Article: AYURVEDA-BASED DIETARY STRATEGIES FOR THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF MALNUTRITION: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Article Category: Review articles

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.17119

Pages: 113-116

Author: Rahul Sudan *, Charu Bansal, Saleha Zainab

Abstract: Malnutrition continues to be a major global burden, particularly in developing countries, contributing to impaired physical growth, weakened immunity, cognitive deficits, increased susceptibility to infections, and higher mortality rates. Although modern nutrition emphasizes macronutrient and micronutrient supplementation, significant gaps remain in ensuring effective digestion, assimilation, and long-term metabolic balance factors central to sustained recovery. Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, offers a holistic dietary framework based on the principles of Agni (digestive and metabolic fire), Ahara (diet), Dhatu Poshana (tissue nourishment), Prakriti (constitution), and Rasayana (rejuvenation). Classical Ayurvedic texts describe conditions such as Karshya, Kshaya, and Dourbalya, which closely parallel modern classifications of undernutrition, wasting, and nutritional deficiency disorders. Ayurveda advocates a multipronged approach consisting of Deepana-Pachana (appetite stimulation and metabolic cleansing), Brimhana (nourishing/anabolic diet), medicated milk and ghee preparations, therapeutic gruels, and Rasayana therapy to rebuild depleted tissues. Recent scientific studies support the anabolic, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and adaptogenic actions of many Ayurvedic formulations such as Ashwagandha, Shatavari, and Guduchi. This review examines fundamental Ayurvedic concepts of nutrition, analyses classical dietary interventions for malnutrition, and correlates them with contemporary nutritional science. The paper highlights the potential for integrative strategies that combine Ayurvedic dietetics with modern nutritional therapy, offering a sustainable, culturally compatible, and holistic approach for preventing and managing malnutrition across different populations.

Keyword: Ayurveda, malnutrition, Brimhana, Rasayana, Dhatu Poshana, Agni, therapeutic diets, undernutrition.