Critical analysis of dietetics in Ayurveda

Abstract

Dietetics is the science of diet and nutrition. It is the branch of therapeutics concerned with the practical application of diet in relation to health and disease. Diet is prescribed for both health of the individual as well as diseased person. For healthy individual diet depends on Prakriti of the person and for diseased person it depends on the Doshapradhanyata of the disease. The treatment principle in Ayurveda is mainly based on preventive aspect first, rather than curative. Aahara is considered as the first pillar among Ahara,Nidra and Brahmacharya. Many common health problems can be prevented by following Ahara Vidhi Visheshayatana, rules of Aharasevana, Patya-Apathya of the disease so on. Food is important as a nutritional source, also with therapeutic value and most importantly it plays an important role during the post treatment period to re-gain the diminished strength due to the harmful effect of the disease.Health is not only depending on the type of food we take, it also depend on the way of Food intake. Healthy and nutritional diet is always advisable in order to prevent the affliction of diseases as it is well known that "prevention is better than cure".