What the texts say
The word is noṣṇam, "not hot", one short clause in a verse of curd rules. Charaka gives no reason for it. The next verse, 7.62, lists illnesses that follow when the curd rules are ignored. The Ashtanga Hridaya says the same in Sutra 5.31: curd is not to be eaten hot, or at night.[1][2][3]
The modern view
We found no study that tests whether eating curd hot leads to the illnesses Charaka names. Our search was not fully screened, so this is the limit of what we looked at.
Classical text only
Questions people ask
Does this rule apply to kadhi and other cooked curd dishes?
The verse says only that curd should not be eaten hot. It does not mention cooked dishes such as kadhi, so how it applies to them is a question for a vaidya.[1]
Related
Curd (dahi) at night
Charaka and the Ashtanga Hridaya both say not to eat curd at night. The one bedtime-yogurt trial we found measured blood sugar, not this rule.
FoodCurd in summer (garmi mein dahi)
The Ashtanga Hridaya says not to eat curd in spring, summer or autumn. No study we found has tested the seasonal rule.
FoodHeated honey (garam shahad)
Charaka says hot honey leads to death. Two rat studies of heated honey give mixed results, and no study we found has tested it in people.
FoodCurd and sugar (dahi-chini)
Charaka names sugar as one of the things curd should be eaten with. We found no study that tests this rule.
Sources
- Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 7.61 (Naveganadharaniya Adhyaya).
- Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 7.62 (Naveganadharaniya Adhyaya).
- Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 5.31, GRETIL e-text.
Awaiting review by The Good Vaidya Medical Board. Prepared from the sources below and checked against each one.
Published 4 November 2026 · Last updated 4 November 2026