Among various factors affecting health of an individual. Aahar is the most important one. Aahar is one of the part of ‘trayopstambha’ i.e. three pillars of body. In Ayurved texts aahar is said to be ‘Prana’. It means that Aahar plays an important role in Healthy & Long life. According to Ayurveda not only dhatu, bala, varna but wellness of mind is also maintained by aahar. So judicious, appropriate and careful intake of food is very important for Healthy life.Non judicious intake of food results into diseases which is elaborated under viruddaahar concept.
As said only the use of wholesome diet promotes growth of an individual and that of unwholesome one is responsible for diseases, where wholesome means hitkar aahar. So change in food constitution, eating faulty & contradictory food leads to disease formation which is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts as a Viruddhahar. Then what is unwholesome or Virudhaahar? The aahar consumed against dhatuguna is said to be Viruddhahar. Charakacharya describes the diet which dislodge the doshas but doesn’t expel them out of body is regarded as Viruddhaahar or ahitkar aahar. It means either the food which is responsible for disturbance of equilibrium of dhatus in normal condition or not able to restore that equilibrium in abnormal or imbalanced state is said to be ahitkar aahar.
In the era of modernization as per changing the living standards in this fast life the faulty food habits are making a issue of prestige which in later is responsible for various disease conditions. Out of 18 types mentioned in details with examples by Charakacharya new few examples are added in present era which are discussed below. Viruddha samyog is very commonly found nowadays especially related to milk and fruits e.g. fruit salad, milk shakes, icecream with fruits and lassi with ice ceam. Milk with sour things is viruddha. In practice people take curd or buttermilk with milk. Paneer which is very famous food item today which is made by adding salt or lemonjuice in milk is also example of Samyog viruddha. Milk and bread is also same example. Again milk, rice with salt is samyog viruddha. Drinking chilled water is example of agni viruddha. Also eating icecream followed by food is kram viruddha.
Acharya have described diseases resulting due to viruddhaaahar are Amlapitta, Adhman, kustha, shwitra, jwar, ekkustha, vicharchika, galgraha, pinasa and so on. Therefore one can know the consumption of virudhaahar in todays lifestyle which could be responsible for many diseases which can be avoided by proper and judicious intake of food.
