Miasmatic concepts of nutrition in Homoeopathy

Dr Modesty Tyngkan

Abstract: Nutrients are substance required for good health. Deficiency of any one of the essential nutrients predisposes an individual to many chronic diseases. In Homoeopathy the concept that miasms are deep seated predisposition to disease and disease patterns implies that they have an intimate involvement with the regular functioning of the body.

Keywords: Nutrition, miasmatic evaluation, homoeopathy

Introduction: Nutrients are substance that must be supplied by the diet because they are not synthesized in the body in sufficient amounts. A healthy person requires energy providing nutrients (proteins, fat and carbohydrate) vitamins minerals and water.  The required amounts of the essential nutrients differ by age and physiologic state. Nutritional disorders may be related to deficiency of one particular nutrient or the inability to absorb the nutrients from the ingested food. 

Pathological state resulting from a relative or absolute deficiency of one or more essential nutrients is manifested in various forms of physical and mental disorders or imbalance. Homoeopathy advocates that when there is an imbalance in nutritional requirement and its supply, the deficient nutrients should be supplied in adequate quantity through natural food provided that the body can assimilate and absorb the same, or by artificial supplement if the body is too weak to absorb the natural nutrients. In cases where the malnutrition is not due to deficiency alone but the body’s inability to use the available nutrients then it is identified as error due to miasmatic predominance. Thus miasmatic evaluation of the underlying error is necessary.

Miasmatic predominance of nutritional deficiencies
Physiologic factors, dietary composition, absorption, route of administration, chronic disease are the factors altering nutritional needs. The lack of any essential nutrient is manifested by signs and symptoms. Health in Homoeopathy is a result of the harmonious balance of ‘vital force’, Hahnemann describes that there were three fundamental miasm that disturb the vital force these are psora, sycosis, syphilis they are acquired or transmitted and can be considered as original miasms arising from the intrinsic functioning of the body in health and disease. They predispose an individual to chronic disease. 

Hahnemann in Chronic Diseases describe Psora as the ‘mother of all disease’ that neither of the miasm could obtain a hold without the presence of psora and that it was capable of causing the maximum of functional upset with minimum of pathology. Deficiency can also be produced through excessive control and this excessive control when it is present is a function of psora. This results in an undue influence on organs with a corresponding reduction in their function and a resulting upset in the homoeostasis in the body. Deficiency diseases are coming as a result of lack of certain elements in the system or the inability to assimilate them from the food is the great common denominator of almost all the so called psoric condition.

Psora can be viewed as corresponding to Grauvogls carbonitrogenoid constitution which is characterized by a deficiency of oxidation of blood resulting in his interpretation of an imbalance of nitrogen and carbon in the system. The tissues do not absorb enough oxygen resulting in poor metabolic function and hepatic weakness. The essence of psora may therefore be regarded as either a deficiency of function or a failure of regulation of function. 

Some symptoms and sign of Nutritional deficiency and their Psoric predominance
Area/ system	Symptom or sign	Deficiency
General appearance	Muscle wasting	Carbohydrate
Skin	Rash Easy bruising	Many vitamins, zinc, essential fatty acid Niacin(pellagra) Vitamin C or K
Hair and nails	Thinning or loss of hair Premature greying of hair Spooning of nails	Proteins  Selenium Iron
Eyes	Impaired night vision Corneal keratomalacia	Vitamin A
Mouth	Cheilosis and glossitis Bleeding gums	Riboflavin,niacin, pyridoxine, iron, Vitamin C, riboflavin
Extremities	Edema	Protein
Neurologic	Paresthesias or numbness in a stocking glove distribution Tetany Cognitive and sensory deficits Dementia	Thiamin, Calcium, magnesium, niacin, vitamin B12
Musculoskeletal	Wasting of muscle Bone deformities (bowlegs, knock knees, curve spine) Bone tenderness Joint pain or swelling	Protein Vitamin D, Calcium Vitamin C
Gastrointestinal	Diarrhea	Protein, Folate, vitamin B12, Zinc,
Endocrine	Thyromegally	Iodine

Homoeopathic Management:
Abrotanum, Argentum nitricum, Baryta Carbonicum, Calcarea carbonicum, Calcarea Phosphoricum, Chamomilla, Cina, Iodum, Magnesia Carbonica, Natrum Muriaticum, Silacea, Sulphur, Tuberculinum are common remedies for impaired nutrition.

Abrotanum: 

• Marasmus of children with marked emaciation, especially of legs.
• Skin is flabby and hangs loose in folds. Emaciation of lower extremities
• Alternate constipation and diarrhea, food passes undigested.
• Great weakness and prostration 
• Ravenous appetite, emaciation 
• Great distension of abdomen

 Argentum Nitricum:

• A child looks like a withered dried up old man
• Irresistible desire for sugars, but diarrhea results from eating
• Belching accompanies most gastric ailments
• Great weakness of lower extremities

Calcarea Carbonicum:

• Its chief action is on the vegetative sphere, impaired nutrition being the keynote of its action.
• Takes cold easily, cold clammy feet
• Increased sweats on scalp, head wetting the pillow
• Tendency to grow fat
• Weakness of digestion, regurgitation of sour substance
• Diarrhea of sour stool, 

Calcarea phosphoricum:

• Corresponds to defective nutrition whether of childhood, puberty, or old age
• Predisposition to glandular and bone diseases.
• Slow development of teeth
• Defective boney development, open fontanelles, weak spine disposed to curvatures

Iodium:

• The most prominent feature of the action of Iodum is its power of causing absorption. 
• Ravenous hunger; eats freely and well yet loses flesh all the time
• Hypertrophy and induration of glandular tissue 

Natrum muriaticum:

• Suited to cachetic person, old people, teething children; anemic chlorotic people
• Great emaciation; losing flesh while living well; emaciation notable in the neck
• Great weakness and weariness

Silacea:

• Imperfect assimilation and consequent defective nutrition
• Distended abdomen; weak ankles, slow in learning to work
• Fine dry skin pale face, weakly with lax muscles
• Sweat of hands, toes feet and axilla offensive

References 

1. Fauci As, Kasper DL, Braunwald E, Hauser Sl, Jamesson JL, Loscalzo J, Harrison’s principles of internal medicine. 17^th ed. Volume 1. New York :MC Graw Hill
2. www.nhp.gov.in/Malnutrition-and-homoeopathic-Management 
3. Saxton John. Miasms as Practical tools: A Homoeopathic Approach to Chronic Disease South Asian edition, Elsevier.
4. Roberts AH. Principle and Art of cure Homoeopathy. reprint edition
5. Porter R.S., Kaplan J.L The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy 19^th ed. Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
6. Allen HC, Allen’s keynotes Rearranged and Classified with Leading remedies of Materia medica. Bjain publishers Ltd
7. Boericke William, New Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica with Repertory. Bjain publishers Ltd
8. Clarke J.H, A Dictionary of Practical Material Medica 

Dr Modesty Tyngkan
PGT Department of Practice Of Medicine
Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical College, Mangalore
ttyngkan@gmail.com