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=== ''Vidhi Vimarsha''===

=== ''Vidhi Vimarsha''===

The word santarpana means the act of satiating, restoration or refreshing. In this context, the term is used for overeating or overnutrition. Dietary items that are prithvi and aap mahabhuta dominant lead to santarpana. Quality, quantity, and age of certain food items can cause alteration in the digestability of the food. For example, aged food grains are light to digest than new food grains. Therefore, the new food grains tend to increase weight, and same quantity of aged food grains do not increase weight. What changes occur in aging of the grains and their mechanism of action needs to be studied.  

The word ''santarpana'' means the act of satiating, restoration or refreshing. In this context, the term is used for overeating or overnutrition. Dietary items that are ''prithvi'' and ''apa mahabhuta'' dominant lead to ''santarpana''. Quality, quantity, and age of certain food items can cause alteration in the digestability of the food. For example, aged food grains are light to digest than new food grains. Therefore, the new food grains tend to increase weight, and same quantity of aged food grains do not increase weight. What changes occur in aging of the grains and their mechanism of action needs to be studied.  

I. Qualities of santarpanakarak Food Articles:

 

Unctuous (snigdha), sweet (madhura), heavy to digest (guru), and slimy (pichhilla) foods predominantly have prithvi and apa mahabhutas, leading to an increase in kapha and rasa dhatu.  

==== I. Qualities of ''Santarpanakarak'' Food Articles ====

The functional trait of such food articles is snigdha (oily) guna is sneha (unctuousness), mriduta (softness), and ardrata (malleability, fluidity). ,  Snigdha food articles include those derived from lipids and fat molecules. Similarly, madhura (sweetness) is a property of food substances that possess predominantly sweet taste - not just perceived at the tongue, but also in many parts/tissues along our digestive system. Guru is the primary property that indicates “heaviness” of a food item, and a guru food article is heavy to digest and increases bulkiness of the tissues. Guru is the opposite of agni and hence delays digestion and metabolism and is used, therefore, in therapies that require nourishment, enhancement of physical strength, etc (brumhana, agnimaandyakara, upalepa, bala, upachaya and tarpana). Finally, picchilla is sliminess and stickiness, and indicates food items that vitiate kapha and mamsa-meda dhatu particularly.  

Unctuous (''snigdha''), sweet (''madhura''), heavy to digest (''guru''), and slimy (''pichhilla'') foods predominantly have ''prithvi'' and ''apa mahabhutas'', leading to an increase in ''kapha'' and ''rasa dhatu''.  

 

The functional trait of such food articles is ''snigdha'' (oily) ''guna'' is ''sneha'' (unctuousness), ''mriduta'' (softness), and ''ardrata'' (malleability, fluidity). ''Snigdha'' food articles include those derived from lipids and fat molecules. Similarly, madhura (sweetness) is a property of food substances that possess predominantly sweet taste - not just perceived at the tongue, but also in many parts/tissues along our digestive system. Guru is the primary property that indicates “heaviness” of a food item, and a guru food article is heavy to digest and increases bulkiness of the tissues. Guru is the opposite of agni and hence delays digestion and metabolism and is used, therefore, in therapies that require nourishment, enhancement of physical strength, etc (brumhana, agnimaandyakara, upalepa, bala, upachaya and tarpana). Finally, picchilla is sliminess and stickiness, and indicates food items that vitiate kapha and mamsa-meda dhatu particularly.  

Today’s research is consistent with the above findings of Ayurveda. Researchers acknowledge that taste receptors exist in the upper gastrointestinal tract as well.  These receptors are “primarily located in the intestinal brush and enteroendocrine cells, and recognize sugars, D-amino acids, sweet proteins, and artificial sweeteners”, as per their paper. Peptide YY (PYY) exerts its action through NPY receptors by inhibiting gastric motility and increasing water and electrolyte absorption in the colon.  PYY may also suppress pancreatic secretion, as it is secreted by neuro-endocrine cells in the ileum and colon in response to a meal, and has been shown to reduce appetite. It works by slowing the gastric emptying, thereby increasing the efficiency of digestion and nutrient absorption after a meal.  Considering the effects of sweet food substances, PYY, in certain quantities, helps induce satiety in a person and thus in excess, inhibits appetite. This study clearly suggests the impact of madhura rasa and snigdha food substances in creating santarpaniya vyadhi or increased anabolism. Like GLP -1, GIP is related to metabolism and inflammation.  

Today’s research is consistent with the above findings of Ayurveda. Researchers acknowledge that taste receptors exist in the upper gastrointestinal tract as well.  These receptors are “primarily located in the intestinal brush and enteroendocrine cells, and recognize sugars, D-amino acids, sweet proteins, and artificial sweeteners”, as per their paper. Peptide YY (PYY) exerts its action through NPY receptors by inhibiting gastric motility and increasing water and electrolyte absorption in the colon.  PYY may also suppress pancreatic secretion, as it is secreted by neuro-endocrine cells in the ileum and colon in response to a meal, and has been shown to reduce appetite. It works by slowing the gastric emptying, thereby increasing the efficiency of digestion and nutrient absorption after a meal.  Considering the effects of sweet food substances, PYY, in certain quantities, helps induce satiety in a person and thus in excess, inhibits appetite. This study clearly suggests the impact of madhura rasa and snigdha food substances in creating santarpaniya vyadhi or increased anabolism. Like GLP -1, GIP is related to metabolism and inflammation.  

Thus, it can be said that excess of madhura, guru, snigdha and pichchilla foods can have inflammatory effect at the molecular level. If the above properties elaborated by Charaka are to be understood, it can be clearly stated that they increase body tissues in volume and delay the digestion of food. This seems to be acceptable and the effect may be mediated through peptide YY. As it delays digestion and increases the nutrient uptake, these food substances lead to santarpana.

Thus, it can be said that excess of madhura, guru, snigdha and pichchilla foods can have inflammatory effect at the molecular level. If the above properties elaborated by Charaka are to be understood, it can be clearly stated that they increase body tissues in volume and delay the digestion of food. This seems to be acceptable and the effect may be mediated through peptide YY. As it delays digestion and increases the nutrient uptake, these food substances lead to santarpana.