Could the shape or appearance of a food tell you what part of the body it may benefit? According to an ancient concept called the “Doctrine of Signatures,” it can. A philosophy shared by health experts of ancient times, the doctrine stated that foods that look like certain parts of the body could be used to help heal those body parts.
Today’s scientists were quick to dismiss the doctrine’s ideas that a higher power had placed visual “signs” onto our food as ways to help cure disease, but ironically, modern studies have confirmed that certain foods do have health benefits—and these benefits often line up with certain parts of the body.
What is the Doctrine of Signatures?
The doctrine was originally created by a Renaissance physician named Paracelsus (1491-1541), who developed and published the idea. He pioneered the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine, and believed humans must have certain balances of minerals in their bodies for optimal health. The idea behind the doctrine was that the taste, shape, color, and overall appearance of plant foods could provide suggestions as to how they could be used in medicine.
Jacob Böhme, a German Christian mystic (1575–1624) is credited with spreading the doctrine to a wider audience, suggesting that plants that resembled human body parts had useful relevance to those parts. In other words, each plant had a “signature,” much like a human signature, that illuminated its character and specific talents.
Examples of Food Shape=Body Benefit
Following are some examples of foods and their uses according to the Doctrine of Signatures—and a glance at the scientific evidence supporting the connection. Is it real? You decide!
- Carrots: Sliced carrots were believed to look like the eye, with the round shape and “iris” in the middle. Your mother may have told you to eat your carrots to protect your eyesight. This vegetable is loaded with beta-carotene, an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. But carrots aren’t the only foods that will protect your eyes—sweet potatoes, spinach, and broccoli are also full of nutrients good for eye health.
- Walnuts: Look at it from the top, and you’ll see it closely resembles the brain. Two sides split down the middle with a wrinkly overall appearance. Turns out walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are critical for brain function. Other foods rich in omega 3’s include flaxseed, salmon, and olive oil.
- Celery: Look closely—a stalk of celery resembles an x-ray of your bones. Celery actually contains silicon, which gives bones their strength. Studies also show that soy isoflavones benefit bone density.
- Avocado: Cut it open, and you may be reminded of a woman’s womb. Avocadoes are a good source of folic acid, which helps reduce risk of cervical dysplasia. A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute also found that woman with the highest intake of soy isoflavones had the lowest risk of endometrial cancer.
- Tomato: Slice it open and you’ll see multiple chambers that resemble the four chambers of the heart. A study from South Korea found that lycopene, which gives tomatoes their red color, may benefit heart health by boosting the body’s natural antioxidant defenses and protecting against DNA damage. Another study published in the Journal of Nutrition (2003) found that diets high in tomato products were linked with lower rates of heart disease.
- Ginger: Look at the herb when it’s whole and you’ll see it somewhat resembles the stomach. Ginger has shown in studies to reduce nausea and vomiting. For example, researchers from the University of Rochester found that patients who took ginger supplements before their chemo infusions suffered fewer and less severe bouts of nausea afterwards than those given dummy pills.
- Sweet Potatoes: A picture of a pancreas may remind you of a sweet potato. This vegetable has a low glycemic index, which means that it breaks down slowly, going easy on the pancreas, which helps regulate blood-sugar levels.
I think the Doctrine of Signatures is pretty cool…
I was first introduced to this by Brigitte Mars and have been curious about it ever since. Wildman Steve Brill has mentioned it before as well.
This article brings some scientific “credibility” to the argument, which is what theories or ideas like these need for people to actually look at them with any serious consideration.
Where the doctrine fails is that there are plenty of foods that don’t look like what they’re good for. Lettuce doesn’t really look like much of anything in the body, neither does durian, and bananas are not good for the… well, I don’t need to go there, LOL!
It seems like parts of Paracelsus’ system have been dropped to just be associated with shapes — not the taste, color and other characteristics of the food. It seems like a lost “science” that has a number of significant associations and many more that aren’t a match at all.
So I think the best way to use this theory is for your own memory. So if a food does happen to look like something in the body, you can memorize it visually — which gives you a much higher chance of retention. I have a feeling that the doctrine of signatures started as a teaching tool that was recognized by the individuals who wanted to teach the next generation about the foods around them, more so than a messaging system sent down from a creator.
I, of course, could be tremendously wrong, but this is just my hunch.
What do you think of the Doctrine of Signatures? Please share your ideas.
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Photo courtesy _salanka_ via Flickr.com.
Gail A. Greendale, Dietary Soy Isoflavones and Bone Mineral Density: Results from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol. 155, No. 8, 2002. http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/155/8/746.full.pdf.
Amanda Green, “Foods That Look Like Body Parts They’re Good For,” Woman’s Day, http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/foods-that-look-like-body-parts-theyre-good-for-109151.
Greg Arnold, “Foods Containing Soy Benefit Uterine Health,” January 12, 2012, http://www.now-university.com/Library/FamilyHealth/Women/088471.htm.
“Study Unlocks Lycopene’s Heart-Health Benefits,” Swanson Health Products, February 2011, http://www.swansonvitamins.com/ru-articles/cardiovascular-health/study-unlocks-lycopenes-heart-health-benefits.html.
Tomato Health and Nutrition, Tomato Products Wellness Council. http://www.tomatowellness.com/tomato-health-nutrition.
“New Chemo Miracle Drug—Ginger,” New York Post, May 15, 2009. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/item_mU0SGEyMA4J8EaATje2zaN;jsessionid=0E9A9BEFA552E4AC5E520C751BCA5BEA.