological illnesses.

Various English equivalents for the term “Viruddha”

Opposed, Hindered, Incompatible, Inconsistent with, Contrary, Contradictory, Adverse, Unfavourable, Prohibited.

Types of Viruddha Ahara in Ayurveda literatureAyurveda  has described various, which can be summarized as follows in table:

Ayurvedic texts mentions that such types of unwholesome diet can lead to diseases like:

• stiffness in neck
• internal absecess
• varieties of anemia
• various skin diseases
• diseases of intestines
• fever
• rhinitis
• inflammatory diseases
• Visarpa (erysipelas)
• blindness
• ascites
• bullous
• insanity
• fistula in ano
• coma or fainting
• accelerates degenerative changes and aging
• hampers quality of skin
• intoxication
• hampers intellect and functioning of mind
• musculo skeletal disorders
• kidney, urinary stones
• skin diseases
• irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, abdominal distention.
• impotency and infertility

Continuous intake of such food is the cause of manifestation several diseases both physical and psychological. Not only that such incompatible food habits by pregnant woman may causes defects in the born offspring.

If the above list of diseases is classified as per the body system, it can be said that, these systems are majorly affected by continuous consumption of Viruddha Ahara.

• immune system,
• endocrine system,
• digestive system,
• nervous system,
• circulatory system

Mode of Action of Viruddha Ahara :

Does that mean , if anyone even consumes such foods may get diseased ???

Not following the rules or not adhering to such principles is surely not going to kill you instantly, neither it will have acute immediate effects everytime (except in few conditions). But remember it surely going to affect your metabolism and equilibrium . it is going to hinder your energy channels and digestion.

Few people will be more sensitive to such incompatibility:

• Alcoholics
• Stressed ,emotionally disturbed
• People suffering from inflammatory diseases – like rheumatoid arthritis
• Suffered from infections like- hepes
• Diseased with fever, infections
• People with low immunity
• People with auto immune disoders like diabetes, SLE
• Living a sedentary lifestyle
• People indulged in overeating
• People with disturbed digestion and inappropriate bowel cleansing

What can be done to avoid the effects of such virudhha aahar:

• 1st of all be aware of what you eat and drink. Be conscious while about how it is affecting your body.
• start listening to your body, most of our life we are prone to absusing our body and overlook what it communicates. Most of us never ever takes the small indications like – indigestion, acidity, disturbed bowels, disturbed sleep, bloating, ithching seriously.
• no disease manifests suddenly. It always starts alerting you with such small symptoms. dont ever suppress these symptoms by temporary symptomatic medications of Eno, anatcids, antiallegics etc
• start correcting your lifestyle and develop a holistic perspective towards health.
• Start exercising, it accelerates metabolism
• Start pranayama, it is one of the most effective methodology to detoxify yourself in early stages of health disturbances
• Start sun gazing, during sunrise
• Have appropriate quantity of cows ghee
• Maintain your digestion system to its optimum
• Avoid the non compatible foods and combinations which are provided here in the list below
• Never betray your geography and your genes. Prefer local foods, oils Eat what is aligned with your culture.
• Eat ½ spoon grated ginger with 2 piches of black salt before start of each meal