YAKRITODARA IN NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD): AN AYURVEDIC–MODERN CORRELATION AND INTEGRATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now included under the broader term metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is a major global cause of chronic liver disease. It encompasses a spectrum ranging from simple hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Its development is strongly associated with obesity, visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia and sedentary lifestyle. Altered lipid metabolism, lipotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation and gut–liver axis dysfunction further contribute to disease progression. The increasing burden of metabolic disorders in India makes NAFLD an important public health concern, including among individuals without overt obesity. Ayurveda does not describe NAFLD as a single disease entity corresponding directly to modern diagnostic criteria; however, concepts such as Yakrit, Yakrit Vriddhi, Yakritodara, Medoroga, Sthaulya, Santarpana, Agnimandya and Āma offer potentially relevant perspectives for understanding metabolic and hepatic disturbances. Objective: This review aimed to explore the possible correlation between NAFLD and Yakritodara by examining relevant Ayurvedic concepts of Agni, Doṣa, Dhātu, Meda, Srotas and Āma, while maintaining a clear distinction between classical Ayurvedic descriptions and contemporary biomedical terminology. Methods: Classical Ayurvedic literature concerning Yakrit, Yakritodara, Udara Roga, Medoroga, Sthaulya, Agni and Santarpana was reviewed alongside contemporary literature from PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus and relevant hepatology guidelines. Results: The review identified several areas of conceptual convergence. Excessive nutritional intake and physical inactivity may be interpreted through Santarpana and Avyayama, while Kapha Prakopa and Meda Dhātu Dushti provide a theoretical framework for excessive accumulation and disturbed lipid metabolism. Agnimandya may be considered in relation to impaired metabolic transformation, whereas Āma may represent a broader Ayurvedic concept for the pathological consequences of disturbed metabolism. In patients with hepatic enlargement, Yakrit Vriddhi and Yakritodara may provide a clinically relevant framework for interpretation. Yakritodara represents a broader description of hepatic enlargement and is not defined according to modern biochemical, imaging or histopathological criteria. Conclusion: Yakritodara may provide a useful Ayurvedic clinical perspective for understanding hepatomegaly associated with metabolic liver dysfunction, while Santarpana, Agnimandya, Kapha–Meda Dushti, Āma and Srotodushti offer complementary perspectives on its possible pathogenesis. Nevertheless, NAFLD should not be considered synonymous with Yakritodara. Future integrative research should combine standardized hepatic and metabolic investigations with systematic assessment of Ayurvedic parameters to determine whether these proposed correlations have reproducible clinical and biological significance.