A Comparative Analysis of Black Bile in Ancient Medicine and Oxidative Stress in Modern Science: Insights into Chronic Disease and Dietary Interventions

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Research Center for Traditional Medicine and History of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

2 Department of Persian Medicine, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

3 Department of Phytopharmaceuticals (Traditional Pharmacy), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Black bile (Sauda) as one of the four humors from Persian medicine has links with melancholic temperament, gut issues, aging process, and also some cancer-related conditions. Some recent studies have discovered similarities between the systemic implications of black bile and oxidative stress which highlight how internal imbalances can mess with our body systems, leading to various dysfunctions. A systematic review of traditional and modern references was conducted on the role of black bile in ancient medicine and its comparison to modern oxidative stress. The authors analyzed articles from databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar and Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) texts. According to traditional medicine, restrictions of melancholic foods such as lentils and salty meats while intake of warm, moist foods like soups and herbs (ex. basil and mint) could treat excess black bile. The traditional approaches and new antioxidant diets stress the importance of individualized life and dietary interventions to remove oxidative stress. It targets the herbal capacities to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the harmful impacts of chronic inflammation and mood disorders caused by an internal imbalance. The analogy between oxidative stress and black bile suggests that the integration of ancient wisdom in medical practice and antioxidant therapy could lead to innovative solutions in the management of intractable diseases such as cancer, irritable bowel syndrome, and other chronic diseases. Future investigations should explore the potential of blending traditional humoral therapy and biomedical therapy in an effort to develop more comprehensive regimens for multi-morbidity diseases.

Highlights

Majid Nimrouzi (Google Scholar)

Abdolali Mohagheghzadeh (Google Scholar)

Ghazaleh Mosleh (Google Scholar)

Keywords

References

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Trends in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies
Volume 11, Issue 4 - Serial Number 44
December 2025
Pages 309-320

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