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Citations on tap

What the canon predicted.
What the science confirmed.

Every protocol on InnerVeda traces back to a classical source, a peer-reviewed study, or both. Below: five claims at the heart of the product, with the citations they rest on.

Five claims, five citations

The thesis, with receipts.

For each pillar of InnerVeda, the classical reference and the modern study that earns the claim its place in Vaidya's recommendations.

01 · Personalisation

Body type isn't aesthetic — it tracks observable biology.

Classical source
Charaka Saṃhitā
Vimānasthāna 8.95–8.116

The first written classification of constitution (prakṛti) into seven phenotypes — three single-dosha, three dual, one tridoṣic.

Modern evidence
Prasher B., Negi S., Aggarwal S., et al. (2008). Whole genome expression and biochemical correlates of extreme constitutional types defined in Ayurveda. Journal of Translational Medicine. PMID 18782426

How they alignThree groups of healthy subjects, classified Vāta / Pitta / Kapha by trained Ayurvedic practitioners, showed distinct gene-expression signatures and biochemical markers. The framework predicts measurable biology — not just lifestyle preference.

02 · Sleep

Yoga Nidra reduces sleep-onset latency in chronic insomnia.

Classical source
Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam
Sūtrasthāna 7 (Annasvarūpa-vijñānīyam)

Nidrā is one of the three upastambha (sub-pillars of life) alongside food and brahmacharya. Loss of sleep is listed as a primary aggravator of all three doshas.

Modern evidence
Datta K., Tripathi M., Verma M., Masiwal D., Mallick H.N. (2021). Yoga Nidra practice shows improvement in sleep in patients with chronic insomnia: a randomized controlled trial. National Medical Journal of India. PMID 34825538

How they align41 adults with chronic insomnia, randomised to Yoga Nidra vs sleep-hygiene control. The intervention group showed significant reduction in sleep-onset latency and increase in total sleep time after 4 weeks.

03 · Stress

Ashwagandha lowers cortisol in chronically stressed adults.

Classical source
Bhāvaprakāśa Nighaṇṭu
Guḍūcyādi-varga

Aśvagandhā (Withania somnifera) classified as rasāyana — a vitality-restoring herb, with specific affinity for the nervous system and ojas (vital reserve).

How they align64 adults with chronic stress took 300 mg twice-daily standardised root extract for 60 days. Serum cortisol and self-reported stress scores fell significantly vs placebo, with no serious adverse events.

04 · Digestion

Triphalā modulates the gut microbiome — the modern lens on agni.

Classical source
Suśruta Saṃhitā
Cikitsāsthāna 24 (Rasāyana-cikitsā)

Triphalā — āmalakī + vibhītakī + harītakī — described as a daily rasāyana for digestive health. Continuously used for ~2,500 years.

Modern evidence
Peterson C.T., Denniston K., Chopra D. (2017). Therapeutic uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic medicine. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. PMID 28696777

How they alignReview of in vitro, animal, and human evidence. Beyond polyphenol antioxidant effects, the formulation shows prebiotic activity — increasing beneficial Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium populations and modulating the gut barrier.

05 · Daily routine

Circadian timing of light, food, and sleep is non-negotiable for metabolic health.

Classical source
Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam
Sūtrasthāna 2 (Dinacaryā)

Daily routine: Brāhma-muhūrta wake (~04:30), kapha-time movement, midday largest meal, light supper before sunset, sleep before 22:00 (start of pitta-time).

Modern evidence
Patke A., Young M.W., Axelrod S. (2020). Molecular mechanisms and physiological importance of circadian rhythms. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. PMID 31768006

How they alignReview by Michael Young (2017 Nobel laureate in Physiology). Circadian disruption causally linked to metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune dysfunction. The same timing principles dinacaryā formalised three millennia ago now have molecular receipts.

Foundational texts

The classical canon we cite.

These six form the spine. Every Ayurvedic protocol on InnerVeda traces back to one of them — chapter and verse, where possible.

~400 BCE
Charaka Saṃhitā
The clinical foundation. Internal medicine, dinacaryā, the original taxonomy of dosha and seven-fold prakṛti classification. 8 sections, 120 chapters. Source for our body-type rubric and most food recommendations.
~600 BCE
Suśruta Saṃhitā
The surgical canon — and the source of the Triphalā formulation. Anatomy, trauma, marma points. Source for our digestive protocols and the rasāyana lineage.
~600 CE
Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam
Vāgbhaṭa's synthesis of Charaka + Suśruta. The most readable entry point. Source for dinacaryā, ritucharyā, and the three-upastambha framework (food / sleep / brahmacharya).
~16th c. CE
Bhāvaprakāśa
The canonical materia medica — herb, spice, and food classification by rasa (taste), vīrya (energy), vipāka (post-digestive effect), guṇa (quality), prabhāva (specific action). Where most of our 300+ food database comes from.
~17th c. CE
Yoga Ratnākara
Practical compendium — daily applications of the older texts. Particularly useful for diagnostic clinical signs (nāḍī-parīkṣā, jihvā-parīkṣā) and home-practice protocols.
Various
Major Nighaṇṭus
Specialised plant compendia — Dhanvantari Nighaṇṭu, Rāja Nighaṇṭu, Kaiyadeva Nighaṇṭu, Madanapāla Nighaṇṭu. Combined source for cross-validating the food dataset across four traditions.
More peer-reviewed work we lean on

Beyond the spine, the breadth.

Selected studies referenced in protocols Vaidya recommends. Each links to the canonical record on PubMed or DOI.

Abhyanga and perceived stress
Basler A.J. (2011). Pilot study investigating the effects of Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage on subjective stress experience. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. PMID 21568717
Nāḍī Śodhana and cardiovascular response
Sharma V.K., Trakroo M., et al. (2013). Effect of fast and slow pranayama on perceived stress and cardiovascular parameters in young health-care students. International Journal of Yoga. PMID 23930028
Bhrāmarī pranayama and anxiety
Telles S., Singh N., Balkrishna A. (2012). Heart rate variability changes during high frequency yoga breathing and breath awareness. BioPsychoSocial Medicine. PMID 22325058
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and inflammation
Hewlings S.J., Kalman D.S. (2017). Curcumin: a review of its effects on human health. Foods. PMID 29065496
Brāhmī (Bacopa monnieri) and cognition
Kongkeaw C., Dilokthornsakul P., Thanarangsarit P., Limpeanchob N., Norman Scholfield C. (2014). Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on cognitive effects of Bacopa monnieri extract. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. PMID 24252493
Meal timing and metabolic health
Manoogian E.N.C., Chow L.S., Taub P.R., Laferrère B., Panda S. (2022). Time-restricted eating for the prevention and management of metabolic diseases. Endocrine Reviews. PMID 34550357
The methodology, in writing

How a protocol makes it into Vaidya.

  1. 01
    Source first.

    Every protocol opens with a citation. If I can't trace it to a classical chapter or a peer-reviewed paper, it doesn't ship. No invented prescriptions, no "TikTok Ayurveda".

  2. 02
    Canon over conjecture.

    When the classical text and the modern study disagree, I default to the canon and mark the protocol experimental. The 3,000-year track record outweighs a single trial.

  3. 03
    Personalisation, not pattern-matching.

    Every recommendation is (body type × cause × season × your data). The same evidence can lead to two different protocols for two different people — that's the whole point.

  4. 04
    Boundaries are explicit.

    Vaidya never diagnoses, prescribes pharmaceuticals, or claims to treat disease. For that, see a qualified clinician. The line is in writing, not implied.

Found a citation we've mis-rendered, or a study that should be on this list? Write to me. Corrections are the work.