Understanding Pitta Dosha: The Root Cause of Acidity in Ayurveda

A healthy body is the first requirement for a happy mind. And it is also the first step to spiritual and personal advancement. Our ancient rishis understood this well. That’s why Ayurveda, the ancient wisdom of physical and mental well-being, was developed. In Ayurveda, our body is believed to be made of three fundamental elements, the Vata, Pitta, and Kapha doshas. These elements, when in balance, keep the body functioning properly. When imbalanced, they are the cause of various diseases and ailments that we suffer. Acidity, one of the most common gastrointestinal problems, is also a result of an imbalance in these doshas. When Pitta dosha gets vitiated in the body, it causes many stomach and intestinal problems like gas and acidity. So, it is important to balance Pitta dosha to reduce acidity in the body. Ayurvedic medicines for acidity also focus on balancing Pitta to bring relief from gastric troubles. In this post, we will learn more about the Pitta dosha and its role in causing and relieving acidity.

The Concept of Doshas in Ayurveda

Ayurveda considers the body to be made of three primary energies, or doshas, namely Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each of these doshas has its unique characteristics and qualities. These doshas play a fundamental role in the body’s constitution and functioning. Vata is related to air qualities and is responsible for the body’s mobility and communication. Pitta is linked to the qualities of fire and water. It governs metabolism and digestion. Kapha is associated with earth and water qualities. It regulates the stability and structure of the body. When in balance, these doshas govern and maintain the body’s functions. However, environmental factors, hectic lifestyles, and imbalanced diets can vitiate these doshas, causing one of them to become stronger than others. This leads to an imbalance which is the cause of various problems like gas and acidity. Maintaining the dosha balance is key to maintaining the health of the body too.

What is Pitta Dosha?

Pitta dosha is one of the three doshas that govern the body. It is related to fire and water characteristics. It is hot, sharp, oily, light, and acidic in quality. Pitta is mainly responsible for metabolism, digestion, and transformation in the body. When balanced, Pitta maintains the body’s metabolic processes, supports digestion, and helps in the various transformation processes like cell formation, etc. However, when vitiated, Pitta can cause many problems. Excess Pitta can increase heat in the body, lead to inflammation, and cause joint pain and other issues. It can also cause stomach issues like gas, acidity, flatulence, belching, heartburn, etc. The main causes of Pitta vitiation are often an imbalanced diet, hectic lifestyle, stress, and environmental factors. Acidity results from such an increase in Pitta and is currently one of the biggest and most common concerns. Regular and high intake of spicy, oily, fried foods, caffeine, and alcohol can cause acidity. Irregular eating habits, excess stress, and too much heat exposure can also vitiate Pitta and result in acidity. Seasonal changes like summer’s increasing heat and humidity and the humid weather of autumn and monsoon are also the reasons for acidity troubles. Balancing Pitta dosha in the body is how Ayurveda controls and reduces hyperacidity. Ayurvedic medicines like Punarvasu’s Sutshekhar Rasa help reduce excessive stomach acid, balance Pitta dosha and relieve symptoms of acidity.

Managing Acidity through Balancing Pitta

Ayurveda focuses on dealing with the root cause of a problem to get lasting relief. When treating Hyperacidity, Ayurvedic medicine, and treatments also focus on cleansing the body and pacifying the vitiated doshas through dietary and lifestyle changes. Here’s how Ayurveda recommends achieving a balance in Pitta and managing hyperacidity:

Dietary Changes

• Avoid spicy, oily, acidic, and fried food. For example, junk food like burgers, pizza, chips, fries, excess spices like ginger, garlic, onions, chilies, etc., and sour and citrus fruits, etc. You should also avoid vinegar, potatoes, curd, new rice, black gram, fish, the meat of marshy land animals, baked and fermented items like bread, idli, dosa, etc., and excessive tea, coffee, alcohol, etc.

• Instead, increase the intake of cooling substances like mint, cumin, fennel, etc. You can eat wheat, old rice, barley, green gram, cow milk and ghee, vegetables like bottle guard and pumpkin, fruits like Pomegranate, Banana, Papaya, Forest meat, Coconut water, Amla, etc.

Lifestyle Changes

• Regular exercise helps keep weight in check, regulates body functions, and also helps keep many issues like acidity at bay.

• Eat regularly and avoid skipping meals. Maintain daily lunch and dinner timings. Eat your dinner early, at least 2 hours before bedtime.

• Practice Yoga and pranayama regularly and try stress management techniques when facing strenuous situations.

Herbal Remedies

Use cooling herbs like Mint, Licorice, Amla, Fennel, Coriander, etc. in your daily diet. Drinking fennel tea or ginger tea can also sometimes help manage acidity. Eating fennel seeds and roasted cumin seeds also aids in managing acid reflux. Chilled milk and fruits like Papaya, and banana, also help neutralise stomach acid and relieve acidity. Punarvasu’s Avipattikar Churna can also be taken daily to treat hyperacidity, heartburn, gas, constipation, etc. It is considered one of the best Ayurvedic medicines for acidity.

Conclusion

Pitta dosha vitiation is the root cause of acidity in Ayurveda. Understanding Pitta dosha and maintaining its balance is key to keeping acidity at bay and maintaining physical and mental well-being. However, ingesting Ayurvedic herbs or medicines randomly can cause harm rather than help. It is important to seek guidance from an experienced Ayurvedic practitioner before taking any Ayurvedic medicine for acidity. Ayurveda offers the best Ayurvedic medicines for acidity that takes into account the individual constitution and problems before offering solutions, especially customized for your individual needs. Embrace Ayurveda’s holistic wisdom to relieve acidity and enjoy a healthy and fulfilling life.

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