Role of Spices in Healthcare: An Āyurvedic Perception

A variety of spices are described in Āyurveda, India’s traditional health care system. Spices in medicines are used not only to add odor, taste, and color but also for their medicinal properties. As the majority of spices are rich in minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants, scientific reports on the chemical compositions and their pharmacological activities are available, in plenty. The usage of spices in medicines are described in Āyurvedic classical texts in Sanskrit literature, and so there is an urgent need to translate that traditional data so that general people will get informed about the importance of usage of spices in medicines. This chapter compiles and decodes contextual literature on 24 traditional Indian spices across various Āyurvedic classical texts. This would serve as primary evidence to research on targeted molecular mechanisms of biomolecules in these spices and their scope in disease prevention, modification of pathological mechanisms, and health maintenance. However, there is one caution. The ancient Sanskrit names of plants given in the classical Samhitas (of Caraka, Susruta, and Vagbhta) and the later Nighantus are equated with modern scientific names based on the current understanding. Differences are noticed in certain cases between the source plants used in the North Indian system and those used in South India, especially in Kerala. We have no means to really confirm the plants sources used by the ancient acharyas and hence cannot consider the modern equivalents as absolutely correct; they are only rough equivalents identified based on the similarities in appearance and properties. Leaving this limitation aside, the present chapter provides insight into the use of the Indian spices in the Ayurvedic system that has a legacy of over 3000 years and is still going strong serving Indian people in upkeep of health and wellness. This chapter deals with 24 spices that are widely used in Ayurveda based on the classical Ayurvedic texts. Some of the most widely used drugs are also from spices, namely, pippali (Indian long pepper) and sunti (ginger). These two, together with black pepper, form the widely used drug combination known as “Trikatu.”