17 Ayurvedic Culinary Digestive Herbs That You Need to Know
Updated: Jun 11
Ayurveda offers many digestive herbs and spices to help stimulate digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food.
First, we'll explore the way Ayurveda categorizes substances, then we'll look at 17 culinary digestive herbs that you need to know. If you just want to read more about the 17 Ayurvedic culinary digestive herbs, you can skip ahead.
The Ayurvedic categorization of substances
Ayurveda employs several different ways of looking at all substances:
tastes
qualities
potency
post-digestive effect
prabhav (special effect) (Lad 239-255)
These five concepts are used to determine which substances will bring balance and which will create imbalance when looking at digestive herbs and spices.
6 tastes
According to Ayurveda, there are 6 tastes:
sweet
sour
salty
pungent
bitter
astringent (AH, Sū 1/14)
It is recommended to incorporate all 6 tastes into every meal (Kripalu, 7.17).
Digestive herbs and spices can help incorporate some of these tastes.
Read 6 Tastes of Ayurveda: A Key to Finding Balance and Examples of the 6 tastes of Ayurveda and how to choose foods that will support balance in your life to learn more about the 6 tastes of Ayurveda.
20 qualities (10 pairs of opposites)
The 20 qualities are used to find balance in Ayurveda:
heavy | light |
slow/dull | sharp/penetrating |
cold | hot |
oily | dry |
smooth | rough |
dense | liquid/liquifying |
soft | hard |
static/stable | mobile |
subtle | gross |
clear/clearing | sticky/cloudy |
The general rule with these qualities is that like increases like and opposites decrease.
That means if you are feeling dry, and you eat crackers, you will likely feel even more dry. If you are feeling dry, and instead add some oiliness through food or activities, like oiling the body, you will feel less dry and more balanced.
Dry and oily are opposites in the chart above
Check out 20 Gunas (Qualities) of Ayurveda to learn more about these qualities.
Digestive herbs and spices have individual sets of qualities that can be used to help you find balance.
Potency
Potency looks specifically at whether a substance is heating or cooling.
Many culinary herbs and spices are heating, but some like cumin are pungent in taste, but cooling in potency. Even though pitta is disturbed by the pungent taste, the cooling potency of cumin means it is good for pitta dosha in moderation.
The potency of the digestive herbs and spices will also help you to find balance.
For example, licorice and fennel are cooling in potency, and black pepper and hing are heating in potency, but they are all considered digestive herbs and spices.
Post-digestive effect
Once the food has been digested and is heading out into the body's tissues, it has a certain effect on the cells and tissues of the body:
substances that are predominantly sweet and salty will have a sweet post-digestive effect,
those that are predominantly sour will have a sour post-digestive effect,
finally, substances that are predominantly pungent, bitter, and astringent will have a pungent post-digestive effect.
But there are exceptions to this (Lad 252-253).
Here's a chart to make that a little clearer:
Taste | Post-digestive effect |
Sweet | Sweet |
Salty | Sweet |
Sour | Sour |
Pungent | Pungent |
Bitter | Pungent |
Astringent | Pungent |
A good example of this is lemons and limes.
They both are in the "sour" category for foods.
However, lemons have a sour post-digestive effect and limes have a sweet post-digestive effect that gives them a cooling potency, making limes the better choice for pitta dosha.
Knowing the post-digestive effect of the digestive herbs and spices can help you determine which are better for you.
Prabhav--special effect
Prabhav is when two substances with the same taste, potency, and post-digestive effect have a surprisingly different action (Lad, 253).
An example of this is milk and ghee.
They both have a sweet taste, cold potency, and sweet post-digestive effect, however, ghee stimulates digestion while milk can cause slow digestion (Kripalu, 3.20)
17 Ayurvedic culinary digestive herbs
Adding digestive herbs and spices to your everyday cooking is a simple way to improve digestion.
This doesn't mean that foods need to be hot and spicy, on the contrary, foods should be gently spiced.
In Ayurveda, all substances, including digestive herbs and spices, are categorized into the six tastes, the 20 qualities, the potency, the post-digestive effect, and any special effect.
While most of these culinary digestive herbs have a pungent taste, they also incorporate other tastes.
To help figure out which of these culinary digestive herbs and spices are best for you, look at the tastes, qualities, potency, post-digestive effect, special effect, and how the spice affects each dosha.
1. Ajwain
Taste: Pungent, bitter
Qualities: Light, dry, penetrating
Potency: Heating
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: Decreases vata and kapha, increases pitta
Ajwain is a digestive herb that stokes the digestive fire when it is slow and sluggish. It relieves gas, digestive cramps, and bloating due to vata and kapha doshas. It clears toxins and can even remove parasites. It also supports the lungs, urine, and nerves, especially the nerves in the lower abdomen and pelvis. It should be avoided if you are experiencing acidity or high pitta, and during pregnancy because it promotes a strong downward motion (Pole, 122-123).
Ajwain is excellent for vata and kapha doshas due to its warming nature.
2. Cardamom
Taste: Pungent, sweet
Qualities: Light, dry
Potency: Cooling
Post-digestive effect: Sweet
Effect on doshas: Decreases all 3 doshas, but can aggravate pitta in excess
Cardamom is a digestive herb that is beneficial for relieving burping, gas, bloating, acidity, vomiting, nausea, and morning sickness. It helps to stimulate weak digestion without aggravating pitta dosha. It is also beneficial for clearing urine and the lungs. It should be avoided with signs of excessive heat (or pitta) in the body (Pole, 151)
3. Cumin
Taste: Pungent, bitter
Qualities: Light, dry
Potency: Cooling
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: Reduces all 3 doshas, but can increase pitta in excess
Cumin stimulates sluggish digestion while helping with the absorption of nutrients. This digestive herb eases gurgling, bloating, and slow digestion. It reduces nausea and indigestion. It directs vata dosha downward and absorbs fluid from the large intestine. If can help firm up loose stools (Pole, 167).
4. Cinnamon
Taste: Pungent, sweet, astringent
Qualities: Dry, light, penetrating
Potency: Hot
Post-digestive effect: Sweet
Effect on doshas: Pacifying for vata and kapha doshas, may aggravate pitta (some sources indicate cinnamon is balancing for pitta when used in moderation)
Cinnamon is good for slow, cold digestion, colic, and gas. It can reduce Candida and balance intestinal flora. This digestive herb is contraindicated when there are signs of bleeding and high pitta. Caution should be used during pregnancy because it can stimulate the uterus (Pole, 160-161).
5. Clove
Taste: Pungent, bitter
Qualities: Unctuous, light, penetrating
Potency: Cold
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: Reduces all three doshas
Clove is a digestive herb that can stimulate a weak, sluggish digestion with pain and gas. It can help stimulate hunger when there is a lack of interest in food. It is an excellent remedy for nausea and motion sickness. It works to clear candida and other bacterial and fungal conditions. Use caution with high pitta and inflammatory conditions (Pole, 162).
6. Coriander
Taste: Pungent, bitter, sweet
Qualities: Light, oily
Potency: Seeds are heating; leaves are cooling
Post-digestive effect: Sweet
Effect on doshas: Reduces all three doshas, especially pitta
Coriander stimulates the digestive system without increasing acidity, so it is especially beneficial for pitta dosha. It is used with both colic and IBS because it reduces gas. This digestive herb is a super-safe herb that anyone can use (Pole, 163).
7. Fennel
Taste: Sweet, pungent, bitter
Qualities: Light, dry
Potency: Heating (some)
Post-digestive effect: Sweet
Effect on doshas: Reduces all three doshas
Fennel eases digestive gurgling sounds, cramps, gas, nausea, and slow digestion. It does not aggravate pitta even though it is heating, and its sweet post-digestive effect offers a cooling effect. This digestive herb is used for inguinal hernias and pain in the lower abdomen. Fennel water can be used for colicky babies. There aren't any known contraindications (Pole, 175-176)
8. Fenugreek
Taste: Pungent, astringent, bitter, sweet
Qualities: Light, unctuous
Potency: Hot
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: Reduces vata and pitta, increases pitta
Fenugreek is excellent for slow digestion and gas. It can be used as a laxative and increases the bulk of the stools. Diarrhea and inflammation can be eased with fenugreek. It also has a special affinity for reducing diabetes when used with other herbs. Fenugreek is a digestive herb that is said to balance sugar levels in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes (Pole, 177).
9. Garlic
Taste: Pungent, sweet
Qualities: Heavy, unctuous, penetrating
Potency: Heating
Post-digestive effect: Sweet
Effect on doshas: Vata and kapha reducing, pitta increasing
Garlic clears both mucus and gas from the intestines. It is used as a folk remedy all over the world for parasites, gas, infections, candida, and food poisoning. This digestive herb kills bad bacteria while leaving beneficial bacteria in place (Pole, 179).
10. Ginger
Taste: Pungent, sweet
Qualities: Fresh--unctuous and heavy; Dried--Dry, light, penetrating
Potency: Heating (fresh--warm; dried--hot)
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: Vata and kapha reducing, pitta increasing
Ginger is a digestive herb that brings warmth to the digestive system, increasing the digestive capacity, and stimulating the release of digestive enzymes. It helps nausea, intestinal spasms, and gas (Pole, 183).
11. Hing (Asafoetida)
Taste: Pungent
Qualities: Unctuous, heavy, penetrating
Potency: Heating
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: Vata and kapha reducing, pitta increasing
Hing is a lesser-known culinary herb that is amazing for digestion. This digestive herb can be added to beans to reduce their gaseous effects. It clears high vata from the digestive tract reducing gas, bloating, undigested food in the stool, and colic. It can also clear candida and worms from the GI tract. Hing increases digestion, but can easily disturb pitta dosha (Pole, 197).
12. Licorice
Taste: Sweet, bitter
Qualities: Heavy, moist
Potency: Cooling
Post-digestive effect: Sweet
Effect on doshas: reduces all 3 doshas, but may increase kapha if used in excess
Licorice is especially good for relieving ulcers in the mouth and GI tract. This digestive herb reduces intestinal inflammation and spasms that are associated with pain. It reduces hyperacidity and stops bleeding in the intestines. Licorice relaxes and moistens the bowels. In low doses, it can reduce nausea caused by heat (Pole, 220).
13. Mint
Taste: Sweet, pungent
Qualities: Light, dry, penetrating
Potency: Cooling and heating
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: reduces all 3 doshas, but may increase vata if used in excess
Mint is a digestive herb that is beneficial to ease gas, IBS, bloating, nervous digestion, ulcers, and nausea. It works specifically for pitta inflammation. It can be used to reduce morning sickness, spasms in the GI tract, and vomiting (Pole, 226).
A simple cup of mint tea can ease digestive complaints.
14. Mustard Seeds
Taste: Pungent, bitter
Qualities: Light, dry, penetrating
Potency: Heating
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: reduces vata and kapha, increase pitta
When digestion is weak, mustard seed clears undigested food from the GI tract. This digestive herb is used to remove parasites. It stimulates digestion, warms the digestive system, and clears intestinal mucus (Pole, 230)
15. Black Pepper
Taste: Pungent, bitter
Qualities: Light, dry, penetrating
Potency: Hot
Post-digestive effect: Sweet
Effect on doshas: reduces vata and kapha, increase pitta
Black pepper is a digestive herb that can help increase a low appetite and stimulate sluggish digestion. It reduces intestinal gurgling, abdominal pains, and toxins from the GI tract. It increases the secretion of digestive enzymes and the absorption of nutrients. It can help remove parasites. With other herbs, it is useful in the treatment of diabetes (Pole, 237).
16. Turmeric
Taste: Pungent, bitter, astringent
Qualities: Dry, light
Potency: Heating
Post-digestive effect: Pungent
Effect on doshas: reduces all 3 doshas, but can increase vata and pitta in excess
Turmeric is excellent for all intestinal infections. One of the digestive herbs that clears mucus and toxins from the GI tract. It may prevent bowel cancer due to its affinity for the large intestines. It can reduce indigestion and stomach ulcers. It is traditionally used in cases of diabetes (Pole, 282).
17. Salt
Taste: Salty, sweet
Qualities: Heavy, wet, penetrating
Potency: Heating (rock salt is said to be cooling)
Post-digestive effect: Sweet
Effect on doshas: reduces vata, increases pitta and kapha
Salt benefits indigestion and low appetite by increasing digestive enzymes. This digestive herb clarifies the sense of taste. Higher doses can work as a laxative (Pole, 260).
Salt is a necessary component in our diet because it is one of the 6 tastes of Ayurveda, and Ayurveda tells us that all 6 tastes should be consumed at each meal (Kripalu, 7.17).
When these 17 Ayurvedic culinary digestive herbs and spices are used appropriately, they can help ease almost any digestive complaint.
If you would like help determining which of these culinary spices, you can book an online consultation with me:
Frawley D, Lad V The Yoga of herbs: an
Ayurvedic guide to herbal medicine. 2nd ed., Lotus Press Twin Lakes, WI, 2001.
Vagbhata. Astanga Hrdayam. Translated by Prof. K. R. Srikantha Murthy, 7th ed., vol. 1, Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, 2010.
Lad, Vasant. Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles of Ayurveda. 1st ed., vol. 1, The Ayurvedic Press, 2002.
Pole, Sebastian. Ayurvedic Medicine: The Principles of Traditional Practice. 2nd ed., Singing Dragon, 2013.
Kripalu Center. "Foundations of Āyurveda." 2019. PDF.
Kripalu Center. "Āyurvedic Health Counselor Training." 2017. PDF.
