The nutrition value of the food decides its proportion in the daily diet. Healthy diet is the right mix of proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats and fibers. The current science of health and nutrition decides the diet based on the above nutrition content and calorie requirement but the ancient science was based on the food tastes.

Earlier six primary food tastes were identified as per Ayurveda (An ancient Indian science of medicine) and the diet was the right balance of these tastes as each taste was considered to be having unique significance for the human health.

This science may be based on age-old theory, but currently there are many studies available to support it too. Here are the six tastes that can be combined to get the balanced diet for healthy body and happy taste buds. Six Tastes for Health and Healing

Sweet

This is the taste familiar to the taste buds around the world. This is the taste of happiness and love. The celebrations and stress are treated with sweets as this taste would nourish your senses and pamper your feelings. Sweet food would build and repair tissues for quick healing. Including sweet in your diet would work as comfort food but again sweet would not mean only sugar.

Check out for foods with natural sugar like carrot, corn, dairy, pasta, cereals, honey, fish, chicken, meat, coconut and the sweet fruits. Your diet should have any of these ingredients in right amount to get maximum health benefits.

Salty

Salt adds flavor to the food and enhances all other tastes to make any dish palatable. Health enthusiasts are stressing on less or no salt in diet but like all other tastes, salt also has its own significance.

It aids digestion and binds water in your body while establishing the balance between intracellular and extracellular fluids. A pinch of salt in daily diet would feel you with energy and enthusiasm. Salt can be included through many healthy alternatives like celery, rock salt, seaweed, cheese, olives, soy sauce, fish and of course table salt.

Sour

Sour is intense and that can be very well deduced from the kind of kick it gives your taste buds with a single drop of lemon. Adding sour taste to food would tickle your taste buds, work as the digestive aid and enhance the saliva secretion to absorb the food properly.

This taste is rejuvenating and refreshing for your taste buds, which may also result into enhanced appetite for all other tastes. Include citrus fruits, tomatoes, salad dressing, lemon and other such natural sour flavors. Avoid fermented and pickled foods as they won’t bring along the goodness of sour taste.

Bitter

Not all taste buds are meant for bitter taste. This taste is unpleasant for many and would leave an undesired taste in mouth for very long, but it is worth giving a try owing to its health benefits. It balances the digestive juices and enhances the metabolism.

The acid reflux can be fought effectively by taking bitter food or drink after your meals. The bitter taste of medicine also proves the curing capabilities of this taste. Adding bitter to your meals is easy as there are many good foods like dark chocolate, black coffee, bitter gourd, dark green salad and even sprouts that contain little bitterness trapping sweet benefits.

Astringent

This is a taste that very few people may be familiar with. It gives that dry feeling on the tongue. It can be related to the sip of tea or biting on grape skin. The drying you get on your tongue is because of shrinking of pores.

This is astringent effect. It has the drying effect and would be ideal for cough, cold and loose motion. Too much of astringent may also cause dehydration and constipation. Lentils, pomegranates, grape skin, dried beans and tea have astringent taste.

Pungent

Pungent taste is intense and has fire in it. This taste is hot and even the small amount of pungent taste may offer sharp burning on lips and tongue. It softens the mucus and clears the congestion. It’s very helpful in treating sinusitis.

Some pungent foods that you would love to include in your meals are ginger, peppers, onion, garlic, mustard and other such hot foods.

Above 6 tastes are the tastes that bring complete health to your meal. You will not have to count on calories or check the nutrition value of your meal once you balance the taste as this theory has worked from ages and it will also work now!

This article is contributed by Nutra Pure HCG, one of the leading suppliers of homeopathic diet drops for safe and natural weight loss.  A Quick Start Guide will help you start on your journey towards a better health and overall well being.