Food adulteration: an ayurvedic perspective

Summary of article contents:

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” these words of Hippocrates highlight the importance of food. In the present era when everything is seen as a profit or loss statement, the food we eat has also been affected to a marked extent. Adulteration is accidental or intentional addition of any substance to a food item in order to increase the quantity in raw form or prepared form, which may result in the loss of actual quality of them. The health hazards of adulterated food may range from simple malnutrition to grievous cancer.
The combination of different poisonous or non-poisonous substances resulting in a toxic or deteriorating effect on health comes under the concept of garavishain Ayurveda. One of the forms of garavishais vishayuktaanna.
Its effects may include anaemia, emaciation, GIT problems, neurological problems, liver disorders, oedema etc.
It can be seen that the effects on conception of adulterated food are very similar to those of garavisha. The prevention and treatment of those abnormal health events due to adulteration can thus be adopted as per the garavisha line of treatment.