The Ayurvedic diet is an ancient eating approach that customizes what you eat to your body type and focuses on balancing tastes, such as salty and sweet. Its mindful practices can support physical and mental harmony.

How the Ayurvedic Diet Works

The Ayurvedic diet focuses on whole foods and reduces processed foods, potentially aiding in weight management. Processed foods are typically high in calories, fat, salt, and sugar, which can lead to weight gain.1

Ayurveda also encourages mindful eating. This can naturally lower your calorie intake while satisfying hunger.

Research shows that herbs and spices, which the Ayurvedic diet promotes, can help satisfy appetite. They may keep you full longer and decrease calorie intake.2 Some seasonings, like hot peppers, might also support metabolism.3

Few studies have focused on the Ayurvedic diet’s outcomes, but there are noted benefits.

A 2014 study found that participants lost an average of 13 pounds over nine months. They combined the diet with Ayurveda-based lifestyle practices, such as stress management and yoga.4

Guidelines

The Ayurvedic diet is based on the principles of Ayurvedic medicine, which has existed in India for thousands of years. It encourages you to eat according to your body, or dosha. The goal is to maintain balance between your body and mind.

This diet promotes eating whole foods and consuming several tastes, including bitter, salt, sour, and sweet. It’s also important to eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly.

1. Consume All Tastes

The Ayurvedic diet identifies six major tastes with distinctly beneficial effects. Including all six in your daily meals helps you feel nourished and satisfied.

The six tastes include:5

• Astringent
• Bitter
• Pungent
• Salty
• Sour
• Sweet

The belief is that regularly eating only a few of those tastes may trigger cravings for unhealthy foods or throw your body out of balance. Consuming astringent, bitter, and pungent flavors, for example, counters salty, sour, and sweet cravings.

2. Create a Calm Environment

Ayurveda prioritizes the health of your body and mind. Nourish your mind by eating in a soothing environment. Limit distractions, such as browsing on your phone, talking too much, and watching television while eating. Research has found that turning off these distractions helps promote mindful eating, which might help with weight loss.6

3. Drink Water Carefully

The Ayurvedic diet provides strict guidelines for consuming water. It’s essential to not consume too much water before or after a meal. Slowly take small sips of water when you’re thirsty.7

4. Eat According to Your Body Type

Your body type, or dosha, guides your eating patterns. Five elements make up the universe, according to Ayurveda: vayu (air), Jala (water), Akash (space), Teja (fire), and Prithvi (earth). These elements form three distinct doshas, which relate to the energy that circulates within your body.8

Everyone maintains characteristics of all three doshas, but one is typically dominant:9

• Kapha (water and earth): This controls bone and joint lubrication and muscle strength. Those with a kapha dosha typically have a sturdier frame than others. You might have trouble with allergies, depression, diabetes, fluid retention, lung health, or weight management if you’re out of balance.
• Pitta (fire and water): This controls blood flow, digestion, and metabolism. People with a pitta dosha often have a medium build. You may have digestive issues, heart disease, high blood pressure, or inflammation if you’re out of balance.
• Vata (space and air): This controls basic bodily functions, including breathing, blood flow, digestion, and the mind. Those with a vata dosha are typically energetic and have a thin build. You might develop problems with anxiety, digestion, fatigue, insomnia, or weight loss if you’re out of balance.

5. Eat Mindfully

The Ayurvedic diet promotes mindful eating by instructing you to eat food slowly and chew thoroughly.10 Eating slowly brings your attention to the taste of your food, helping satisfy your appetite. Chewing your food completely aids digestion and helps your body absorb its nutrients.11

6. Mix Tastes With Caution

Certain foods and tastes don’t mix on the Ayurvedic diet. Milk, for example, is incompatible with salty and sweet tastes, such as fish, honey, and jackfruit.5 Combinations of foods and tastes that don’t complement each other disturb digestion and throw your body out of balance.

What To Eat

Your dosha guides what foods you eat and avoid. You’ll naturally desire foods that are most beneficial to you once you are in balance, according to Ayurveda.

Kapha

Prioritize astringent, bitter, and pungent tastes.5 Pungent tastes, found in garlic, ginger, mustard, and onions, help clear your sinuses and promote sweating.

Pitta

Focus on astringent, bitter, and sweet foods.5 Astringent foods like beans, green apples, lentils, and pomegranates help balance pitta doshas. Bitter foods, including broccoli, celery, and leafy greens, may support digestion and liver function.

Vata

Favor warm dishes dominant in salty, sweet, and sour tastes.5 Salty foods, including table salt and salted fish, enhance your appetite. Sweet tastes, such as honey, starchy vegetables, and whole grains, soothe your body. Sour tastes, typically found in berries, citrus, and pickled foods, might help digestion.

Foods Not in the Ayurvedic Diet

Part of the Ayurvedic diet is avoiding or limiting foods that don’t benefit your dosha. Certain foods and tastes might interfere with digestion and throw your body out of balance.5

You might avoid the following foods, depending on your dosha:

• Kapha: Salty and heavy foods and dairy products
• Pitta: Alcohol and fermented, hot, and spicy foods
• Vata: Cold and raw foods and too much caffeine

Meal Ideas

Keep in mind that meals will vary depending on your specific dosha. Here’s an example of what you might eat if you identify with the pitta dosha:

• Breakfast: Egg whites and whole-wheat toast with a side of fruit and a glass of milk
• Lunch: Tofu and basmati rice mixed with leafy greens
• Snack: Orange slices and a handful of seeds
• Dinner: Grilled chicken and black beans with a side of sweet and bitter vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, or cauliflower

Benefits

You don’t need to embrace all the tenets of the Ayurvedic diet to reap some benefits. Consuming whole foods in a thoughtful balance and combining nutrition with other wellness-focused behaviors lays the foundation for healthy, sustainable living.

There are several benefits to eating more whole foods, which are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and other nutrients. Benefits can include:12

• Decreasing the risk of conditions like heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes
• Increasing your intake of fiber, which supports digestion and weight management
• Reducing your intake of processed foods, which can have high levels of added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium
• Supporting immune health

The Ayurvedic diet also incorporates plenty of herbs and spices, some of which act as prebiotics. Prebiotics nourish “good” gut bacteria that improve your mood, reduce inflammation, and support your immune system.13

This lifestyle encourages other healthful habits, including spending time in nature, prioritizing adequate sleep and rest, being physically active, and laughing more. Laughter has been shown to lower stress hormones, including cortisol. Research has linked excess cortisol to an increase in belly fat and a weakened immune system.14

Is the Ayurvedic Diet Safe?

The Ayurvedic diet might be helpful for some, but the complexities of the diet may pose risks for others. It might be challenging to figure out your dosha. The characteristics of each dosha, such as your build and health concerns, are subjective.

The Ayurvedic diet lays out strict guidelines about what to eat and drink and when. The diet instructs you not to drink too much water before and after meals and to mix certain tastes. These specificities might make it hard to stick with if it feels too limiting. This diet may not be right for you if you’re at risk for or have a history of disordered eating. Speak to a healthcare provider if you’re considering altering your diet.

Drawbacks

One of the main drawbacks of the Ayurvedic diet is that it can be inaccessible for people with lower incomes or who live in food deserts. Here are some ways that you can still follow the principles of this diet if you’re limited by funds or location:1516

• Consider joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program.
• Look for fruits and vegetables that are in season.
• Plan ahead and make a list of what you need before grocery shopping.
• Plant your own herbs, fruits, and vegetables at home if you’re able to.
• See if your local community offers a food assistance program.
• Visit your local farmers’ market or community garden, which is often less expensive than grocery stores.