Critical appraisal of utility of aahar w.r.t. to ashta aahar vidhi Visheshayatan

Aahar is that inseparable part of prakriti that has decisive bond with an individual right from its birth, when he starts consuming it in the form of milk of his mother. After few months, he starts consuming solid food which is acknowledged as Annaprashana Sanskara in Indian society. Modern science considers diet as one of the principle vitals for living and physical health, but ancient ayurvedic scholars find it equally crucial for mental and spiritual health too, and praised it with the synonyms of Amrita and Mahabhaishajya. The fact that on one part, the consumption of diet in appropriate manner helps in the growth of living being; and contrarily, its utilization in inappropriate manner is responsible for degradation of health, exhibits the role of utility of diet. Acharya Charaka explained eight factors to determine the aahar which are known as Ashta Aahar Vidhi Visheshayatana. A proper knowledge of these utilities will help a person to live a healthy life in the most natural way and will allow an individual to gain the best from the diet he consumes. The present article will be an attempt to congregate the importance of diet as quoted by ancient ayurvedic scholars and to present the eight factors of ashta aahar vidhi visheshayatana in a systemic and scientific way.