From Humours to Metabolism: An Integrative Review of Obesity Management in Unani Medicine

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Year : 2026 | Volume : 3 | 02 | Page :
    By

    Faiqa Rather,

  • Sadique Ali,

  • Mubashra Khan,

  • Imran Khan,

  1. PG Scholar, Department of Pathology, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Kottigepalya Magadi Main Road, Bengaluru,, Karnataka, India
  2. Associate Professor & HoD, Department of Pathology, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Kottigepalya, Magadi Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
  3. PG Scholar, Department of Pathology, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Kottigepalya Magadi Main Road, Bengaluru,, Karnataka, India
  4. Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, National Institute of Unani Medicine, Kottigepalya, Magadi Main Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Unani Medicine, a traditional complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) system, adopts a holistic, temperament-based approach to disease prevention and management. In classical Unani literature, obesity is described as Simān-e-Mufriṭ, a pathological condition arising from humoral imbalance, particularly the predominance of phlegm (Balgham) and derangement of temperament (Su’-e-Mizāj), most commonly of a cold and moist nature. This condition is attributed to a sedentary lifestyle, weakened digestive and metabolic faculties, and excessive consumption of calorie-dense, fatty foods. The present narrative review aims to elucidate the Unani concept of obesity, with emphasis on its etiopathogenesis and traditional management strategies, and to explore their relevance in contemporary obesity management. Classical Unani texts, including Al-Qānūn fī’l-Ṭibb, Kitāb al-Ḥāwī fi’l-Ṭibb, Kāmil al- Ṣanāʿa, Firdaws al-Ḥikma fi’l-Ṭibb, Kitāb al-Kulliyyāt, Ṭibb-i-Akbar, and Iksīr-i-Aʿẓam, were reviewed, along with contemporary scientific literature retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar. Unani Medicine conceptualizes obesity as a disorder characterized by excess Balgham and impaired metabolic faculties. Management is primarily based on dietotherapy (Ilāj bi’l-Ghizā’), regimenal therapy (Ilāj bi’l-Tadbīr), and pharmacotherapy (Ilāj bi’l-Dawā’), individualized according to temperament and disease severity. The Unani system thus offers a comprehensive and personalized framework for obesity management, and its principles may serve as valuable complementary strategies alongside conventional approaches, warranting further pharmacological validation and well-designed clinical trials.

Keywords: Simān Mufriṭ , Obesity, Humoral imbalance, Unani Medicine, Regimenal therapy, Complementary medicine

How to cite this article:
Faiqa Rather, Sadique Ali, Mubashra Khan, Imran Khan. From Humours to Metabolism: An Integrative Review of Obesity Management in Unani Medicine. International Journal of Nutritions. 2026; 03(02):-.
How to cite this URL:
Faiqa Rather, Sadique Ali, Mubashra Khan, Imran Khan. From Humours to Metabolism: An Integrative Review of Obesity Management in Unani Medicine. International Journal of Nutritions. 2026; 03(02):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/ijn/article=2026/view=246131


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Ahead of Print Subscription Original Research
Volume 03
02
Received 11/05/2026
Accepted 02/06/2026
Published 05/06/2026
Publication Time 25 Days
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