Last reviewed on 11 September 2026.
NNWA publishes the name and qualifications of everyone who writes and checks its material. You can see the full teaching team on the faculty page.
This guide explains the difference between the degree and the short courses, and what each lets you do. It is written by NNWA's clinical faculty. NNWA runs short naturopathic nutrition courses, not a naturopathy degree, and this article is explicit about what its courses do not allow.
What is BNYS?
BNYS stands for Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences. It is an undergraduate degree of about five and a half years, including a year of internship, that trains naturopathy physicians. Entry usually requires class 12 with science subjects. The course covers anatomy, physiology, pathology and diagnosis alongside naturopathy and yoga therapy, and graduates can practise as naturopathy doctors, subject to registration where their state requires it. It is the professional qualification for the naturopath title in India.
What is a naturopathy nutrition course?
A short course that teaches the nutrition principles associated with naturopathy: whole-food eating, seasonal foods, digestion and elimination, lifestyle factors and gentle cleansing approaches. NNWA's Naturopathic and Natural-Health Nutrition course covers these areas over six weeks at an intermediate level, costing 12,999 rupees reduced from 18,999, with EMI from 1,083 rupees a month. It carries NNWA certificates. It is a nutrition specialism, not medical training.
| BNYS | Naturopathy nutrition course | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An undergraduate degree in naturopathy and yogic sciences | A short specialism in natural-health nutrition |
| Length | About five and a half years, including a year of internship | Six weeks at NNWA |
| Usual entry | Class 12 with science subjects | Useful with a nutrition foundation, gentle enough without one |
| What it allows | Practising as a naturopathy physician, with registration where the state asks for it | Nutrition guidance inside a nutritionist's scope |
A short course does not count towards the degree.
Can a naturopathy course make you a naturopath?
No. In India, practising as a naturopathy physician requires the BNYS degree and any registration your state requires. A short course, however useful, does not confer that title or the right to diagnose and treat patients as a naturopath. Calling yourself a naturopath or naturopathy doctor on the strength of a certificate misleads clients and may breach the rules. Describe yourself accurately, for example as a nutritionist with training in naturopathic nutrition.
Who should study BNYS?
Students who want to become naturopathy physicians and practise naturopathic medicine professionally, often in naturopathy hospitals, wellness centres, integrative clinics or their own practice. It is a long commitment, comparable to other medical degrees, and suits people certain they want this career. Institutions such as the National Institute of Naturopathy in Pune, under the Ministry of AYUSH, work in naturopathy education and research, and prospective students should check which colleges offer recognised BNYS programmes.
Who should take a naturopathy nutrition course?
Nutritionists who want to understand naturopathic principles and offer natural-health approaches within their scope, wellness coaches and yoga teachers interested in natural healing, and people who want to apply these ideas in their own lives. It is a useful specialism for someone who already has a nutrition foundation, or a gentle introduction for someone exploring the field. It is not a route to practising medicine.
What does naturopathy teach about diet?
Naturopathy emphasises whole, minimally processed and often plant-based foods, seasonal eating, adequate water, attention to digestion and elimination, and periods of lighter eating or supervised fasting. Much of this overlaps with modern evidence on healthy eating. Some naturopathic practices, particularly extended fasting and certain cleansing therapies, need medical supervision and are not suitable for everyone. A good course separates the well-supported principles from practices that need a physician.
Is fasting safe in naturopathy?
Supervised fasting is part of naturopathic treatment in some settings, carried out under a qualified naturopathy physician who monitors the patient. Unsupervised extended fasting can be dangerous, particularly for people with diabetes, especially those on insulin or other glucose-lowering medicines, people with kidney or heart conditions, pregnant women, and anyone with a history of eating disorders. A nutritionist with a short naturopathy course should not supervise therapeutic fasts. Our article on whether a detox course is worth it discusses related claims.
How does naturopathy relate to yoga and Ayurveda?
All three fall under AYUSH and share an emphasis on lifestyle and natural approaches, but they are distinct systems. BNYS combines naturopathy with yogic sciences, so naturopathy and yoga are closely linked in training. Ayurveda is a separate system with its own degree, BAMS. NNWA's Yogic and Naturopathic Nutrition course combines naturopathic basics with yogic diet principles, and our comparison of Ayurvedic and modern nutrition courses covers Ayurveda.
What can a nutritionist with naturopathy training offer clients?
Whole-food eating plans, guidance on seasonal and minimally processed foods, advice on hydration, digestion and lifestyle, and gentle, safe approaches to lighter eating for healthy adults. They can combine naturopathic principles with modern nutrition to create plans that suit clients who prefer a natural approach. What they should not offer is diagnosis, treatment of disease, supervision of therapeutic fasts, or advice to stop medicines.
What should you ask before paying for a naturopathy course?
Is this a degree or a short course, and what exactly does the certificate represent? Does it claim to make me a naturopath or allow me to treat patients? Does it separate evidence-based principles from practices that need medical supervision? Who teaches it, and are they qualified naturopathy physicians or nutrition professionals? A short course that claims to qualify you as a naturopath is misleading you.
Checking a naturopathy course before you pay
Ask in this order, because the later questions only matter if the first two hold.
Degree or short course?
Establish which it is, and what the certificate actually represents, before anything else is discussed.
What does it claim you may do afterwards?
If it says the certificate makes you a naturopath or lets you treat patients, you have your answer and can stop there.
Does it mark the boundary?
A sound course separates the well-supported principles from the practices that need a physician watching.
Who teaches it?
Ask whether they are qualified naturopathy physicians or nutrition professionals, and treat a vague answer as an answer.
What will you call yourself afterwards?
Write out the description you intend to give clients, and check it against what the certificate really says.
How do you describe a naturopathy nutrition certificate honestly?
As what it is: training in naturopathic nutrition principles. "Nutritionist with a certificate in naturopathic nutrition" is accurate. "Naturopath" or "naturopathy doctor" is not, unless you hold BNYS. Accurate descriptions protect clients, protect you, and build the trust that brings referrals from doctors and other professionals. Many naturopathy physicians are glad to work with nutritionists who understand the boundary and send patients back to them when needed.
What does naturopathic treatment involve beyond diet?
A great deal, which is part of why it needs a physician. Naturopathy hospitals and centres use hydrotherapy, mud therapy, massage, supervised fasting, yoga therapy and lifestyle counselling alongside diet, often during residential stays where patients are monitored daily. Deciding which of these suits a particular patient, and noticing when a symptom needs conventional medical attention, is the clinical judgement BNYS trains. A nutritionist with a short course can support the dietary side of healthy living, but the wider treatment programme belongs to the naturopathy physician.
Can you move from a short course to BNYS later?
Yes, if you meet the degree's entry requirements, which usually include class 12 with science. A short course can be a good way to test your interest before committing to five and a half years of study. It does not count towards the degree, but it can confirm whether naturopathy is the right field for you.
Where does naturopathic nutrition fit in a career?
As a specialism alongside a core nutrition qualification, or as personal enrichment. A nutritionist with a solid foundation, such as NNWA's six-month Diploma, who adds naturopathic nutrition can serve clients drawn to natural approaches while keeping advice safe and evidence-informed. For a career practising naturopathic medicine, BNYS is the only route.
The honest summary
BNYS is the degree that trains naturopathy physicians; a naturopathy nutrition course teaches natural-health nutrition principles and does not make you a naturopath. Choose BNYS if you want to practise naturopathic medicine, and a short course if you want to add naturopathic principles to your nutrition work or your own life. Describe your qualification accurately either way. The title you use is the first promise a client hears, so it should be one you can keep.