A Narrative Review on Siddha Dietetics (Pathiyam) and its Pharmacological Relevance in Diabetes Care

Diabetes Mellitus has become a global burden with features of hyperglycemia as a result of insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion or both. Dietetics plays an important role in both the management and prevention of conditions like Diabetes. Traditional Indian System of medicine like Siddha emphasize Pathiyam or dietetics as a cornerstone in the management of Diabetes. This narrative review on Siddha dietetics was undertaken to explore and interpret the dietary principles prescribed for Mekam as described in the ancient Siddha text Pararasa Sekaram and to correlate these traditional concepts with contemporary scientific evidence related to Diabetes. A comprehensive and systematic literature search was conducted using multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Scopus, to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles. The search strategy involved combinations of keywords like “diabetes mellitus”, dietary patterns, popular diets, plant - based diet etc. Many of the dietary components shows scientifically validated anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, enzyme inhibition properties. The emphasis on foods with low glycemic index, fiber rich and functional food aligns with current diet strategies like Mediterranean and plant-based diets. In summary, Siddha dietetics and practices for Mekam shows congruence as well as difference with available evidence - based nutritional strategies for Diabetes. These unique insights in traditional medical systems when combined with modern nutritional practices, after receiving ample evidence-based knowledge may help to develop more culturally apt and effective approaches in Diabetes management.