Saptadhatu

                                                                  Dhatu      

These are the building blocks of the body.          

Meaning of the word Dhatu :

                  the base which holds body firmly.

There are seven Dhatu in body called Saptadhatu.

They are Ras,Rakta,Mans,Med,Asthi,Majja,Shukra.

Ras -- The first rasdhatu is produced from the liquid extract (aharras) of the digested food. From some part of ras, raktadhatu is produced. The other dhatus are produced in subsequent manner.

We cannot correlate the terms exactly. But, logically, Ras can probably be considered as plasma. Its fuction is Preenanam.

The term preenanam explores number of terms. It means appeasement, quenching, conciliation, alleviation, easing, restoration, softening. The word preenanam is smartly used to include all these terms.

Rakta – simply means blood with its components. It works as jeevanam which means life. The word itself shows how important it is.

Mans – is all the muscular and cartillagenous structures. It does lepanam which is covering of all the bones and joints thereby acts as a shock absorber. Also it plasters all the smooth and hard parts providing the ease to move, with multiple simple and complex but vital actions.

Med – is fat and lipid components. It does snehanam i.e. oiling or greasing all the body elements for smooth functioning. It lubricates the body and maintains normal viscosity of body fluids.

Asthi – means bones. Dharanam is the main function of bones i.e. it gives shape to body, protects all the major organs

Majja – is bone marrow. Its function is pooranam, filiing the cavities of bones as brain in skull, bone marrow in long bones.

Shukra – is extract of all dhatu. Garbhotpadan i.e. reproduction is its main function. Other then that, shukra is important for the production and growth of normal cells.

Practical approach :

                 Unlike dosha, dhatu don’t get vitiated by their own, but create problems when affected by imbalanced dosha. During the production of dhatu from digested food, some updhatu (byproduct) are created.

                  Each of dhatu has a specific function, so the deficient or extra or abnormal dhatu cause some symptoms in body. As produced from the food , the quality and quantity of the food directly has an effect on dhatu production. So if we have a natural balanced diet, dosha, dhatu, mala will be in a balanced state.