| Abstract: |
Sattvik Ahara, based on Ayurvedic philosophy and established in the Bhagavad Gita (17.8), is a plant-based eating plan, consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables in the season, whole grains, legumes, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and natural spices, and excluding processed food, meat, alcohol, and refined carbohydrates. India is facing a threatening non-communicable disease epidemic, with a projected 101 million people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, more than 315 million with hypertension, and 254 million with obesity disorders that are founded on chronic low-grade systemic inflammation. The hypothesis of this systematic review is that the Sattvik Ahara leads to a significant decrease in the key pro-inflammatory cytokines, i.e. hsCRP, IL-6 and TNF-a, and to the same effect diminishes the metabolic risk factors that cause major lifestyle disorders. Results indicate clinically significant decreases in glycaemic indices, lipid profiles, body mass index, and blood pressure in people under Sattvik or more or less related plant-based diets. Curcumin, a typical Sattvik spice, has been shown individually to have statistically significant anti-inflammatory effects. Sattvik Ahara is an evidence-based, culturally based and non-pharmacological approach to chronic disease prevention in India. |
