Eating fruits can indeed be a somewhat confusing topic when it comes to timing, especially when friends and random online advice are involved. In the Siddha-Ayurvedic perspective, the best time to eat fruit is generally during the morning or early afternoon. This timing aligns with your body’s natural rhythms, when your digestive fire, or agni, is at its peak capacity to process and absorb nutrients effectively.
Having fruits on an empty stomach is often encouraged because fruits digest relatively quickly. Consuming them right at the start of the day or between meals ensures they pass through the system without getting stuck in the digestive ‘traffic’, which might happen if they’re eaten right after a larger meal. This practice encourages the nourishment of the sapta dhatus, or seven bodily tissues, by allowing optimal absorption and minimal fermentation of sugars from the fruits in the stomach.
Eating fruits late at night or as dessert after a heavy meal isn’t advised. At night, digestive agni is typically weaker, which might explain your experience with bloating, especially with citrus fruits like oranges. They’re highly acidic, and if your digestive capacity is lowered, it can lead to fermentation and bloating. Enjoying them earlier in the day when agni is stronger might prevent these symptoms.
If you are of a vata prakriti and tend to feel gassy or airy after fruits, pair them with something soothing, like a spoonful of honey, to mitigate that effect. However, if your constitution is predominantly pitta, be mindful of highly acidic or too-sweet fruits, particularly if you consume them during the afternoon. Adjusting the kind of fruits, timing, and method of consumption to your particular prakriti can make a big difference in how you feel digestively.
