Cardio Protective Approach of Unani Dietotherapy with Special Reference to Avicenna’s Risaala Adwiyah Al Qalbiyah

Abstract

Background and Objective: The present paper will enlighten the role of different types of diets in maintaining a healthy heart, as mentioned by Ibn Sina in his valuable work “Risaala adwiyah al Qalbiyah”. Owing to an increased trend of dietotherapy in the current era, this paper is an attempt to enhance the same (particularly the cardio-protective diets). Methodology: Risaala adwiyah al Qalbiyah is an important work of Ibn Sina focusing on the maintenance of heart health. For the current study, we have selected a total of thirteen nutraceuticals out of sixty-three that can be taken in the routine diet to avail of their benefits and avoid the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which are at their peak at present. To meet this need, a thorough literature survey of classical literature was conducted to collect all the necessary and relevant information. These medicines/diets were looked upon for their proven benefits by searching them with their botanical names using modern search engines like PubMed, Google Scholar and Research Gate to provide an evidence-based edge to the current work. Results: The specific diets mentioned by Ibn Sina have proved to possess potential effects in preventing cardiovascular diseases and thus promoting cardiac health. Conclusion: Dietotherapy plays a primary role in achieving the principal goal of the Unani system of medicine (the preservation of health and prevention of diseases). Food items mentioned in this paper can be added to the routine to get the benefits from their cardio-protective action and avoid the risk of highly increasing cardiovascular diseases.