In Ayurveda they use the classification system of the “doshas” to type people. This is a simple yet scientifically based method to be able to quickly determine which biochemistry type a person is, and thus the basic dietary strategies that match that. Now obviously this is just a starting point in regards to the basic stuff like “should this person be eating more protein? or “is a plant-based diet better for this type?”. After typing a person in Ayurveda, you still want to combine this with clinical labs to understand biochemical imbalances of the individual, toxic load, nutrient levels, mitochondrial functioning, digestive capacity, hormones etc.

I began understanding the scientific value of this classification system after reading Dr. Eric Braverman’s book “The Edge Effect”, prior to me working for him in New York several years ago now. And this system is not merely some “alternative weird stuff”. More and more medical doctors are beginning to connect the dots of Western clinical science with the time-tested science of ancient Eastern medicine such as Ayurveda.

Here are just a few of the studies which support the use of Ayurveda as a science-based method:

J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2015 Oct-Dec; 6(4): 280–285. Dosha brain-types: A neural model of individual differences Frederick T. Travis

Rotti H et al. Determinants of Prakriti, the Human Constitution Types of Indian Traditional Medicine and its Correlation with Contemporary Science. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2014;5:167–75.

PLoS One. 2017 Oct 5;12(10):e0185380. Recapitulation of Ayurveda constitution types by machine learning of phenotypic traits. Tiwari P

J Ethnopharmacol. 2017 Feb 2;197:274-293. Ayurgenomics for stratified medicine: TRISUTRA consortium initiative across ethnically and geographically diverse Indian populations. Prasher B1

About circadian rhythm as used in Ayurveda also:

Neurosci Lett. 2004 Mar 18;358(1):17-20. Circadian patterns of neurotransmitter related gene expression in motor regions of the rat brain. Weber M1