what is the source text which defines food in Sattva/Rajas/Tama

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Clues to the nature of food with respect to Sattvic/Rajasic/Tamasic aspect are

described in Bhagwat-Gita in Chapter 17 in shlokas 8,9 and10.

It states that

 

1)savoury, oleaginous, substantial and agreeable (rasya,snigdha,sthira,hrudya)

foods are sattvic in nature;

 

2)spicy,sour,salty,pungent,dry,hot,irritative (katu,ushna, lavana,

ati-ushna,tikshna,ruksha, vidahina) foods are rajasic in nature and

 

3) stale, tasteless, malodorous, putrified,rotten and impure (yatayamam,

gatarasam,puti, paryushita, uchishta) foods are tamasic in nature .

 

it can be safely concluded that

 

-- fresh fruits, dry-fruits, berries,grains, legumes,nuts,seeds,fresh herbs and

vegetables, honey, milk, butter, ghee have sattvic properties.

 

-- onion,garlic, spices, salts, beverages and fast/junk foods have rajasic

properties.

 

-- meats, fish, eggs,alcohol, tobacco, addictive narcotic substances,

fermented-reheated-stale preparations have tamasic properties.

 

These are just directives and many more additions are possible in the list of

foods, when they are categorised according to the properties of S/R/T foods

described in Bhagwat-Gita.

 

Dr.Muzumdar

M.D.Ayurveda-Medicine