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Yogurt Benefits (According to Ayurveda)
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Table of Contents

How Does This Ayurvedic Food Improve Wellness?

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Recipes with Yogurt: Potato Salad with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Recipes with Yogurt: Potato Salad with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Ayurveda recommends we limit the consumption of yogurt or consume diluted as in a lassi. Yogurt is mud or at least has the same qualities as mud: thick, viscous, earth element suspended in water. It provokes Kapha, is mucous forming, and is hard to digest. It clogs the subtle channels of the body (capillary beds). In general, all ferments including yogurt vitiate the blood because they contain metabolic byproducts of bacterial digestion.

About Yogurt

Lassis are a popular yogurt drink in India. A lassi is simply equal parts yogurt and water blended together, often with digestive spices like cumin and salt. Lassis aid digestion after a meal. Fruits and mangoes in lassis are a bad food combination.

Buying & Preparation

Fresh homemade yogurt pacifies Pitta. As it ages it continues to sour and ferment. Beyond 48 hours yogurt aggravates Pitta. All store bought yogurt aggravates Pitta.

Cooking Yogurt

It's easy to make your own fresh yogurt at home! Simply boil 1c milk, let cool till room temperature and add a tbsp of live culture yogurt. Most yogurts from the grocery contain live cultures. Place yogurt in a container and wrap in a warm towel. Store in a warm place. By morning you will have fresh yogurt. I make yogurt daily in small quantities one cup at a time. It takes very little preparation time.

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Is Yogurt Good for My Ayurvedic Diet?

Find out by taking this free, easy quiz. You'll learn your body type, and whether 'Yogurt' is a good fit. Complete the basic quiz in 1 minute, or go deeper with additional quizzes at your own leisure to learn more about your body.

Take the Quiz

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.

Metabolic Nature of Yogurt

See a complete list of all biocharacteristics.

METABOLIC NATURE

Metabolic Nature

Ayurveda assesses metabolic imbalances through 20 main biocharacteristics (gunas). Aggravating them weakens your body and causes imbalance. By knowing which biocharacteristics are habitually imbalanced in your body, you will be able to identify and correct metabolic imbalances before you get sick. Every biocharacteristic has an opposite which balances it (i.e. hot balances cold). You restore balance by favoring diet and lifestyle choices that increase the opposite biocharacteristic.

Find Out More

GOOEY

ABOUT GOOEY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Gooey is identified by anything gelatinous (such as oatmeal), or by mucus congestion.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GOOEY

HEAVY

ABOUT HEAVY BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Heavy is identified by sedation, sluggishness, or increased weight.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HEAVY

TASTES

The 6 Tastes

Taste is used to sense the most basic properties and effects of food. Each taste has a specific medicinal effect on your body. Cravings for food with certain tastes indicate your body is craving specific medicinal results from food. Taste is experienced on the tongue and represents your body's reaction to foods. Sweet taste causes physical satisfaction and attraction whereas bitter taste causes discomfort and aversion. Kapha should use less sweet taste while Vata and Pitta would benefit from using more sweet taste. One of the first signs of illness is that your taste and appetite for food changes. The six tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Do you crave foods with any of the tastes below?

Find Out More

SOUR

ABOUT SOUR BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Sour refers to anything fermented or acidic.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUR

DOSHAS

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
Vata pacifying
AGGRAVATES
Kapha aggravating Pitta aggravating

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

Find Out More

PACIFIES
MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

AGGRAVATES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOLERIC

PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Other

Tissue (dhatu):
Blood Plasma Lymph

BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH

Plasma (Rasa Dhatu) includes plasma, white blood cells, and lymph.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-PLASMA-LYMPH' FOODS / HERBS

,
Fat

FAT

Fat tissue (Meda Dhatu) includes adipose tissue and sebum (skin oil).

SEE ALL 'FAT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Reproductive

REPRODUCTIVE

Reproductive tissue (Shukra/Artava Dhatu) includes male and female reproductive organs.

SEE ALL 'REPRODUCTIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Affinity:
Anti Aging

ANTI-AGING

Geriatric conditions typically involve low agni / metabolism, poor circulation, weakness & debility, muscle weakening, poor digestion, a drop in sex hormones, and connective tissue degradation in bones & skin.

SEE ALL 'ANTI-AGING' FOODS / HERBS

, Bone Joint,
Energy Vitality

ENERGY-VITALITY

Includes vitality improving foods, herbs, and exercises by dosha.

SEE ALL 'ENERGY-VITALITY' FOODS / HERBS

, Mind Stress Sleep

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Yogurt
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Mind, Stress & Sleep:
Improves Focus

IMPROVES-FOCUS

Reduces scattered thoughts. Creates a steady mind. Includes herbs that relax (for Vata) and herbs that stimulate (for Kapha).

SEE ALL 'IMPROVES-FOCUS' FOODS / HERBS

Energy Vitality:
Nutritive

NUTRITIVE

An herb that is strengthening and nourishing.

SEE ALL 'NUTRITIVE' FOODS / HERBS

,
Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Skin Care & Beauty:
Demulcent

DEMULCENT

Herbs that coat or form a soothing film over a mucous membrane, relieving minor pain and inflammation of the membrane.

SEE ALL 'DEMULCENT' FOODS / HERBS

Liver & Gallbladder:
Livotonic

LIVOTONIC

An herb that strengthens the liver. It is helpful for people with a history of substance abuse, chronic liver issues from hepatitis and hemolytic anemias. Generally, liver tonics are oily, cool, sweet, mildly sour, or contain beta-carotene.

SEE ALL 'LIVOTONIC' FOODS / HERBS

Weight Loss:
Lowers Blood Sugar

LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR

An herb that lowers blood sugar.

SEE ALL 'LOWERS-BLOOD-SUGAR' FOODS / HERBS

,
Raises Thyroid

RAISES-THYROID

An herb that increases thyroid function.

SEE ALL 'RAISES-THYROID' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:
Calcium

CALCIUM

Calcium nourishes bones and muscles. A muscle cell is activated when calcium enters the cell. It relaxes when the calcium is secreted.

SEE ALL 'CALCIUM' FOODS / HERBS

, Phosphorous,
Vitamin B12

VITAMIN-B12

An enzyme in every cell of the body, that aids metabolism, fat & protein metabolism, and DNA synthesis. B12 comes from animal course, and is commonly deficient in vegetarians.

SEE ALL 'VITAMIN-B12' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Nature to Yogurt

  • Homemade Yogurt

    Homemade Yogurt has these Actions in Common

    Livotonic, Raises-thyroid, Lowers-blood-sugar, Demulcent, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Kefir

    Kefir has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Nutritive, Improves-focus, Lowers-blood-sugar

    LEARN MORE

  • Almond Milk

    Almond Milk has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Tonic, Livotonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Flakes

    Coconut Flakes has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Raises-thyroid, Livotonic, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Cream

    Coconut Cream has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Raises-thyroid, Livotonic, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Butter

    Coconut Butter has these Actions in Common

    Raises-thyroid, Livotonic, Tonic, Nutritive

    LEARN MORE

  • Coconut Oil

    Coconut Oil has these Actions in Common

    Livotonic, Tonic, Nutritive, Raises-thyroid

    LEARN MORE

  • Dates (dried)

    Dates (dried) has these Actions in Common

    Livotonic, Nutritive, Demulcent, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Honey Dew

    Honey Dew has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Improves-focus, Tonic, Livotonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Blueberry

    Blueberry has these Actions in Common

    Lowers-blood-sugar, Improves-focus, Nutritive, Livotonic

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Nature to Yogurt

  • Vidari

    Vidari has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Livotonic, Lowers-blood-sugar, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Amalaki

    Amalaki has these Actions in Common

    Lowers-blood-sugar, Nutritive, Tonic, Improves-focus

    LEARN MORE

  • Solomon's Seal

    Solomon's Seal has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Vata Shirodhara Oil

    Vata Shirodhara Oil has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Bala

    Bala has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Saw Palmetto

    Saw Palmetto has these Actions in Common

    Nutritive, Raises-thyroid, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Schisandra

    Schisandra has these Actions in Common

    Livotonic, Tonic, Improves-focus

    LEARN MORE

  • Shatavari

    Shatavari has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Ginseng, Chinese

    Ginseng, Chinese has these Actions in Common

    Improves-focus, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Gokshura

    Gokshura has these Actions in Common

    Demulcent, Nutritive, Tonic

    LEARN MORE

  • Bhringaraj

    Bhringaraj has these Actions in Common

    Tonic, Livotonic, Lowers-blood-sugar

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

how to use Yogurt Ayurvedically

General Adult Use

Children

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS

Yogurt may be beneficial for these symptoms. The suitability of any food for a condition is highly dependent on the individual. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

CONTRAINDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS

Yogurt may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms. Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications. Please see your doctor before using this food to treat a medical condition.

Lactose Intolerance: Many people lack the enzyme lactase to digest lactose, the sugar in yogurt. Even though yogurt is often easier to digest than milk due to fermentation, it can still cause bloating, gas, cramps, and diarrhea.

Milk Allergy: Yogurt is a dairy product and contains casein and whey proteins, which can trigger allergic reactions in those with a milk allergy. Symptoms range from hives and itching to anaphylaxis in severe cases.

Herb Drug Interaction Risk

Here are some potential herb drug interactions with Yogurt. Please see your health care provider for more information.

View other ingredients
for Autumn-Winter

Yogurt is recommended for Autumn-Winter. Check out these other Autumn-Winter foods here.
VIEW ALL AUTUMN-WINTER FOODS MORE FOODS FOR VATA MAIN INGREDIENT PAGE

HOW DOES EATING AYURVEDICALLY MAKE YOU FEEL?

Eating Ayurvedically makes you feel nourished and energized. Food digests with ease when right for your body type (dosha). Healthy digestion is seen as the cornerstone of well-being in Ayurveda. Healthy digestion generally prevents illness. If you do get sick, a strong digestive fire reduces the severity of illness and increases your resilience. It also improves your mood. Once you begin eating Ayurvedically, you will feel refreshed, vital and strong.
CONTINUE READING

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About the Author

John Immel, the founder of Joyful Belly, teaches people how to have a healthy diet and lifestyle with Ayurveda. His approach to Ayurveda is clinical, yet exudes an ease which many find enjoyable and insightful. John also directs the Joyful Belly College of Ayurveda, offering professional clinical training in Ayurveda for over 15 years.

John's hobbies & specialties include advanced digestive disorders, medieval Catholic philosophy, & botany. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. John, his wife Natalie and their 7 kids live in Asheville, NC

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Comments & Impressions of 'Yogurt'

Do you like 'yogurt'? Why or why not? What makes it unique? Is there something else you'd like to know about 'yogurt'?

(5.00 out of 5 stars) 2 ratings, 168 likes
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Jess Allen park, MI
2013-02-13
“While technically not yogurt, how would milk alternative "yogurts" be classified? Would you be able to combine those with other things more readily?"
Like Reply
Heidi Simpsonville, SC
2013-12-06
“What would the Ayurvedic assessment of Greek yogurt?"
Like Reply
John J Immel Asheville, NC
2013-12-09
“Greek yogurt is so similar to regular yogurt, we haven't really made a different determination. Thanks!"
Like Reply
rebecca Rancho cordova, CA
2014-11-24
“Would adding small amounts of honey, cardomon, cinnamon & tumeric (after making the yogurt) be helpful for V3P3K2 digestion?"
Like Reply
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