TASTE AND HEALTH

Taste buds play a very important roll in our food habits.some are sweet tooth and some love hot,spicy food.very few love bitter or astriengent ones, infact many dont even know these tastes.As far as i have seen mostly westerners are used to sweet, salty and little spicy food when compared to asians, who normally know all the 6 tastes.

According to Siddha/Ayurveda literature(Siddha is Dravidian version of Ayurveda) the food that we eat daily should contain all the so called six tastes to have complete nutrition i.e, SWEET,SOUR,SALTY,BITTER,HOT and ASTRINGENT.

Sweet taste is rich in fat,protein and carbohydrates items like root vegetables,fruits and cereal grains .Though this gives energy, builds tissues and calms nerves , in excess, it builds toxins and causes obesity.

Next comes sour taste it is normally found in fermented food and sour fruits. This helps Cleanse tissues, increases absorption of minerals etc .but according to Siddha medicine too much of this increases acidity.

Next in line is salty taste which is found in table salt and sea weed,which maintains proper metabolism, help cleanse the body and improves appetite and digestion. Excess salt can aggravate skin conditions, weaken the system, cause wrinkling of the skin and hair fall and premature greying .

Next taste is hot that's found in hot spices, like red pepper,ginger etc . Though this improves metabolism, appetite and digestion,in excess it causes burning sensation and increases body heat, sweating,and also cause peptic ulcer.

Bitter , many wouldn't have known .But this and the next taste to come(astringent) are high in vitamin and minerals.They are considered to be very healthy,but when had in right amount. It tones the organs, lightens tissues and detoxifies. Its found in some vegetable like bitter gaurd,greens, herbs and spices. Too much bitterness can cause dehydration. It can also Increase roughness, and dryness. Reduces bone marrow & semen.

The astringent taste is found in some herbs, legumes,some vegetables like banana flower,trunk,aththikai(sorry dont know english name) etc. It is said to absorbs water, tightens tissues. In excess, it causes dryness and thirst thus weakening and causing constipation .

As you have see nothing in excess is good. there is a saying in Tamil" alavukku minjina amruthamum visham"meaning even excess of nectar (one that makes us immortal) becomes poison.

NOTE:NO IDEA IN THIS IS SCIENTIFICALLY SUPPORTED.BUT THIS INFORMATION IS BASED ON SIDDHA LITERATURES.