Jovārish-e Jālīnūs, the Herbal Treatment of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease in the History of Medicine

Mosaddegh, Mahmoud; Shirzad, Meysam; Minaii, Mohammad Bagher; Ahmadian-Attari, Mohammad Mahdi; Abbassian, Alireza; Anushiravani, Majid

Jovārish-e Jālīnūs, the Herbal Treatment of Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease in the History of Medicine

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mahmoud Mosaddegh ¹

Meysam Shirzad ²

Mohammad Bagher Minaii ³

Mohammad Mahdi Ahmadian-Attari ¹

Alireza Abbassian ³

Majid Anushiravani ³

¹ Department of Traditional Pharmacy, and Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Iranian Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Iranian Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

History of medicine is a treasure of interesting experiences of humankind to treat diseases. Traditional medicine is a major part of this long history. World Health Organization (WHO) encourages all countries to extend their complementary and traditional medicines and support trained practitioners in this field. This strategy can lead to finding new treatments and opening new horizons to the herbal medicine researchers. Nowadays, a movement toward the integration of traditional and complementary medicine into mainstream medicine is evident. Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) remedies, similar to other branches of complementary and alternative medicine, have been documented to offer the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. According to the principles of ITM, the production of abnormal “Humours” in human body can trigger a process through which a disease occurs. Heartburn is known as “Horqat” in ITM. Phlegmatic Horqat occurs due to the presence of abnormal “Phlegm” in the stomach. Phlegm creates heartburn usually after a meal and at the beginning of gastric digestion. There are several single and compound herbal treatments for Horqat in ITM. In this article, a novel treatment of GERD in Greek and Iranian traditional medicines called Jovārish-e Jālīnūs (Galen’s digestive) has been introduced.

Keywords

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Heartburn

Iranian traditional medicine (ITM)

Phlegm

Horqat

Jovārish-e Jālīnūs