Know when to have curd: Ayurvedic expert's recommendations on the right time to have the quintessential Indian probiotic

Curd is enjoyed by all. From the northern parts of the country to the southern and from the easternmost parts of the country till the point where land meets the Arabian Sea, curd or dahi is a big part of Indian meal. Be it with a paratha in the morning, or with rice and dal during afternoon, or as a marinator for several chicken recipes, Indian cuisine is not complete without a scoop of fresh, home-fermented dahi.

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However, this probiotic which is dense in good bacteria has some limitations to when and how it should be eaten.

We at ETimes-TOI spoke to Dr Lakshmi Varma K [BAMS, MD(Ayu)] Specialist Medical officer, Ayushgramam Project, Kottayam on how to eat dahi in the right manner so that our body gets the proper nutrients and it does not imbalance the internal system.

“Curd or Dadhi in Sanskrit is one of the most common and frequently used probiotic food items in our diet. It is the fermented form of milk. It is generally nourishing but is not advised as daily food,” says Dr Varma and adds that Dadhi according to Ayurveda is a taste enhancer, appetizer, enhancer of strength, nourishment source, aphrodisiac, and vitalizer.

The properties of curd change with its level of fermentation, the time of intake and what it is taken with, says the expert who is also a panel of doctors for LYEF.

The taste, flavour and consistency of curd depend on the culture used (concentration and type of bacteria used) and environmental conditions like temperature, season and time to prepare it.

Incompletely formed curd is not good for consumption as it is heavy to digest and causes various diseases. The fully formed curd is sweet and slightly sour. This happens after about a day depending on the atmospheric temperature. This is the best stage to consume the curd.

The longer it sits without refrigeration, the sourer it becomes.

Extremely sour curds cause gastric problems, increase the pitta dosha in the body and cause an excessive burning sensation.

It is advised that curds are not to be:

• consumed at night,
• not to be heated,
• not to be combined with anything that is hot
• not be consumed during the seasons of summer, spring and autumn.

It is to be eaten with either sugar, salt, honey, ghee, gooseberry or green gram soup.

It comes under the topic of viruddha ahara or incompatible food. Curds are not to be combined with fish, milk, other sour items etc. Such restrictions are due to the effect of curds on the dosha of the body that maintains health.

The three doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the functional entities that maintain the body. Curds reduce Vata in the body but increase the Kapha and if it is sour it increases the pitta too.

An increase in Kapha leads to a lot of different diseases like diabetes, cough, asthma etc.

An increase in pitta leads to gastritis, bleeding disorders, skin disorders etc.

Consumption of viruddha ahara may lead to different metabolic diseases, skin ailments, gastric disturbances etc. Looking at disease conditions in which curds are indicated and contraindicated, it can be seen that curds are beneficial in some kinds of fever, tastelessness, haemorrhoids), diarrhoea, painful micturition, amenorrhea, 4th month of pregnancy, insomnia, emaciation, and some kinds of heart disease.

Whereas it is contraindicated in bleeding disorders, Kapha diseases, skin disorders, inflammation, swelling, diabetes, infestation, diseases of the mouth and throat etc. In conclusion, it can be seen that Dadhi if used appropriately, could be used as a diet, medicine, adjuvant, and processing agent in a variety of ailments and if used otherwise can cause a wide range of diseases.