PREVALENCE OF JUNK FOOD HABIT AS A RISK FACTOR IN GRAHANI DOSHA IN JAIPUR AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS: AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Today, status of living in every aspect of life is highly advanced. Cost of living is very high. There is imbalance not only in environment but change or irregularity vividly can be seen in all the means of life including our diet pattern, life styles and behavioral pattern that is not suitable for our normal physiology of digestion of body. In the recent years, surprisingly demand of packaged food or junk food is rising. Due to shortage of time, busy job schedule, rise in standard of living, convenience and influence of western countries people are compelled to change their food habits and types of food. Junk food is an example of unbalanced diet responsible for malnutrition that is most wide spread condition. In the recent years, there has been an unprecedented increase of incidences related to gastrointestinal system due to changing in life style, diet pattern, behavioral pattern and mental stress and strain. One such type of common gastrointestinal disorder is Grahani Dosha caused by regular intake of junk food that weakens the digestive fire and disharmony is produced between the digestion and absorption of body. According to Acharya Caraka Etiology of Grahani dosha directly points out uncontrolled eating habits without minding his capacity of digestion in shastra due to covetousness in diet and not following the appropriate procedure of food taking (depicted as Ashtaaharavidhivisheshaytan, Dvadash ashan and Chaturvinshati kalpana). All these etiological factors affect Jathara Agni causing Grahani dosha very soon. Intake of food during indigestion and during the period when previous meal is not digested causes vitiation of Grahani. Junk foods are highly guru, snigdha and vidahi in nature responsible for delayed digestion and indigestion of food and continuous intake of such type of food diminishes digestive fire and ultimately weakening of Grahani. People should prevent from such faulty eating habits because prevention is better than repeated treatments, hence this study is important. This prospective cohort study was done to assess the etiology of Grahani dosha.