Everything in this world including animals, plants and inanimate objects, seasons, climatic conditions, age, or gender have a temperament (Mizaj). It means that everything can be described regarding its warmness or humidity.

In previous articles, Mizaj, its kinds, importance in living a healthy life, ways to recognize one’s distinguishing Mizaj and adopting the lifestyle that suits it were thoroughly discussed.  

Knowing the temperament of whatever that exists around us and treating them in accordance with their Mizaj would benefit us by helping to maintain our health. Due to the fact that human body is a part of this world and is affected by it one cannot ignore the impacts of other phenomenon and objects in ensuring or restoring human health.

Organs's temperament

All organs and body tissues have a specific Mizaj. 

Heart: The heart has a warm and dry temperament. The constant movement of the heart throughout one's life is a proof of its warmness. Consuming too much of food stuff with warm Mizaj such as pepper and spices would give the person palpitations. Having a fixed shape and being stiff and firm are the signs of the heart dryness.

Brain: The brain, command center for the human nervous system, is cold and wet. The brain is composed of water in addition to the squashy and soft gray and white matter. The brain is capable of transmitting great deal of signals without failing. The way the brain is operating and its shape all are defining its cold and wet Mizaj. Consuming too much dairy products such as yoghurt, water, and fruits and vegetables with high water content such as water melon, peach, or lettuce would increase coldness and humidity in the brain and result in sleepiness and impair its performance.

Blood, liver, muscles: These organs are warm and wet. They are pretty warm and flexible and in order to protect them, stay healthy, and keep on living one must consume meat, bread and fairly sweat food items which all have warm and wet Mizaj. However, overeating and consuming too much of the aforementioned food items would cause a build-up of waste materials in these organs which would manifest themselves by displaying symptoms of polycythemia, fatty liver disease, muscle stiffness and inflammation in muscles. 

Bones, teeth, fingernails, and hair: They all have cold and dry Mizaj. They are firm and rigid and in order to protect and reinforce them and build strong bones and teeth one must consume food stuff with cold and dry Mizaj such as essential minerals (magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, etc.). 

Such minerals are normally found in Kashk (dairy product made from drained yogurt), wheat and rice bran, almond, and barley. Therefore, due to their Mizaj, these organs are sensitive to coldness and dryness. Coldness and dryness could bring about pain in bones in cold weather, toothache by having something cold, and brittle and dry hair and nails. 

Seyed Mahdi Mirghazanfari, MD, holds a PhD degree in medical physiology and is an Iranian-Islamic traditional medicine researcher. He is also an assistant professor in AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran.

MQ/MG