Compatibility of body constitutions (prakriti) and diet considering Ayurvedic principles

Abstract

Iako je ayurveda priznata od strane Svjetske zdravstvene organizacije, na osnovu trenutnih znanstvenih spoznaja nije sasvim jasna razlika između ayurvedskih pogleda na prehranu i onih znanosti o prehrani. U cilju jasnijeg razumijevanja ayurvede, cilj je bio ispitati korelaciju prehrambenih navika te konzumaciju određenih namirnica, prema principima ayurvede, i prakriti, promatrajući ravnotežu pojedinih dosha u tijelu. Podaci o tjelesnoj konstituciji (prakriti) dobiveni su ispunjavanjem testa za doshe, dok su podaci o prehrani prikupljeni nekvantitativnim FFQ-om, te posebno razvijenim upitnikom za prehrambene navike. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 210 ispitanika (38,6 % muškaraca, 61,4 % žena) dobi od 16 do 55 godina (75,2 %), te stariji od 55 (24,8 %). Rezultati su pokazali najveći utjecaj prehrane na kaphu i pittu, te konzumiranih namirnica na pitta, kapha i vata-pitta konstituciju. Ispitanici čija je tjelesna konstitucija uravnotežena nisu pokazali očekivane prehrambene navike osim u slučaju kaphe i pitte-kaphe za kapha doshu (p<0,1) te vate-pitta za pitta doshu. Korelacija prehrane i tjelesne konstitucije uočena je samo kod vata-pitta tjelesne konstitucije za pitta doshu (p<0,1). Zbog postojećih ograničenja, sljedeća bi istraživanja pažnju trebala usmjeriti i na druge čimbenike, osim prehrane koji pridonose zdravlju pojedinca, ispitati varijabilnost i primjenjivost u različitim populacijama u cilju postizanja željenih rezultata. To bi zahtijevalo temeljito preispitivanje ayurvedskih tvrdnji u vezi prehrane i preispitivanje konvencionalnog znanstvenog pristupa radi provjere ispitljivosti tradicionalne mudrosti.Although ayurveda is recognized by the World Health Organization, based on current scientific knowledge, there is not a clear distinction between nutrition and ayurvedic views on nutrition. In order to have a clearer understanding of ayurveda, the hypothesis was to examine the correlation between dietary habits and the consumption of certain foods, according to the principles of ayurveda, and prakriti, by observing the balance of individual dosha. Data on the body constitution were obtained by the standard dosha test, while dietary data was collected by non-quantitative FFQ and specially developed questionnaire for dietary habits. Subjects (n=210, 38.6 % men, 61.4 % woman) involved in the research were aged 16 to 55 (75.2%) and older than 55 (24.8 %) years. The results showed the greatest influence of the diet on kapha and pitta, and the consumed food on pitta, kapha and vata-pitta constitution. Subjects whose body constitutions were balanced did not show any correlation with habits except in the case of kapha and pitta-kapha for kapha dosha (p<0.1) and vata-pitta for pitta dosha. The correlation between diet and body constitution was only observed in vata-pitta body constitution for pitta dosha (p<0.1). Due to the existing limitations, the following research should focus on other factors, except food, that contribute to individual health, to examine variability and applicability in different populations in order to achieve the desired results. This would require a thorough review of Ayurvedic nutrition claims and a re-examination of conventional scientific approaches to verify the test of traditional wisdom