A Systematic Review Of Child Nutrition: Integrating Sociological Theory, Ayurvedic Wisdom, And Yogic Practice Through The Lens Of Modern Digital Science

Vikas Sahu; Suryabhan Singh; Harsha V Nair; Kalpana Rawat; Dr. Vimal Kumar Lahari; Prof. Rajkala Patil; Prof. Sunanda R Pedhekar

doi:10.29284/bpw7g550

Authors

Vikas Sahu PhD Scholar, Sociology, Department of Kayachikitsa, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Suryabhan Singh PhD Scholar, Social Work, Department of Panchkarma, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Harsha V Nair PhD Scholar, Anatomy, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Kalpana Rawat PhD Scholar, Yoga, Department of Kayachikitsa, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Dr. Vimal Kumar Lahari Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Prof. Rajkala Patil Professor, Department of Panchkarma, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
Prof. Sunanda R Pedhekar Professor, Department of Kayachikitsa, Faculty of Ayurveda, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29284/bpw7g550

Keywords:

Child Malnutrition, Digital Health, Ayurveda, Yoga, Neurobiology, Structural Violence, AI-Precision Nutrition, and mHealth, etc.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Childhood malnutrition is an intractable global problem, with stunting prevalent in 35.5% of children in the Indian subcontinent. Conventional biomedical approaches have proven ineffective due to their neglect of the sociological perspective and the neurobiological effects of chronic stress on nutrient assimilation.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aggregates 50 peer-reviewed studies to assess the efficacy of a transdisciplinary ‘Precision Tradition’ paradigm. We examine the synergy of Sociological theory, Ayurvedic nutrigenomics, and Yogic neurobiology using the infrastructure of Digital Science (AI/mHealth) to combat child malnutrition.

METHODS: We searched the literature (2010-2025) using PubMed, Scopus, and AYUSH databases. The results were synthesised in the following four domains: (1) Sociological Habitus, (2) Ayurvedic Metabolic Fire (Agni), (3) Yogic HPA-axis modulation, and (4) AI-assisted nutritional tracking.

RESULTS: The result of the synthesis is that ‘Toxic Stress’ suppresses nutrient uptake by increasing cortisol and decreasing Vagal tone, which can be alleviated by Yoga (reducing cortisol by 24%). Ayurvedic ‘bio-enhancers’ were discovered to raise micronutrient bioavailability by 20-30%. Digital Science is the key enabling factor; AI-assisted growth tracking achieved 85% accuracy in phenotype-driven personalisation and a 2.5x boost in early stunting detection over manual approaches. Nevertheless, structural violence and the digital divide are important obstacles to its widespread adoption.

CONCLUSION: The caloric-only paradigm is inadequate. Child health needs a transdisciplinary environment in which technology confirms traditional knowledge to overcome sociological obstacles. The combination of Ayurvedic and Yogic practices can be helpful in a scalable, congruent, and biologically accurate blueprint for the Global South.

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