Linking digestive fire (jatharagni) with gut health and its impact on mental well-being through pulse diagnosis using nadi tarangini: a pan-India observational study

Rationale: Post-pandemic research has highlighted significant links between gut health and mental well-being, suggesting changes in the gut may contribute to mental health conditions. Ayurveda, the ancient system of medicine, connects digestive fire (jatharagni) with mind states (manas bhava), suggesting that an imbalance in agni affects both cognition and emotional health. Nadi Tarangini, an AI-powered diagnostic tool, integrates these ancient principles with modern technology, providing a non-invasive method of assessment through pulse diagnosis (nadi pariksha). Objectives to study: To assess the variations in digestive fire (jatharagni) wrt gut health and mental well-being across different nadi vikruti patterns (imbalances) among a Pan-Indian population through Nadi/pulse analysis using Nadi Tarangini. Study methods and materials: Our study design is a retrospective observational study with a focused subgroup analysis model. We analyzed secondary data from 600 subjects across India, collected through random sampling at Nadi Tarangini centers from a larger Pan-India dataset of 15,391subjects. Pulse data was recorded using Nadi Tarangini, a digital pulse diagnosis device that captures pulse waveforms to compute 22 pulse attributes (nadi gunas), calibrated by Ayurvedic practitioners. These attributes such as agni, thoughts and stress were quantified on a scale from 0% to 100%, and classified as low/weak (0–40%), moderate/prone (41–70%), or high/excess (71–100%). AI algorithms were applied to identify correlations between digestive health, stress, and thought patterns across varying imbalance (nadi vikruti). Results: The findings indicated a significant association between imbalances in jatharagni and adverse mind-state outcomes. Specifically, a diminished digestive fire (mandagni), characterized by low appetite, weak digestion, and reduced metabolic function, was correlated with moderate to high levels of overthinking (chinta), anxiety, and stress. In contrast, an excessive digestive fire (tikshnagni), marked by intense hunger and increased acidic secretions, was linked to heightened stress, anger, and aggressive tendencies, particularly among individuals with Pitta-dominant nadi patterns. Finally, the irregular digestive fire (vishamagni) leads to proneness to overthinking and anxiety, stress at all scales of digestive fire. These results suggest that both mandagni and tikshnagni states negatively influence cognitive function and emotional regulation, contributing to increased mind-state distress and instability. Conclusion: These findings support the conclusion that imbalances in digestive fire (agni) significantly disrupt both gut functions and mental well-being. The results underscore the importance of maintaining a balanced agni to support cognitive stability and emotional health. Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of tools like Nadi Tarangini as effective diagnostic aids in promoting a holistic, integrative approach to health that considers both physiological and psychological dimensions.