Vegetable Drugs Regulating Fat Metabolism in Caraka (Lekhaniya Dravyas)

Abstract

Obesity or corpulency is receiving attention of a large number of research workers. Its predominance in certain anthropological groups has attracted special investigations. The handicaps of overweight are well known as exhibited by well denned symptoms in fat loading in heart and liver and therefore there is a constant search for the drugs capable of correcting the lipide mechanism. Obesity is attributed to malfunctioning of the thyroid, suprarenal, pitutary and testis. Sedentary habits, insufficiency of output in the way of work, excess intake of high calorific diet are the established auxiliary causes. Two theories are held out now viz.: I) that correct oxidation of acetoacetic acid can only proceed with a definite phase of carbohydrate oxidation (an interlocked reaction) and II) normal fat catabolism is to proceed out in specified maximum rate and it can be deficient carbohydrate oxidation, the fat is to be burned up at a greater rate than the maximum to meet body needs which tends to make the combustion faulty. The handicaps resulting from obesity or corpulency were perhaps for the first time reported in medical literature in Caraka Samhita (3,000 B.C.). Caraka traced the origin of corpulency broadly to the predominance of one dosa i.e. kapha ¹), ²) Caraka has classified the drugs capable of removing fat under the group Lekhaniya. These drugs have been attributed the properties of correcting the malfunctioning of the glands in the modern sense as well as playing a substantial role in the cure of obesity due to auxiliary causes.