CCRAS Launches Special Journal on 'Ayurveda Aahara' Merging Ancient Diets with Modern Science

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), under the Ministry of Ayush, has launched a special issue of the Journal of Drug Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (JDRAS), highlighting the emerging concept of "Ayurveda Aahara." This initiative, introduced by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, seeks to blend traditional Ayurvedic dietary wisdom with modern scientific principles. The effort focuses on integrating ancient knowledge into contemporary food science to enhance modern dietary practices.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha highlighted the need for innovative, science-backed solutions to address today’s nutritional challenges. “Our research on Ayurveda Aahara provides valuable insights into preventive health, linking ancient dietary wisdom with modern science to foster sustainable and nutritious practices for contemporary society,” he said. This special edition of JDRAS is part of the Ministry’s broader mission to promote Ayurveda-based diets as an essential component of preventive healthcare.

Significantly, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush, introduced the Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022. Officially notified in May 2022, these regulations define Ayurveda Aahara as food prepared according to traditional Ayurvedic recipes and processes. To maintain the integrity of these dietary practices, FSSAI launched a unique logo for Ayurveda Aahara in June 2022, ensuring consumers can identify products rooted in authentic Ayurvedic principles.

As India’s leading institution for Ayurveda research, CCRAS has played a critical role in advancing Ayurveda Aahara through rigorous research, aiming to validate traditional dietary practices scientifically. This special JDRAS edition highlights CCRAS’s research on Ayurveda’s holistic dietary principles, including the health impacts of specific plants and the standardization of recipes to align with modern dietary guidelines.

Director General of CCRAS, Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya, highlighted how their research on Ayurveda Aahara has gained international recognition. “With FSSAI recognizing Ayurveda Aahara, CCRAS is at the forefront, aligning traditional wisdom with global health priorities to offer sustainable, science-backed nutritional solutions for today’s challenges,” he noted. CCRAS is also conducting surveys across diverse regions in India to document and scientifically validate traditional recipes, ensuring these foods’ nutritional and therapeutic benefits are understood and preserved.

CCRAS aims to provide quality and consistency in their preparation, creating accessible and scientifically backed dietary guidelines by developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Ayurveda-based recipes. This research reinforces Ayurveda’s perspective on food as a foundation for health, aligning with FSSAI’s regulatory framework to make Ayurveda Aahara accessible to a global audience.