Extraoral Taste Receptor Discovery: New Light on Ayurvedic Pharmacology
Table 3
Comparative effects of excessive dietary saltiness in Ayurveda and modern medicine ( = not yet clarified/studied, = contradictory information Ayurveda versus modern science).
Effect of excessive use of drugs and diet having salty taste, according to Ayurveda [109]
High salt diet effects according to scientific studies
Proinflammatory effect via induction of pathogenic Th17 cells and cytokine synthesis [111, 112], increased risk of inflammatory bowel diseases [113], reduced immune tolerance and increased risk of autoimmune diseases [112]
Aggravation of Blood (rakta), bleeding from different parts of the body
Obstruction of the function of senses, fainting, depletion of muscles
Multiple sclerosis (double vision, blindness, muscle weakness, sensorial and coordination disorders) (>5 g NaCl/day) [111]
Gastric hyperacidity (amlapitta)
High level of gastric inflammation [116], but paradoxical protection against duodenal ulcers by decreasing acid
Premature skin ageing
Potentially linked with excessive storage of Na+ in skin without concomitant water retention, leading to an osmotic stress in the skin microenvironment [117], increased oxidative stress and accumulation of peroxidative damages [118]