Astanga sangraha:
Acharya Vagbhata says that one should take स्निग्ध (unctous), लघु (
स्निग्धं लघूष्णमविलम्बितमनतिद्रुतमजल्
स्निग्धलघूष्णानि हि वह्निमौदर्यमुदीरयन्ति कोष्टं परिशोधयन्ति धातून्न विकुर्वते क्षिप्रं जीर्यन्त्यनिलमनुलोमयन्ति॥(अ. स. सू. १०/२०)
Further he says the hot or warm foods generate good taste towards food and dries off excess kapha.
उष्णं पुनर्जनयति रुचिमुपशोषयति श्लेश्मणम्॥(अ. स. सू. १०/ २३)
On the contrary to this the intake of cold foods causes
शिथिलता, अरुचि, अग्निमन्द्य, ह्रिल्लास, विष्टम्भन, रोमहर्ष.
शीतं तु स्यदरुचिवह्निनाशं ह्रिल्लास विष्टम्भन रोमहर्षान्॥ (अ. स. सू. १०/७८)
In nidaana sthana, while explaining the causes for the dosha prakopa, he says sheeta foods cause vata and kapha prakopa.
Charaka samhita:
Achaarya Charaka explains when to eat food, what type of food should be eaten and how to eat, says that one should take ushna, snigdha, maatraapoorvaka, veerya aviruddha food, once the previous food is digested.
उष्णं स्निग्धं मात्रावज्जीर्णे वीर्याविरुद्धमिष्टे देशे इष्टसर्वोपकरणं नातिद्रुतं नातिविलम्बितं अजल्पन् अहसन् तन्मना भुन्जीता आत्मानामभिसमीक्ष्य सम्यक्॥ ( च. वि. १/२४)
Warm food is always tasty, stimulates the digestive fire, gets digested fast, makes the wind to move in downward direction, reduces the kapha. Because of these reasons one should always warm or hot food.
उष्णमश्नीयात्, उष्णं हि भुज्यमानं स्वदते, भुक्तं चाग्निमौदर्यमुदीरयति, क्षिप्रं जरां गच्छति, वातानुलोमयति, श्लेष्माणं च परिह्रासयति, तस्मादुष्णमस्नीयात्॥ ( च. वि. १/२४)
In nidaana sthaana while mentioning the reasons for vataja jwara he says that excess use of sheeta aahara and vihaara leads to vata prakopa.
Another context where he mentions about the effect of sheeta food and drink is in vimaana sthana while explaining the causes for aama formation.
अपि तु खलु गुरुरूक्ष शीतशुष्कद्विष्टविष्टम्भिविदाह्
Sushruta aachaarya says one should eat compatible (सात्म्य), unctous (स्निग्ध) liquid (द्रव) food never harms the body, light (लघु) and warm (उष्ण) Aachrya Sushruta while explaining the foods that should be avoided, says one should not eat the food which is prepared long time back, cold.
Bhaavaprakaasha Nighantu:
The food which is very hot while eating destroys the strength (bala).
The moist food causes glani(fatigue or exhaustion). So always one should keep these factors in mind and skillfully implicate them while eating.
If eaten very slow the food will become cold and the liking towards that food will reduce.
अत्युष्णान्नं बलं हन्ति शीतम् शुष्कं च दुर्जरम्।
अतिक्लिन्नं ग्लानिकरं युक्तियुक्तं हि भोजनम्।
अतिद्रुताशिताहारे गुणान्दोषान्न विन्दति।
भोज्यं शीतमह्र्द्यं च स्याद्विलम्बितमश्नतः॥ ( भा. प्र. पू.ख. ५/ १४१)
~ Vedic Society
