The astringent taste combines the Air and Earth elements, which are drying, cooling, and heavy in nature. It is generally produced by tannins from the bark, leaves, and outer rinds of fruits and trees.
As the least common of the six tastes, it is often described more in relation to its effect on the tongue and mucus membranes, creating an immediate dry, chalky sensation and puckering sensation in the mouth.
This taste is usually associated with cranberries, unripe bananas, or beans. However, many foods have a milder astringency, such as broccoli, cauliflower, crackers or chips, and most raw vegetables. The astringent taste is frequently complimented by sweet or sour flavors.
If overused, the astringent taste can cause dry mouth, choking, spasms, gripping sensations in the intestines, gas, bloating, distention, and constipation. It can also smooth the digestive fire, cause thirst, stiffness, coagulation and clotting in the blood, stagnation in circulation, cardiac spasms, insomnia, emotional stagnation, and depression.
Ayurvedic Facts:
Elements: Air & Earth
Energetics: Dry and Heavy
Taste (Rasa): Bitter
Temperature (Virya): Cooling
Digestive after effect (Vipaka): Pungent
Stage/Location Digestion: Cecum
Digests carbohydrates, proteins, and fats; absorbs liquids and is very high in minerals.
Balances: Pitta & Kapha
Aggravates: Vata
Benefits: It tones tissues, reduces sweating, and cools excess heat. It also stimulates peristalsis and elimination, absorbs excess moisture, promotes blood clotting, cleanses mucus membranes, decongests and scrapes fat, improves absorption, and has a binding effect on the body.
Bio-Medical Actions: Anti-inflammatory, hemostatic (stops bleeding), and vasoconstrictor.
Foods: Apples, bananas, cranberries, pomegranate, sprouts, avocado, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, raw carrots, cauliflower, green beans, lettuce, peas, potatoes, pasta, legumes, popcorn, basil, bay, caraway, coriander, dill, fennel, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, turmeric, and vanilla.
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