Ayurvedic concept of Antagonistic Foods
Theory of “Viruddha Ahara” (antagonistic food) is unique to Ayurveda in order to prevent internal diseases and synergize action of drugs in the management of disorders. Person who consumes antagonistic food is prone to have imbalanced “doshas” leading to many disorders. Ayurveda clearly
defines that certain diet and its combinations, which interrupts the metabolism, which inhibits the process of formation of “Saptha Dhathus” and which have the opposite property to the “Sapths Dhathus” are called “Viruddha Ahara”. The food which is wrong in combination, undergone wrong processing, which is consumed in incorrect quantities, improper time of the day and in wrong season can be described as Viruddha Ahara.
Some examples for antagonistic food are eating fish and milk together, consumption of heated bee honey, consuming bee honey & ghee in equal proportion, drinking hot water after taking bee honey, eating cold substances in winter and pungent substances in summer, eating curd at night, taking sweet tasty foods or liquids at the end of meals, eating milk & banana at the same time, consuming cold water immediately after having a hot tea or coffee, taking ginger after eating manioc and drinking warm water mixed with cool water. Diseases occurring due to antagonistic food as per Ayurveda are rhinitis, fever, fainting, impaired vision, swelling, ascites, insanity, gastritis, indigestion, abdominal distention, fistula in anal region, intoxication, neck stiffness, anaemia, various skin diseases like Visarpa(erysipelas), Impotency and infertility.
Antagonistic food can lead to inflammation at molecular level and can prove harmful which may be imparting its unwanted effects on the immune system, cellular metabolism, and growth hormone. A new branch called topography (a science related to the combination of food) is merging, which tells about the combination of basic categories of food. As per this science, eating sugars and acid fruits hinder the action of ptyalin and pepsin, reducing the secretion of saliva and delaying digestion. If insufficient amylase is present in the mouth, starch will not be digested at all in the stomach, instead clogging up the works until amylase in the small intestine can get to work on it. This unwanted effect of wrong combinations of food is not limited up to gastrointestinal tract only but may affect all the major systems of the body.
Here are some examples of antagonistic foods we are taking nowadays unknowingly i.e green tea or black tea mixed with milk (reduce the beneficial effect of flavonoids on heart), consuming milk and yoghurt together (irritate and induce vomiting & aggravate asthmatic attack), taking tea and garlic together (increase the risk of bleeding), consumption of pomegranate juice and grapefruit juice together, taking unripe green tomatoes or potatoes with alcohol (causes more sedation), over consumption of deep fried potatoes (carcinogenic), reheating oil and food (causing more free radicals) and consuming food which are rich in proteins processed with sugar heating without water. Milk with eggs, reheated cow’s milk, consuming too much sugar along with saturated fats, can lead to a number of immunological disorders.
Fast food is high in energy density and low in essential micronutrients, specially zinc (Zn), of which antioxidant processes are dependent. Nowadays eating pizzas, burgers & other fast-food are the best examples for the causes of childhood obesity with nutritional deficiencies. Apart from all biochemical effects of Viruddha Ahara, food substance which is not liked by the person, leads to Viruddha ahara. This may lead to continual maldigestion too.
Ayurveda is a medical system which mainly concentrates on the preventive aspect of Human-beings. So, in order to prevent diseases, one has to take the preliminary step of preventing the intake of antagonistic food in our day today life.
Dr Sachini Aththanayaka BAMS (Hons), Adv. Dip. In Natural Beauty Therapy
Ayurvedic Medical Practitioner
