Dietary Recommendations in Fracture Healing in Traditional Persian Medicine: A Historical Review of Literature

Abstract

Background.Fracture repair is a complex process. An inappropriate diet is a contributing risk factor for fracture nonunion. The aim of this study was to extract dietary recommendations for fracture healing according to traditional Persian medicine (TPM) literature.Method.The contents relevant to diets in fracture healing were selected from main textbooks in TPM like Al Qanon fi Al-teb (The Canon). Other reference textbooks in traditional medicine were also used for a comprehensive study in this respect. Finally content analysis was used for summarizing and describing the results. Findings. Food stuffs are classified in TPM according to their nutritive value, their assimilability, and the quality of achieved chyme. Some light meals like chicken soup are recommended for the early days of fracture and high-nutrient and dense foods such as goat’s or sheep’s head and nuts are advised in following days for fracture healing acceleration and callus formation. Several recommendations are also provided for pacing the healing process.Conclusion.A comparison of Avicenna and other Persian sage’s recommended regimens with the recent evidence revealed the potential positive effects of their regimen for bone healing acceleration. It can shed light on a part of history of orthopedics and add to current knowledge about bone fracture and its management.