The 6 tastes- the balanced nutrition in your diet

Did you know that the taste has a direct energetic effect on digestion?

The sense of tasteis a natural guide towards proper nutrition.For ages, humans relied largely upon taste to discover healthy foods in nature and avoid toxicity. Every taste has a long term effect on our metabolism after digestion is complete, and all the nutrients have been assimilated in the tissue. There are six tastes in nature by which all foods can be categorized. These are sweet,salty,bitter, pungent and astringent. These six tastes are unique and naturally guide us towards body’s nutritional needs. Each taste has its own therapeutic effects and changing impact on our body from the time it enters the body till it is absorbed.

Let us know these tastes in detail…….

Sweet- The sweet taste is highly nourishing, infact the most nourishing of all tastes. Sweet food is excellent for building the bodies seven vital tissuesplasma, blood, fat, muscles, bones, marrow and reproductive fluids. Sweet food also increases the saliva, soothes mucous membranes and burning sensations, relieves thirst and has beneficial effects on skin, hair, voice and fertility. Sweet taste is found in milk and milk products, legumes like beans and lentils, sweet fruits like mango, banana, and certain cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes and beets. The source being carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Sour- The sour taste wakes people up and ensures their thoughts and emotions become clear. Sour food stimulates and boosts digestion, helps circulation and elimination, strengthens the heart, maintains acidity, sharpens the senses, and helps to extract the iron from food.Sour taste is commonly found in citrus fruits like lemon and oranges, yoghurt, cheese and sour creams and fermented foods like wine and vinegar. The source being organic acids, ascorbic acid, citric acid and acetic acid.

Salty-The salty taste provides solidity and structure to people, improves digestion, liquefies the mucous, maintains mineral balance, aids in elimination of waste and calms the nerves. It also improves the radiance of the skin and promotes overall growth in the body. Salt is mainly found in minerals and not in plants, such as sea salt, rock salt, sea vegetables like sea weed and kelp. The source being mineral salt.

Pungent- The pungent tasteis the hottest of all six tastes. The pungent taste in food stimulates our digestion, boosts food intake and makes sure our waste products are burnt. Pungent food ensures that we think quickly and clears the sinuses, promotes sweating, aids circulation, improves metabolism and relieves muscle pain. The pungent taste is found in certain vegetables such as chilly peppers, garlic and onions, and in spices like black pepper, ginger and cayenne. The source being essential oils.

Bitter- Bitter is a dehydrating taste, thus increasing the strength and vigor in an individual. Though the bitter taste is often not an appealing one, it stimulates the appetite and helps to bring out the flavor of other tastes. It is a powerful detoxification agent, and has antibiotic, anti-parasitic and antiseptic qualities. It is also helpful in reducing the weight, skin rashes, burning sensation and nausea. Bitter taste is found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, green cabbage, bitter guard, herbs and spices like fenugreek and turmeric, coffee, tea, and certain fruits such as grapefruit, olives and bitter melon. The source being alkaloids.

Astringent-Astringent taste is classified more in relation to its effect on the tongue than its actual taste. It has a very cooling effect on the body. Astringent taste is found in legumes like beans and lentils, fruits such as cranberries, pomegranate, pears, vegetables such asbroccoli, cauliflower, asparagus andturnip. Grains such as rye and quinoa, spices such as turmeric, coffee and tea. The source being Tannins.

One should incorporate all these six tastes in each meal, which keeps one balanced and satisfy each of the major dietary building blocks. This can thus avoid food cravings and over consumption of certain foods.