We need a certain amount of sweet taste to maintain tissue development. This is because the basic taste of our body is sweet. White sugars are refined, which means they have been stripped of their nutrition. Thus, as they are absorbed into the body, it takes nutrition and energy from the body to digest the sugars. Absorption may not take place, turning the refined sweet to become āma in the tissues. Raw sweets i.e. cane sugar, maple syrup, etc. contain nutrition needed for helping the body. Sugars relieve burning, thirst, vomiting, fainting, and bleeding diseases.
Overview
Energetics: Sweet/cold/sweet; VP↓K↑ In excess it deranges all humors.
Actions: Tonic, demulcent, diuretic, calmative, refrigerant, laxative antiseptic, preservative.
Indications: Debility, rejuvenation, external sores, burns, wounds, rashes, inflamed eyes, nirāma Pitta and nirāma Vāyu, when the digestive system is not clogged (if there is a significant coating of the tongue, i.e., Sāma, only fresh raw honey should be used).
Combinations: Generally, it should be eaten alone as it is the first taste to be digested. If eaten after meals, the digestive process stops and digests only the sugar. This causes gas and āma in the undigested food. With milk, Ghṛta, and ginger or cinnamon-nourishing. Sugars combine very well with spicy-sweet spices (i.e. cardamom, ginger, cloves, and fennel).
Antidote: Spicy sweet spices (i.e., cardamom, ginger, cloves, fennel) bitters are ok but do not combine well directly (i.e., gentian, barberry, turmeric, kuóki, neem)—it is better to take these herbs in capsules before or after sweets
List of sweeteners
Agave Nectar
Energetics: VP↓K↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Information: Using the word nectar to refer to agave sweetener may be misleading, as it is not made entirely from the sap of the plant. A better term would be ‘agave syrup.’ Instead, starches in the plants bulbous root are extracted, refined and highly processed. These starches are strikingly similar to those in corn and rice used to make high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose syrup.
Indications: Unlike jaggery and molasses, the nutritional content of agave is negligible. It also lacks the fiber of natural sweeteners such as raisins, dates, and bananas.
Brown Rice Syrup
Energetics: VP↓K↑ Takes longer to digest than regular sugar.
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Information: Brown rice syrup is a sweetener derived by cooking rice with enzymes (usually cultured from dried barley sprouts). It is only twenty percent as sweet as regular sugar.
Indications: Laxative, hard to digest, unctuous, builds the body tissues, increases Kapha and urine, an aphrodisiac. Sweet initial and post-digestive taste, cooling in energy. Modern cane sugars are found under the product names, Sucanat and Florida Crystals.
Brown Sugar
Energetics: VPK↑ It is white sugar with syrup added.
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Slightly less deleterious effect.
Indications: Laxative, hard to digest, unctuous, builds the body tissues, increases Kapha and urine, an aphrodisiac. Sweet initial and post-digestive taste, cooling in energy. Modern cane sugars are found in the form of Turbinado sugar and products like the Sucanat Company.
Cane Sugar, Sucanat, Turbinado
Energetics: VP↓K↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Indications: Laxative, hard to digest, unctuous, builds the body tissues, increases Kapha and urine, an aphrodisiac. Sweet initial and post-digestive taste, cooling in energy. Modern cane sugars are found under the product names, Sucanat and Florida Crystals.
Fruit Sugar
Energetics: VP↓K↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Indications: One of the best sources of sugars, even diabetics can also take it. Date sugar and grape sugar are two of the better fruit sugars.
Honey
Energetics: VP↑K↓; Sattvic
Taste/Rasa: Sweet, astringent and pungent
Potency/Virya: Warm
Vipaka: Pungent
Actions: Demulcent, emollient, expectorant, laxative, nutritive, tonic, rejuvenative; external-demulcent, astringent.
Indications: Has some of its flower properties (i.e. sage honey will be somewhat of a nervine, expel phlegm, fat, nourish mind, nerves, senses, immune system, ojas (royal jelly and propolis are even better for ojas), external- burns, wounds, sores, eyes. It is a vehicle (anupāna) to take herbs to bring herbs to the deepest tissue layers and make tea a tonic, expectorant, or laxative. Heals the eyes, breaks up hard masses, relieves kapha, poison, hiccup, and diabetes (in small doses). It further heals skin conditions, parasites, difficult breathing, cough, and diarrhea. It cleanses and heals wounds and aggravates vāta. Warm raw honey is acceptable (i.e., in warm water); it promotes vomiting and is good for decoction enemas. Honey is a good source of oligo fructose chloride and aids the growth of normal human flora.
Contraindications: Heating destroys medicinal properties, aggravates Pitta, creates subtle toxins, so it is better not to cook or bake with it. It becomes toxic if used in hot weather by people with pitta diseases, or with hot foods. Excess use will derange humors just like white sugar does. It is also a subtle toxin when taken with equal proportions of ghee (better to make it 1:2 or 2:1 proportions) which breeds toxins or áma, feeds infections, fevers, tumors.
Jaggery (Guda)
Energetics: VP↓ K↑
Indian raw, natural sugar-containing vitamins and minerals. One of the natural sources of chromium, which increases the half-life of insulin naturally.
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Rejuvenative, tonic.
Indications: Difficult, painful, or burning urine, anemia, debility, rejuvenation. Turbinado sugar and any whole cane sugar such as the Sucanat brand of cane sugar are similar to Jaggery but are cooler for pitta doṣas. Well washed and stored (old) only slightly increases kapha, helps in the elimination of feces and urine.
Lactose
Energetics: Milk sugar
Actions: Tonic
Indications: Empowers herbs
Maltose/Malt Syrup
Energetics: VP↓ K↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Tonic, demulcent, analgesic
Indications: Chronic colds, lungs, stomach, abdominal and intestinal spasms, colic, children, convalescence.
Maple Syrup
Energetics: VP↓ K↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: One of the best natural sugars; nutritive, demulcent
Indications: Cough, fever, burning.
Molasses
Energetics: V↓ PK↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Iron, nutritive, tonic
Indications: Builds blood, muscles, heart, debility, gynecological—pregnancy, postpartum.
Rock Candy (Mishri)
Energetics: Made from sugar—it gives energy
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Demulcent
Indications: Cough, burning in the chest, used in pujas or rituals to the Deities and then eaten as prasad (blessed food). Better than molasses, an aphrodisiac, for emaciation and reducing Váyu. When taken with ginger in water, it relieves Pitta, a useful summer drink.
Stevia
Energetics: VPK↓ Caution to Vata because it increases cold, light and mobile qualities
Taste/Rasa: Astringent, bitter, sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: –
Indications: Stevia is very sweet, up to 150 times the sweetness of sugar. So a little goes a long way. When the sweet taste passes, it leaves a mild, licorice-like aftertaste that’s slightly bitter and astringent.
It is light, cold, and sharp because of its intensity. Normally, sweet taste calms and sedates. But stevia is so intense that it has the opposite effect – adding to the quirky character of this unusual herb.
White Sugar
Energetics: VPK↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet
Potency/Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: –
Information: It is artificial, overcooked, toxic, áma+, Tamasic, aggravates blood, feeds infections, leaches vitamins and minerals from the body, deranges water metabolism, upsets sugar and fat metabolism; weakens liver and pancreas; hyperactivity, addictive. In moderation it can build tissues, though better to use whole sugars listed.
List of condiments
Carob
Energetics: VPK↓; Sattvic
Taste/Rasa: Sweet, astringent
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Nutritive, demulcent
Indications: Weakness, substitute for chocolate.
Chocolate
Energetics: VPK↑; Rajasic and Tamasic
Taste/Rasa: Sweet, sour
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Stimulant, calmative, aphrodisiac
Indications: Depression, hypotension, as herbal tea.
Contraindications: Usually prepared with white sugar so it deranges Kapha
Hummus
Energetics: VK↓ P↑
Taste/Rasa: Astringent, bitter, and pungent
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Sweet
Information: Great alternative to ketchup
Ketchup
Energetics: VK↓P↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet, sour, salty and pungent
Potency/Virya: Cool
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Refrigerant, relieves thirst.
Indications: Depression, hypotension, as herbal tea.
Precautions: Aggravates toxic blood conditions, acidity, sciatica, kidney, gallstones, and arthritis. Nightshades should be avoided as they cause inflamation.
Mayonnaise
Energetics: V↓ PK↑
Taste/Rasa: Sour
Potency/Virya: Sweet
Vipaka: Hot
Actions: –
Indications: Used on salad as a balance for Váyu.
Contraindications: Heavy, hard to digest
Miso
Energetics: V↓ PK↑
Taste/Rasa: Salty, sour
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Pungent
Actions: Nutritive
Indications: Miso is a fermented salty soup. Soups are warm and hydrating. Sour increases all secretions in the body, liquefying Vata stuck in the GI and elsewhere.
Kapha and Pitta beware of high salt content. When used appropriately salt can be one of the most powerful medicinal ‘herbs’ for Vata. It encourages a dry colon to stay moist allowing for easy flow of the bowels. Salt also encourages water retention and raises blood pressure.
Ferments in general (alcohol, bread, yogurt, cheese, etc) pacfiy Vata but increase Pitta and Kapha. Since they contain the metabolic by products of bacteria, overuse reduces quality of the blood.
Like a salty bean cheese, tangy and sour with a funk. Used mainly in soups as a flavorful stock.
Salt (Namak/Lavaò)
Energetics: V↓ PK↑
Taste/Rasa: Salty
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: –
Indications: A little softens food and makes more digestible, aids saliva and gastric juices, gargle, soothe and soften mucus membranes and muscles; draws out toxins, relieves muscle tension; large amounts are used in emesis to clear stomach.
Contraindications: Aggravates blood, excess de-ranges all humors, weakens digestion, nausea, heat, and heaviness; not good with heavy or moist foods (i.e., dairy products) Sea Salt is better than commercial, refined salt. Black Salt is better than sea salt; P+ Rock Salt is drier, lighter and a better digestive stimulant—better for Váyu; Tridoähic/best Vegetable Salts are good, they contain many minerals
Tahini
Energetics: V↓ PK↑
Taste/Rasa: Sweet, bitter, and astringent
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Sweet
Actions: Nutritive, tonic, rejuvenator.
Indications: Nourishes all tissues, internal organs, and skin. Aid in the growth of teeth, bones, and hair. Used in debility, convalescence. The black variety is the best tonic. Oil or butter are better to use for nourishing effects. White seeds go rancid quickly. Builds immunity and life sap (ojas), sesame seed milk relieves colitis, gastritis, heartburn, and indigestion.
Information: Great alternative to mayonnaise
Vinegar (Vikankar)
Energetics: V↓ PK↑ (K mild)
Taste/Rasa: Sour
Potency/Virya: Hot
Vipaka: Sour
Actions: Digestive, circulatory stimulant
Indications: Aids secretion of hydrochloric acid, promotes and eases menstruation (natural forms like apple cider vinegar, are preferred to refined commercial brands. Extract alkaloids from herbs (acetic tinctures, i.e., lobelia), other sour condiments, lemon or lime juice, sour pickles, perform similarly to vinegar.
