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THERAPIES & TRADITIONS · GUIDE

Unani Medicine: What Research Shows by Specific Use

What published trials of Unani formulas and massage measured for diabetes, skin conditions, blood pressure, cholesterol, back pain and COVID-19 markers, and why results remain limited.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

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This page reports what research measured for specific Unani treatments. It is information only, not advice. Do not stop or replace a prescribed medicine, such as for diabetes, high blood pressure or cholesterol, because of any trial below. Talk with your doctor first.

Tradition and testing are different questions

Unani medicine explains health through temperament (mizaj) and four humours (akhlat): blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile, and describes disease as a change in the quality or quantity of a humour. [1] These are traditional frameworks, not measured biology. WHO's benchmark document also repeats the tradition's claim that Unani treatment can give a "radical cure" with minimal or no adverse effects. [1] That is a traditional claim. No trial below tests it, and historical use is not evidence of safety or benefit. See historical use vs clinical evidence.

What a trial can test is one formula, in one group of people, against a comparator, for one outcome. We read the published summaries (abstracts) of the studies below; we did not review full texts, and the abstracts do not state who paid for each study.

What the studies found

10 findings · 2 supported · 8 limited or unclearThe colour follows the evidence label on each card.

  1. Type 2 diabetes

    promising but limited

    Lower fasting and after-meal blood glucose than controls, no significant change in HbA1c, no adverse effects reported [2]

    What was studied: A 2024 systematic review of five randomized trials of Unani medicines [2]

  2. Type 2 diabetes

    insufficient evidence

    Blood glucose fell in both groups; HbA1c was unchanged with the Unani tablet and fell with the comparator [3]

    What was studied: One single-blind trial of a Unani tablet (Qurs-e-Gulnar), 40 people, 45 days, against a commercial capsule [3]

  3. Vitiligo

    insufficient evidence

    Analysis of 30 per group found the Unani group not inferior; average area scores changed only slightly in both groups [4]

    What was studied: Open-label trial, 82 people randomized, 16 weeks, against PUVAsol (a psoralen medicine with sun exposure) [4]

  4. Chronic plaque psoriasis

    insufficient evidence

    Larger drops in severity score with the Unani formulas; the authors call for a larger, better-designed trial [5]

    What was studied: Open-label trial, 66 people, 12 weeks, against PUVAsol and petroleum jelly [5]

  5. Chronic hives (urticaria)

    insufficient evidence

    Greater score improvement with the herbal combination; the groups were unequal (3 to 1) [6]

    What was studied: Open-label trial, 42 people, 4 weeks, against an antihistamine [6]

  6. Fungal skin infection

    insufficient evidence

    Improvement in both groups; no significant difference in total scores [7]

    What was studied: Open-label trial, 78 people, 6 weeks, a herbo-mineral tablet plus oil against antifungal drugs [7]

  7. Prehypertension

    promising but limited

    Blood pressure fell by about 7.7/5.5 mmHg versus 1.9/0.2 with placebo [8]

    What was studied: Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a powdered fruit, two months [8]

  8. High cholesterol

    insufficient evidence

    Similar reductions; the difference between groups was not statistically significant [9]

    What was studied: Open-label trial, 74 people randomized, 90 days, a Unani semisolid against atorvastatin [9]

  9. Low back pain

    insufficient evidence

    Larger drop in pain and disability scores with massage [10]

    What was studied: Massage with a Unani oil against short-wave diathermy, 20 people per group, 3 weeks [10]

  10. COVID-19 immune markers

    insufficient evidence

    Higher lymphocyte counts in the Unani group; the measured outcome was a blood marker, not recovery [11]

    What was studied: Placebo-controlled trial, 92 people with mild or moderate illness [11]

Where we did not find proper evidence

Proper evidence not found for Cochrane reviews of Unani medicine. We searched PubMed on 2026-10-22 for Unani together with Cochrane, systematic review, meta-analysis and randomized trial terms. The only systematic review of Unani trials for a specific condition that we read was the diabetes review above. Other reviews combined several Indian systems, such as Ayurveda and Siddha, so their results are not Unani-specific. We did not read every review. We also found no good-quality evidence for Unani medicine as a whole system.

Frequently asked questions

Does research show Unani medicine works?

It depends on the formula and the condition. A few results are promising, such as blood glucose in diabetes, but most come from small single trials, often open-label. [2] There is no evidence that the system as a whole works.

Can a Unani formula replace my diabetes, blood pressure or cholesterol medicine?

No. None of the trials supports replacing prescribed treatment. In the cholesterol trial the groups were not significantly different, which is not proof of equal effect. [9] Talk with your doctor before changing any medicine.

Why are so many of these trials called open-label?

Because it is hard to make a convincing placebo for a paste, oil or massage. Open-label trials are more open to bias, so results should be read cautiously.

Can I trust trials run by people who practice the tradition?

We cannot judge that from abstracts. Funding and conflicts of interest were not stated in the abstracts we read. Independent replication of results by other research groups would add confidence. We did not find it for most of the formulas above.

Is there evidence for Unani cupping (hijama)?

We did not review trials of it for this page. WHO lists wet and dry cupping among Unani procedures. [12] See cupping therapy for what research shows and the risks.

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

How to read this table
  • Open-label means participants and clinicians knew who got which treatment, which can inflate results, especially for pain and skin scores. Massage cannot be hidden from the person receiving it, so expectation also plays a part.
  • "Not significantly different" is not "equally good." Small trials often cannot detect differences. The cholesterol and fungal-infection trials do not show that a Unani formula can replace a statin or an antifungal.
  • Only the prehypertension trial in this list was double-blind and placebo-controlled, and it was a single trial.
  • Surrogate outcomes such as blood counts or lab values do not show that people feel or live better.
Safety is part of the evidence
The trials above report few problems, but they were small and short. They cannot rule out rare or long-term harm, interactions, or contamination of products sold outside a trial. Some tested formulas contain minerals. See the companion page on Unani product safety and understanding evidence in complementary health.
References
  1. World Health Organization. WHO benchmarks for the training of Unani medicine. Geneva: WHO; 2022. Available at www.who.int. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. Unani medicines for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review. Altern Ther Health Med. 2024. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  3. Efficacy of Qurs-e-Gulnar in Ziabetus (type 2 diabetes mellitus): a single blind randomized controlled trial. J Complement Integr Med. 2020. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  4. A non-inferiority randomized controlled clinical trial comparing Unani formulations and PUVAsol in non-segmental vitiligo. J Complement Integr Med. 2023. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  5. Treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis with herbal Unani formulations: a randomized control trial of efficacy and safety. J Ethnopharmacol. 2022. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  6. The efficacy and safety of herbal combination of Unani medicine in chronic urticaria: a randomized, controlled study. J Tradit Complement Med. 2021. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  7. Assessing the efficacy and safety of Unani pharmacopoeial formulations in dermatophytosis (quba): a randomized controlled trial. Drug Metab Pers Ther. 2023. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  8. Efficacy of Khar-i-khasak (Tribulus terrestris Linn.) in prehypertension: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Complement Integr Med. 2021. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  9. Evaluating the safety and efficacy of a polyherbal Unani formulation in dyslipidaemia: a prospective randomized controlled trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2022. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  10. Effect of soft and prolonged Graeco-Arabic massage in low back pain: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2022. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  11. Immunomodulatory effect of Unani polyherbal formulation Tiryaq Wabai in mild to moderate COVID-19 patients: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2024. Available at pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Read 2026-10-22.
  12. World Health Organization. WHO benchmarks for the practice of Unani medicine. Geneva: WHO; 2022. Available at www.who.int. Read 2026-10-22.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.