Research Article

Hyperlipidemia – Concept of Lipids in Ayurveda

Umesh C1
Abstract
The main aim of Ayurveda is to cure the disease and maintain health state, which is divided into eight
main branches. Kayachikitsa is a specialized branch which deals with medical problems which afflict
mankind. Medoroga is a metabolic disease, which is encountered in routine clinical practice nowadays.
Hyperlipidemia involves abnormally elevated levels of any or all lipids and/or lipoproteins in the blood. In
our body, there are many tissues which are rich in lipids such as medo dhatu, vasa and majja dhatu. Among
the above lipids medo dhatu is very important, as it has a significant role in developing many metabolic
diseases. The pathology – medo dhatwagni mandhya leads to excess homologues poshaka medo dhatu
in circulation, which can be referred to the conditions such as hyperlipidemia.

Keywords: Hyperlipidemia, Medo dhatu, Medoroga

Introduction
Hyperlipidemia, hyperlipoproteinemia, or hyperlipidemia involves abnormally elevated levels of any or all lipids and/
or lipoproteins in the blood. It is the most common form of dyslipidemia. These lipids include cholesterol, cholesterol
esters, phospholipids, and triglycerides. Lipids are transported in the blood as large ‘lipoproteins.’ Lipoproteins are
divided into five major classes, based on density: chylomicrons, very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), intermediate-
density lipoproteins (IDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

Hyperlipidemia is divided into primary and secondary subtypes. Primary hyperlipidemia is usually due to genetic causes
(such as a mutation in a receptor protein), while secondary hyperlipidemia arises due to other underlying causes
such as diabetes, thyroid disease, renal disorders, liver disorders, and Cushing’s syndrome, as well as obesity, alcohol
consumption, estrogen administration, and other drug-associated changes in lipid metabolism.

Values of cholesterol are lower at birth with a relatively rapid upsurge during the first year of life and further slow rise
until 6 years of age. Adolescence causes more changes in males than in females. Levels of plasma lipids tend to rise
from the third up to seventh decade, particularly in affluent societies. Plasma cholesterol levels tend to slowly rise after
fourth decade of life in men and in postmenopausal women. Hyperlipidemia is recognized as a risk factor for ischemic
heart disease and coronary mortality. Thus in this paper an attempt is made to analyze the concept of lipids in Ayurveda
by comparing with medo dhatu and other dhatus of the body possessing sneha guna.

Aims and Objectives

To analyze the concept of lipids in Ayurveda by comparing with medo dhatu and other dhatus of the body possessing
sneha guna.

Materials and Methods

• All the relevant information pertaining to medo dhatu and other dhatus in thebody possessing sneha guna was
collected from different classical texts.
• Analysis of concept of lipids was done by comparing with medo dhatu and other dhatus in the body possessing
sneha guna.
Associate Professor, Department of Kaya Chikitsa, Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science and Research Hospital, Bangalore.
1

E-mail Id: drumeshayu@gmail.com

Orcid Id: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0788-1181

How to cite this article: Umesh C. Hyperlipidemia – Concept of Lipids in Ayurveda. J Adv Res Ayur Yoga Unani Sidd Homeo 2017;
4(3): 21-24.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.24321/2394.6547.201715

ISSN: 2394-6547

© ADR Journals 2017. All Rights Reserved.

Umesh C
Method
Collected information was studied in detail and concept
of lipids in Ayurveda was analyzed.
Concept of Lipids in Ayurveda
In our body, there are many tissues which are rich in lipids.
All these structures have sneha (oiliness) as common
feature. They are medo dhatu, vasa and majja dhatu. All
these three have snehatwa as the common feature but all
the three differ in their site and function.1
Medas is present mainly in udara, but some of it is also
present in mamsa and asthi. The medas present inside small
(anu) asthi is called sarakta medas and when it is present
in large (sthula) asthi, the same is called majja. The pure
form of medas present in mamsa (peshi) is called vasa.2
Thus all forms of lipids in the body are present mainly in
meda, vasa and majja. But importance is given to medo
dhatu which is having significant role in developing many
metabolic disorders like medoroga, prameha, etc.
There are two types of medo dhatu. One is poshaka and
second is poshya. Among these two, poshaka medo dhatu is
mobile in nature (gatiyukta), which is circulated, in the whole
body along with the rasa-rakta dhatu, to give nutrition to
poshya medo dhatu. Through different imaging techniques,
it can be visualized that lipids along with cholesterol are
being circulated with the blood. Second, poshya medo
dhatu is having immobile nature (gativivarjita), which is
stored in medodharakala. The site of medodharakala is
udara, anuasthi, sphika, stana and gala.
Derangement of Metabolism (Parinama) of Medas
Agni is responsible for all metabolic activities in the body. It
is solely responsible for any increase or decrease of dosha,
dhatu or mala. The vitiation of agni has serious impact on
health at various levels depending on type of agni involved.
When agni is decreased, it will lead to various metabolic
Table 1.Comparision between the Concept of Medha and Lipids
Medha
Ingestion of excessive sneha (ghritha, taila, vasa and
majja)4
Dietary intake of excessive madhura dravya causes
medoroga5
Medha Roga
Abnormal accumulation of meda dhatu in the body is known
as medodushti. Medodushti includes several numbers
of other medovikaras, which are collectively known as
medoroga.
Cause
Most of the acharayas have stressed upon the role of an
ISSN: 2394-6547
J. Adv. Res. Ayur. Yoga Unani Sidd. Homeo. 2017; 4(3)
disorders at various levels and produces “ama” (undigested/
partially digested molecules), i.e., agni fails to convert the
vijatiya (non-assimilable) dravyas into sajatiya (assimilable)
ones and the end products cannot be assimilated by the
dhatus. Such products are dangerous to body and can
cause signs and symptoms according to their presence at
various physiological levels.
If agnimandya is present at the level of dhatwagni (one
or more), then the particular dhatus cannot assimilate
nutrients present in the circulating ahara rasa or circulating
poshaka dhatu. So, such poshaka dhatus get accumulated
in ahara rasa in abnormal quantities and they may further
get accumulated at abnormal sites. This sort of process can
be called leenatwa (deep seated) of ama in dhatus. Such
leenatwa can cause a number of disorders.
The above-mentioned pathology when occurs with medo
dhatu, especially when medo dhatwagni is impaired then
the homologues nutrients present in poshaka medo dhatu
are excess in circulation, which leads to excess accumulation
of abnormal quantities of poshaka medo dathu in rasa.
This condition can be referred to as hyperlipidemia. This
is because the poshaka medo dhatu cannot be assimilated
into sthayi medo dhatu by medo dhatwagni, causing for
excess poshaka medo dhatu in circulation. Any cause, which
can lead to kapha vriddhi, pitta kshaya or vata prakopa can
lead to this condition. The consequence of such increase in
poshaka medo dhatu leads to disorders such as dhamani
pratichaya etc.3
There is no direct reference of a single disease entity
that can be directly correlated with hyperlipidemia.
Moreover, different scholars have different opinions
about the nearest possible disease. Most of them
have considered hyperlipidemia under the heading of
medoroga or medodosh. Few of them have considered
as rasagata-snehavriddhi, raktagata-snehavriddhi or rasa
raktagata-snehavriddhi, whereas some suggest considering
hyperlipidemia under the broad umbrella of ama.
Lipids
Intake of high fat diet (ghee, oils, butter etc.) increases
body lipids.
Increase consumption of carbohydrates (especially
sucrose enhances cholesterol level)6
unbalanced diet combined with sedentary habits as the
important cause of medoroga (sthaulya). The etiological
factors of medoroga can be classified as follows:
• Dietary Factors: These include atisampurana of ahara
(overeating), adhyashana (repeated eatings), madhura-
guru-sheeta dravya ahara, shleshma dravya ahara,
vishishta ahara, ati meda ahara sevana and ati madhya
sevana
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J. Adv. Res. Ayur. Yoga Unani Sidd. Homeo. 2017; 4(3) Umesh C

• Behavioral Factors: Some of the behavioral factors samprapti of medoroga, both Acharya Charka and Sushrutha
held responsible for medoroga are: divaswapna (day have different views. Acharya Charka has accepted aahara
sleep), avayayama (lack of exercise), achintana (lack of as most common pathogenic factor whereas Acharya
thinking), harshanityatva (exhilaration) and sedentary Sushrutha has accepted ama as the factor.
habits
• Genetic or Hereditary Factors: In addition to the The pathogenesis described in Madhava Nidana has the
above etiology factors, genetic or hereditary factors following sequel:9
are also plays an important factor in the development
of medoroga (sthaulya).7 • Cause in the form of (dietary factors or behavioral
• Inadvertent Therapeutic Application: Injudicious use factors or genetic or hereditary factors) à excessive
of some of the therapeutic measures, i.e., santarpana, production of medo dhatu
etc. may give rise to medoroga (sthaulya).8 • Excessive medo dhatu leads to margavarana à depletion
of other dhatus and provocation of vayu
Pathogenesis • Provocation of vayu à Increase in appetite à excessive
consumption of food
Medoroga has been narrated as dushya dominant disorder. • Excessive consumption of food à excessive production
Medho vriddhi is a complex process. Regarding the of medo dhatu
Table 2.Comparision between Medhoroga and Lipid Disorders
Medhoroga Lipid Disorders
Etiological Factors Medyanna – Atisevana Intake of high fat diet
Avyayama Lack of exercise
Divaswapna-Achintana Sedentary life style
Bija swabhava Genetic predisposition
Clinical Features Sphik, udara, parsva, sthana Excessive deposition of fat in abdomen, waist,
pradesha ati meda vriddhi buttock, etc.
Ksudaatimatra Excessive appetite
Kshudra shwasa Exertional dyspnea
Ati sweda Excessive perspiration
Dhurbalya General weakness
Complications Ayusho-Hrasa Decreased life expectancy
Javaprodha Inability for physical activity.
Alpa prana Lack of immunity
Vata-vikara Cardiovascular and cerebro-vascular manifestations

Discussion medoroga.
• Madhavakara has described the disease under heading
• After studying the above comparison of the facts, of Medoroga in 34th chapter and has used medasvina,13
it seems that hyperlipidemia can be considered atisthula,14 and sthula15 words as synonyms.
as medoroga. No separate disease in the name of
medoroga is described in Charaka Samhita, but ati • Madhavakara13 has mentioned the nidana, rupa and
sthaulya is mentioned under ashtauninditiya, which gives clear picture of medoroga – borrowing all the
is actually medoroga.10 thoughts of previous authors.
• It is in Madhava Nidana that the term medoroga is used
while describing its etiology. Abnormal accumulation Conclusion
of meda dhatu in the body is known as medo dushti.
• Hyperlipidemia involves abnormally elevated levels
Medo dushti includes several numbers of other medo
of any or all lipids and/or lipoproteins in the blood.
vikaras, which are collectively known as medoroga.
• In our body, there are many tissues which are rich
• Acharya Charaka has described medoroga under the
in lipids such as medo dhatu, vasa and majja dhatu.
title of ati sthaulya. According to Acharya Charaka ati
• Among the above lipids medo dhatu is very important,
sthaulya is the dushti of medovah srotas and can be
as it has a significant role in developing many metabolic
understood as synonym of medoroga.
diseases.
• In a nutshell, it can be stated that abnormal and
• Agni is responsible for all metabolic activities of the
unequal distribution/collection of medo dhatu in the
body.
body is known as medoroga.
• The pathology – medho dhatwagni mandhya leads to
• This idea is supported by Madhukoshakara11 and
excess homologues poshaka Medo Dhatu in circulation,
Bhavamishra12 by describing separate chapters of

23 ISSN: 2394-6547
Umesh C
which can be referred to the conditions such as
hyperlipidemia.
• Etiological factors and signs and symptoms mentioned
for medoroga are almost similar to hyperlipidemia.
• Thus the condition which is characterized by
dyslipidemia in the body can be considered under
the concept of medoroga.
Conflict of Interest: None
References
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Date of Submission: 2017-06-12
Date of Acceptance: 2017-06-17
24