The Six Tastes & their Function

The 6 Tastes to Create Balanced ‘Complete’ Meals

Unlike western nutrition trying to count calories, chasing vitamins and minerals, watching carbs and looking for complete proteins, Ayurveda simply says that each meal must contain the six tastes in reasonable ratios to nourish the body and mind. If each of the six tastes is present in each meal, then all the nutrients your body needs will be present in the foods. They are:

Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter & Astringent

Sweet: Earth & Water elements

• Anabolic in nature, helping to nourish and build tissue in the body

• Examples: Natural sugar, dates, honey, maple syrup, liquorice, more subtly in grains like rice and wheat, and milk

• On a more subtle level, the sweet taste enhances the vital essence, or Ojas, and promotes a feeling of love and well-being

• Particularly grounding for Vata’s airy, nervous energy

• In the right amount the cooling quality of sweet can be soothing for Pitta’s fire

• Increases Kapha, leading to weight gain

Sour: Earth & Fire elements

• Warming effect on the body, generally promoting digestion

• Decreases Vata and increases Pitta and Kapha

• Examples: Lemons, grapefruit, vinegar, ferments and yogurt.

• Helps to stimulate salivary secretions, enhance appetite and aid digestion

• In excess, the sour taste can create acid indigestion, hyper-acidity, heartburn and ulcers

• Vata types - stimulating to their delicate digestion

• Pitta types - often provides more heat than they can handle (watch ferments)

• Kapha types - can cause heaviness as a result of water retention

• Psychologically, sour enlivens the mind, and brings comprehension and discrimination. In excess a “sour grapes” attitude.

Salty: Water & Fire elements

• Helpful for Vatas because it is warming, stimulates digestion and helps to hold in moisture

• Increases Pitta and Kapha in the body

• Kapha types - although the warmth is good, the excess water can cause imbalance

• Anabolic in nature so builds and nourishes tissues

• Examples: Salt, seaweeds, salted nuts

• In moderation, it gives energy, promotes growth and balances electrolytes

• Too much salt can lead to hypertension, oedema, swelling, ulcers and hyper-acidity

• Emotionally, the salty taste enhances the flavours and variety of life, sparks interest and builds confidence and courage

• Pungent, Bitter and Astringent keep the body from accumulating excessive tissue, assisting in daily detoxification and are the source for many of the nutrients outside of carbs and proteins.

Bitter: Air & Ether elements

• Qualities of cool, light and dry

• Detoxifying

• Increases Vata and decreases Pitta and Kapha

• Examples: Leafy greens like collards, arugula and radicchio, coffee, dandelion and turmeric

• Enhances the flavours of all other foods

• Anti-bacterial and anti-viral in nature

• Especially balancing for Pitta, helping to cool excess heat, aid digestion and cleanse the liver

• Helps to reduce fat and toxins, making it the perfect taste to balance Kapha individuals.

• In excess, the bitter taste will deplete the tissues, causing emaciation, fatigue dizziness and extreme dryness

• Psychologically, the bitter taste in excess can lead to isolation, grief and loneliness.

Pungent: Fire & Air elements

• Qualities are heating, light and drying

• Examples: Chilies, garlic, black pepper, ginger and asafoetida

• Increases Vata and Pitta and decreases Kapha

• In moderation, it helps digestion and circulation

• Helps to dissolve excess fat and eliminate it from the body

• In excess it can create inflammation, irritation, ulceration, diarrhoea, heartburn & nausea

• Psychologically, the pungent taste promotes enthusiasm and clarity of perception. In excess, it can bring irritability, envy, jealousy and anger.

Astringent: Air & Earth elements

• Increases Vata and decreases Pitta and Kapha

• Cooling, drying and heavy in nature

• Examples: Pomegranates, asparagus, green beans, chickpeas and turmeric

• Improves absorption, is anti-inflammatory and decongestant

• Excess astringency can create constipation, griping sensations in the intestine and stagnation of circulation

• Psychologically, it brings grounding and organisation. Too much astringent taste can create many Vata-type mental disorders such as fear, anxiety, nervousness and a scattered mind.

Tastes that balance the Doshas

Vata - Sweet, sour and salty

Pitta - Sweet, bitter, and astringent

Kapha- Bitter, pungent, and astringent

Tastes that cause imbalance to the Doshas in excess

Vata - Bitter, pungent, and astringent

Pitta - Sour, salty, pungent

Kapha- Sweet, sour and salty