Rasa-Rakta Samvriddhi: A Nutritional Paradigm for Managing Garbhini Pandu through Ahara Kalpana

Garbhini Pandu, broadly correlated with iron-deficiency anaemia during pregnancy, is a prevalent condition that poses significant risks to both maternal and foetal health. Ayurveda attributes the pathogenesis of Pandu to deficiencies in Rasa and Rakta Dhatus, often exacerbated by impaired Agni and improper Ahara. This paper explores the concept of Rasa-Rakta Samvriddhi—the systematic nourishment and revitalization of these essential Dhatus—through a diet-centered approach, utilizing Ahara Kalpana (dietary formulations) tailored for pregnant women. Food-based strategies are integral to addressing iron deficiency and involve three key components: promoting household-level production of iron-rich foods to enhance accessibility, implementing nutrition education and behaviour change interventions to increase their consumption, and employing food processing or food-to-food fortification techniques to improve dietary iron bioavailability. The outcome is a comprehensive nutritional strategy that can serve as a preventive and curative approach for Garbhini Pandu.