MADYA VARGA/GROUP OF ALCOHOL

Madya (wines or all alcoholic beverages in general are :

• Deepana – Stimulate digestion or enhances digestive fire
• Rochana  – Acts on taste buds, Improves taste.
• Teekshna  – Penetrates deep, clears clogged channels/srotas
• Ushna – Hot in potency
• Tushti pushtida  – Gives a feeling of satisfaction and provides nourishment
• Sasvadu tikta katukam – Slightly sweet, bitter and pungent in taste
• Amlapaka rasa  – Sour in taste and after taste(at the end of digestion)
• Sara – Laxative, Facilitates smooth flow of bowels
• Sakashaya  – Slightly astringent
• Svara  –  Confer good voice(Improves voice quality)
• Arogya – Improves overall health
• Pratibha  – Talent
• Varna  –  Improves skin colour and complexion
• Laghu –  Easy to digest
• Beneficial to those having loss of sleep or excess sleep for both lean and stout persons. 
• Is non viscid(non sticky), capable of entering through minute pores(srotas) and cleansing them.
• Reduces Vata and Kapha.

NOTE – All these are only beneficial if used judiciously, but if used otherwise, they act like poison. 

Fresh wines are hard to digest, increases of all the Doshas, whereas old ones decrease tridoshas.

CONTRAINDICATIONS OF WINE

• Wine should never be consumed hot.
• It should not be consumed by person undergoing Virechana (purgation) panchakarma therapy
• It should be avoided if a person is hungry
• Wines which are too strong or very weak should not be consumed
•  Wines which are very clear (like water) or very turbid and also, which are spoilt, should not be used for drinking

SURA (BEER)

Sura is useful in :

• Abdominal tumors
• Enlargement of the abdomen
•  Heamorrhoids
• Duodenal diseases
• Sura is lubricating

It is 

• Hard to digest, Reduces Vata dosha and increases Kapha dosha

• Sura increases of fat, milk, blood, urine output.

NOTE : Sura is prepared by fermenting a mixture of , flour of rice, water, jaggery (treacle) etc. So, it can be compared to the beer of the present day.

VIBHITAKA SURA

Sura prepared from Vibhitaka 

• Is not very intoxicating
•  Is easy to digest
• Good for health 
• Not so harmful (as other wines) in anaemia, wounds, leprosy, and and other skin diseases.

YAVA SURA

Sura prepared from Yava – Hordeum vulgare (barley)

• Causes constipation.
• Is difficult to digest.
• Non-unctous and aggravates all the three Doshas.

ARISHTA (FERMENTE DECOCTIONS)

Arishta (fermented decoctions) possess properties of the materials from which they are prepared, and they have following  properties :

• More intoxicating of all the alcoholic beverages
• It is useful in disease of the duodenum
•  Anaemia
• Skin diseases
•  Haemorrhoids
• Dropsy
•  Enlargement of the abdomen
•  Fever
• Abdominal tumors
• Worms (intestinal parasites) and disorders of the spleen
• Arishtas are pungent, astringent in taste and aggravates Vata.

MARDVIKA  (WINE PREPARED FROM GRAPES)

Mardvika (wine prepared from grapes) is 

• Scraping (Clears clogged channes)
• Good to the heart health
• Not very hot in potentcy
• Sweet in taste
• Sara  – Promotes natural movement of body fluids (is laxative) 
• Causes slight increase of Pitta dosha and Anila (Vata Dosha)
•  Useful in anaemia, hemorrhoids, diabetes, and worm infestations (intestinal parasites).

KHARJURA (WINE PREPARED FROM DATES)

Date wine is inferior in properties than grape wine, 

• Aggravates Vata Dosha
• Is hard to digest

SARKARA (WINE PREPARED FROM SUGAR)

Sarkara is :

• Sweet smelling
• Sweet in taste
• Good for the heart
• Not very intoxicating
•  Easy to digest

Gouda is prepared by using treacle/molasses. It increases volume of faeces, flatus and urine, is nourishing and increases hunger.

SIDHU (WINE PREPARED FROM SUGARCANE JUICE)

• Sidhu aggravates Vata and Pitta dosha
• Decreases lubrication
• Diseases of Kapha dosha, obesity, enlargement of the abdomen, dropsy and haemorrhoids 

Sidhu that is prepared by cooking sugarcane juice is best.

MADHWASAV (WINE PREPARED FROM HONEY)

• Madhwasava breaks up hard masses of kapha or accumulated doshas, penetrates deep, cleanses the channels
• Useful in diabetes, chronic nasal catarrh(mucus) and cough

SUKTA (WINE PREPARED FROM TUBERS)

PROPERTIES OF SUKTA

• Increases the moisture of blood, Pitta and Kapha Dosha
• Expels Vata in downward directions
•  Very hot in potency
• Is penetrating
• Causes dryness in body 
• Sour in taste
• Good for the heart health
• Increases taste perception
• Sara  – It promotes smooth bowel movements (laxative)
• Enhances hunger or digestive fire 
• Is cold to touch
• Useful in anaemia
• Useful in the Diseases of the eye and worm infestations.
• Sukta which is prepared by using jaggery, sugarcane, honey and grapes is easy to digest in their successive order.

ASAVA(FERMENTED INFUSION)

Asava prepared by using tubers, fruits, roots etc parts of medicinal plants is similar to shukta in properties.

Asava prepared by using Sandaki (balls of fried paddy mixed with spices, dried in sun and then deep fried in oil) which have now turned sour by keeping for long time duration, are appetizers and easy to digest.

DHANYAMALA (WINE PREPARED FROM RICE AND OTHER GRAINS)

Dhanyamla is a liquor which is prepared by  fermenting the water (in which rice and other grains, pulses etc. have merely been washed or slightly cooked) and possesses properties like :

• Purgative
• Penetrating, 
• Hot in potency
• Aggravates Pitta
• Cold to touch
• Relieves fatigue and exhaustion
• Increases appetite and hunger
• Useful in pain of the urinary bladder
•  Ideal for use as Asthapana basti(decoction enema)
• Good for the heart
•  Easy to digest 
• Balances Vata and Kapha Doshas

• Sauviraka and Tushodaka also possess similar properties.

And is useful in worm infestations, abdominal tumor, heart disease, haemorrhoids and anemia. These are prepared from dehusked barley and barley-with-husk as well. 

NOTE  

Shukta – Fermented gruel, Tushodaka, Dhanyamla, Sauviraka etc. were in use since ancient times. But now a days other beverages like beer, brandy etc. alcoholic beverages have replaced them, which do not exactly possess same properties.