Salty Stage of Digestion

Once the pyloric valve opens, food enters the duodenum where samana vayu, pachaka pitta, and ranjaka pitta from the liver govern digestion. Bile from the gallbladder and pancreatic enzymes from kloma agni mix with the food. Bile and pancreatic juices are alkaline while the food from the stomach is acidic; acid plus alkali yields salt and water, which is why this phase takes on a salty taste.

The Water and Fire elements of salty taste create emulsification, and the buffering action supports further digestion of fats and proteins. Enzymes such as amylase, trypsin, and lipase are released in pancreatic juice. The salty stage in the earlier duodenum nourishes asthayi mamsa dhatu and in the latter duodenum nourishes asthayi meda dhatu. If kidney energy is low, swelling and edema can manifest during this stage.

Lavana avastha paka is the salty stage of digestion that occurs in the duodenum during the third hour after eating, where bile and pancreatic secretions emulsify and break down food.