Six Factors of Health

The six factors of health is another principle which guides the Unani practitioners. These six factors help in determining the state of a person. The primary six factors are examined in relation with health and disease. However, for an accurate assessment of health, it is required that these factors should be proportionally distributed in terms of quantity, quality, time, and sequence of order. Moreover, diseases are caused, when these factors induce changes in the humors. These 6 factors are

The air of one's environment
The ambient air plays an important role in the maintenance of health of an individual. People who stay at places where the air of the environment is polluted, it affects their health significantly. The air should not contain impurities and should be open to the sky. Moreover, it should be clear in sight.

Food and beverages
Once again, the importance of food and drinks cannot be undermined in Unani. It is believed that most of the diseases occur as a result of improper diet and digestion. Thus, there is a specific time allotted for the intake of different foods. Moreover, at times Unani practitioners treat some ailment only by regulating the diet and even prescribe no food for sometime.

Movement and rest
The amount of movement and rest also affects the system of the body. It depends upon the quantity of exercise, the degree of intensity and the degree of rest taken afterwards. Movement and exercise increases the innate heat of the body while rest and repose has a cooling effect.

Sleep and wakefulness
The best way to repose is to sleep. Sleep is a condition which improves the functioning of your system, regulates breathing, aids digestion and disperses the inner heat. According to the natural rule, night time is allotted for sleep while the day time is for work. The physical activity keeps the person fit and active.

Eating and evacuation
Complex digestion takes place in three steps; digestion, assimilation and excretion. In the first stage, the food is selected, cooked and ingested in the mouth to reach the stomach. In the second stage the food is processed in the stomach and reaches the liver. Here, it is broken into pieces to be assimilated in the body. During the process of assimilation, the by products are eliminated, completing the process of excretion.

Emotions
Emotions are basically the changing states of mind. These mood swings are determined by the change in breathing pattern. However, these mental disturbances are also considered due to the imbalance in humors. These imbalances can be caused by thoughts, sounds, foods, and other factors, and can be corrected with the same, or their opposites.