PA01.66. Importance of upayogasamstha in relation to digestion of the food

PURPOSE: According to Ayurveda food is the cause for both health and diseases i.e. wholesome and unwholesome food is responsible for happiness and misery respectively. Also it is one among the three tripods of life. Beside the quality and quantity of the food it is also very much important that how it is taken because food taken in improper way can lead to various diseases. Keeping this thing in mind there are 8 factors (Aharavidhivisheshayatana) mentioned in Vimana sthana of Charak Samhita which determines the utility of the food. Upayogasamstha is the eighth factor among these which deals with the dietetic rules. Further at another place six factors which are necessary for the transformation/digestion of the food (Aharaparinamakara Bhava) are mentioned. So, the study was planned to evaluate the relation between Upayogasamstha and digestion of the food. METHOD: The data from various texts along with brihatrayi has been collected, compiled and analysed to get some fruitful conclusion. RESULT: Each factor mentioned in Upayogasamstha has some scientific reason behind it and has got direct impact on digestion of the food as well as on the health status of the person. It was found that improper taking of food has been directly mentioned as causative factor for certain diseases. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that in the field of dietetics especially digestion along with factors affecting it, has been mentioned scientifically and at very minute level in Ayurveda by following this many kind of diseases arising in today's era can be prevented.