Comparative evaluation of the concept of digestion (HAḌM) in Unani and modern medicine

Abstract

Digestion is the breakdown of large food components into small components, so that they can be absorbed from the intestinal mucosa. Unani literature describes digestion that the digestive faculty (Quwwat Hāḍіma) digests food (Ghidhā) and converts it into the components of body. According to Unani scholars, digestion involves vital faculties (Quwa), innate heat (Ḥarārat Gharῑziyya), temperament (Mіzāj), and the balance of humours (Akhlāṭ). This review examines the Unani perspective of digestion, outlines its stages, and compares it with modern physiological concepts.