Doshas
Three humours of Ayurvedic tradition, vata, pitta and kapha, used to talk about food and temperament.
Also: vata pitta kapha, tridosha, constitution types, prakriti
In Ayurveda, doshas are the three organising principles in the body, vata, pitta and kapha, linked to air and space, fire and water, and earth and water. Tradition holds that people have a mixed constitution, prakriti, and that foods and spices can raise or calm each dosha. For example, cooling fennel and coriander are described as suited to pitta, and warming ginger, pepper and mustard to kapha. These ideas inform what many Indian families cook through the seasons and in sickness. They are traditional frameworks, not recognised by modern medicine as diagnoses, and anyone with a health concern should consult a qualified doctor.