Maʿūl Shaʿīr (Barley Water): Traditional Unani Perspectives Integrated with Phytochemistry and Modern Clinical Insights

Abstract

Background: Maʿūl Shaʿīr, commonly known as barley water, is a time-honored formulation in Unani medicine, used for its detoxifying, cooling, and nutritive properties.
Objective: To analyze the historical Unani references, pharmacological profile, therapeutic actions, and recent biomedical evidence of Maʿūl Shaʿīr, ensuring integration between classical and modern systems.
Methods: A thorough review of classical Unani literature, including Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, Khazain al- Adwiya, and Qarabadeen-e-Azam, was conducted. Additionally, four key scientific publications were analyzed to extract recent findings related to barley’s composition, mechanisms, and clinical outcomes.
Result: Classical Unani texts describe Maʿūl Shaʿīr as cold in the second degree and moist in the second degree. It is a refrigerant, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, and antipyretic. Modern research corroborates the antioxidant, hypolipidemic, antidiabetic, and hepatoprotective effects of this compound, largely attributed to β-glucans, polyphenols, flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals.
Conclusion: Maʿūl Shaʿīr is a significant dietary therapeutic agent that merges traditional Unani insights with contemporary clinical potential. It warrants further randomized trials to validate its efficacy and promote its integration in global health care.