{"id":6011,"date":"2023-02-06T21:21:57","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T17:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/2023\/02\/the-four-temperaments-humors\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T15:56:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T12:26:01","slug":"the-four-temperaments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/the-four-temperaments\/","title":{"rendered":"The four temperaments (humors)"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Introduction to the four temperaments in traditional Iranian medicine<\/h1>\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n

In traditional Iranian medicine, it is believed that the human body is composed of four main elements:
water, air, earth, and fire.<\/strong>
The dominance of each of these elements in the body leads to the formation of one of the four primary temperaments.<\/strong>
The balance among these temperaments ensures health, while their imbalance is considered the cause of many diseases.<\/p>\n

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Choleric temperament (hot and dry \u2013 element of fire \u2013 summer season)<\/h2>\n
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  • \n

    Physical characteristics: compact body, slim upper and lower limbs, slightly yellowish complexion, warm and dry<\/strong> skin.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Personality traits:<\/strong> quick-tempered, energetic, impatient, intelligent, and a fast decision-maker.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Signs of imbalance: <\/strong>acne and body heat, irritability, dry skin, insomnia, and constipation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Recommendations: <\/strong>cooling foods such as cucumber, plum, lettuce, yogurt drink (doogh), watermelon, and barley soup are beneficial for these individuals. They should avoid pepper, spicy foods, lamb meat, and fried dishes. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    Sanguine temperament (warm and moist \u2013 element of air \u2013 spring season)<\/h2>\n
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      Physical characteristics: large body frame, strong muscles, rosy or reddish skin, and moderate body hair.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Personality traits:<\/strong> friendly, warm-hearted, cheerful, sociable, and sometimes prone to oversleeping and comfort-seeking.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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      Signs of imbalance:<\/strong> excessive blood flow, dizziness, itching, body heaviness, and a strong sensation of heat.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Recommendations:<\/strong> consuming cool and dry foods such as lentils, sumac, lemon juice, and pomegranate is recommended. Seasonal bloodletting or cupping (hijama) is also beneficial for balancing blood levels. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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      Phlegmatic temperament (cold and moist \u2013 element of water \u2013 winter season)<\/h2>\n
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        Physical characteristics: <\/strong>fair and soft skin, overweight or plump body (especially in the lower body), with moist and cold skin.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        Personality traits:<\/strong> calm, slow, patient, but sometimes low in energy and prone to excessive sleep.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Signs of imbalance: <\/strong>body heaviness, forgetfulness, excessive sleep, increased saliva, and excessive stomach moisture.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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        Recommendations: <\/strong>warm and dry foods such as honey, ginger, dates, cinnamon, and lamb meat are beneficial. Cold dairy products, excessive rice, and cold beverages should be avoided. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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        Melancholic temperament (cold and dry \u2013 element of earth \u2013 autumn season)<\/h2>\n
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        • \n

          Physical characteristics: <\/strong>thin and bony body, dark or olive skin, thick and abundant hair, and prominent veins.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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          Personality traits: <\/strong>precise, organized, thoughtful, and methodical, but sometimes obsessive and anxious.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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          Signs of imbalance: <\/strong>insomnia, anxiety, depression, dark circles under the eyes, and constipation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Recommendations: <\/strong>warm and moist foods such as barley soup, light soups, almonds, raisins, and almond oil are beneficial. Sour foods, coffee, and dry or hard-to-digest meals should be avoided. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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          Two types of temperament in humans<\/h2>\n
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          1. \n

            Innate or congenital temperament:<\/strong>
            A natural balance inherited from the parents, which remains relatively constant throughout life.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          2. \n

            Acquired temperament:<\/strong>
            It changes due to factors such as diet, climate, occupation, habits, and environmental conditions.
            For example, a warm-tempered person who lives in a cold environment (such as riding a motorcycle in winter) may gradually develop an acquired cold temperament.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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            The role of the liver in the formation of temperaments<\/h2>\n

            In traditional medicine, the liver is considered the center of digestion and the production of the four humors<\/strong>.
            After food is digested in the stomach, it enters the liver, where it is transformed into the four main humors:<\/p>\n

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              Dam (blood)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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              Safra (yellow bile)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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              Balgham (phlegm)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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              Soda (black bile)
              The balance of these humors determines the overall temperament of the body.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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              Conclusion<\/h2>\n

              Every person is a combination of temperaments, but usually one dominates over the others, known as the dominant temperament.
              Understanding one\u2019s temperament helps us to:<\/p>\n

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                Choose the right diet and lifestyle for ourselves,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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                Prevent the occurrence of diseases,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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                And maintain the body\u2019s natural balance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                Introduction to the four temperaments in traditional Iranian medicine Introduction In traditional Iranian medicine, it is believed that the human […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-temperament"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6011"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6012,"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6011\/revisions\/6012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.phytodoctor.ir\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}