According to Orecchio, the Doctrine of Signatures began as a theory developed by 16th century Renaissance physician Paracelsus, that said plants that resemble parts of the body had healthy benefits for that body part.
Ever heard of the Doctrine of Signatures theory? We hadn’t either, until nutritionist Christa Orecchio filled us in and now we think it’s pretty fascinating. According to Orecchio, the Doctrine of Signatures began as a theory developed by 16th century Renaissance physician Paracelsus, that said plants that resemble parts of the body had healthy benefits for that body part. Thanks to today's investigative, nutritional sciences (yay, technology), it's now known to be true. You can stop Googling nutritional stats--if a whole food resembles an organ or physiological function, it most likely provides a benefit for it. Here, Christa shares a few of her favorite Doctrine of Signatures foods.
What you see is what you get when it comes to these foods:
20/20 Vision
A sliced carrot looks just like a human eye. Carrots contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant that converts to Vitamin A, an important nutrient that greatly enhances blood flow and function of the eyes. If you missed headstand in practice today, enlist carrots to bring blood flow to the eyes.
Smarty pants
When you open a walnut, it looks like a miniature brain with a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. The wrinkles and folds it contains strongly resemble the neo-cortex. Walnuts are high in DHA, a type of Omega-3 fatty acid essential for brain health. Just a quarter cup provides your daily amount of DHA.
Good breath
If you skip your ujjayi breathing for a day, you can likely love your lungs with lotus root. This aquatic vegetable is a common tonic used in Chinese medicine to improve lung function. When sliced, it closely resembles the bronchial of the lungs. It contains abundant amounts of protein, amino acids, fiber, and Vitamins C, B1 and B2. Try it sautéed in coconut oil.
SOURCE http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Doctrine-of-Signatures-Theory.aspx#
The doctrine of signatures is a philosophy shared by herbalists from the time of Dioscurides and Galen. This doctrine states that herbs that resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments of that part of the body. A theological justification was made for this philosophy: "It was reasoned that the Almighty must have set his sign upon the various means of curing disease which he provided."[1] The concept is still reflected in the common names of some plants whose shapes and colors reminded herbalists of the parts of the body where they were thought to do good. Scientists see the doctrine of signatures as superstition. There is no scientific evidence that plant shapes and colors help in the discovery of medical uses of plants.[2] In similar doctrines from India, the sage Agasthiar is supposed to have had the capability to converse with plants to thus obtain from the plants which ailments and diseases they, the plants, could ameliorate and even cure.
The doctrine of signatures is a philosophy shared by herbalists from the time of Dioscurides and Galen. This doctrine states that herbs that resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments of that part of the body. Although the doctrine of signatures was formalized in early modern times, the theme of natural objects' shapes having significance is a very old one and is not confined to Western thought. Examples include the plants liverwort; snakeroot, an antidote for snake venom; lungwort; bloodroot; toothwort; and wormwood, to expel intestinal parasites. The occasional resemblance of mandrake root to a human body has led to its being ascribed great significance (and supernatural powers) since ancient times and in many places.[4] The 17th-century botanist and herbalist William Coles (1626–1662), author of The Art of Simpling and Adam in Eden, stated that walnuts were good for curing head ailments because in his opinion, "they Have the perfect Signatures of the Head". Regarding Hypericum, he wrote, "The little holes whereof the leaves of Saint Johns wort are full, doe resemble all the pores of the skin and therefore it is profitable for all hurts and wounds that can happen thereunto."[3] Nicholas Culpeper's often-reprinted Complete Herbal takes the doctrine of signatures as common knowledge, and its influence can still be detected in modern herbal lore.
Some -wort plants and their signatures
- Lousewort, Pedicularis - thought to be useful in repelling lice
- Spleenwort, Asplenium - thought to be useful in treating the spleen
- Liverwort, Marchantiophyta - thought to be useful in treating the liver
- Toothwort, Dentaria - thought to be useful in treating tooth ailments
- Hedge woundwort, thought to have antiseptic qualities
- Lungwort - thought to be useful in treating pulmonary infections
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctrine_of_signatures
Here's what members of ATS Forum has to say about the topic.
Nutritional Anatomy: Foods That Resemble the Body Part They Aid : Doctrine of Signatures
This doctrine states that herbs that resemble various parts of the body can be used to treat ailments of that part of the body.
(You'll find "signatures" to be quite broad a term. An interesting hypothesis nonetheless- and the upcoming list is quite a 'coincidence'.)
Up to the end of the sixteenth century, resemblance played a constructive role in the knowledge of Western culture. It was resemblance that largely guided exegesis and the interpretation of texts; it was resemblance that organized the play of symbols, made possible knowledge of things visible and invisible, and controlled the art of representing them. The universe was folded in upon itself: the earth echoing the sky, faces seeing themselves reflected in the stars, and plants holding within their stems the secrets that were of use to man.
source (georgetown.edu - Michel Foucault, THE ORDER OF THINGS, CHAPTER 2, Pg. 17, An Arthaeology of the Human Sciences, A translation of "Les Mots et les choses" (1966))
The "Doctrine of Signatures" philosophy was expanded upon in theology by Christian European metaphysicists in the 16th century.
It was reasoned that the Almighty must have set his sign upon the various means of curing disease which he provided.
source (archive.org - A history of the warfare of science with theology in Christendom (1896))
For the sake of the thread, let's not delve into the theology of the matter..
Let's put the "Doctrine of Signatures" speak on hold. No matter the truth behind the philosophy, there are some excellent examples/coincidences (whatever you personally would like to call them) that I would like to list here.
Here's that list I said was coming up!
WALNUTS & THE BRAIN
CARROTS & THE EYES
MUSHROOMS & THE EARS
BROCCOLI/CAULIFLOWER & THE LUNGS
GRAPES & THE ALVEOLI
TOMATOES & THE HEART
GRAPEFRUIT & THE MAMMARY GLANDS
BANANAS & THE FINGERS
KIDNEY BEANS & THE KIDNEY
SWEET POTATOES & THE PANCREAS
GINGER & THE STOMACH
OLIVES & THE OVARIES
AVOCADOS/PEARS & THE WOMB
FIGS & THE TESTES
CELERY & THE BONES
ONIONS & THE CELL
GINSENG & THE HUMAN BODY
"Let us all learn that food can be all the medicine we need.. the truth is.. a pill may treat your symptoms, but probably won't cure you... (because only treating our illnesses is profitable... get it?) "
WALNUTS & THE BRAIN
Let's first consider walnuts.. If you crack one open, what does it resemble? Clearly, the anatomical look-alike is the human brain. As coincidental as it may seem, walnuts also aid this vital organ that sits safe inside your skull.
Walnuts are considered one of the ultimate brain food.. Here's why- Most nuts (most notably walnuts) contain a large amount of "α-Linolenic acid" (AlA). 'α' is the symbol for 'alpha'. ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid, an 'essential' polyunsaturated fat. source (whfoods.com)
Walnuts also contain the other 'essential' fatty acid, "Linoleic acid" (LA). LA is an omega-6 fatty acid.source (marksdailyapple.com)
And when we say 'essential', we mean it. They have been traditionally classified as so for good reason. These fatty acids play a fundamental role in several of our physiological functions and- our bodies are unable to produce them on their own. I'd say 'essential' is a suitable adjective for the stated situation. It is essential for us to make sure we consume enough of both alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid through our daily diets.source (umm.edu)
These healthy fats help prevent a wide range of medical problems, including cardiovascular disease (leading cause of death in the U.S.)source (cdc.gov) depression, asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
The plant based Omega-3 ALA makes up almost one-tenth of the walnut you're eating- source1 (walnuts.org) source2 (bodybuilding.com) and our bodies require the fatty acid for many normal body functions, such as building cell membranes in the brain, and controlling blood clotting. source (hsph.harvard.edu)
You have probably already heard that omega-3 fatty acids are associated with many health benefits, including protection against heart disease and possibly stroke.
So.. eat up on those organic walnuts, folks. Why not go the distance and buy some whole ones.. that way, when you crack it open, you can appreciate the food as an entirety.. and you'll probably only be eating the ingredient "organic walnut". Read your labels.
Bake some walnuts into Banana/Walnut Bread. It's delicious.
And.....
CARROTS & THE EYES
Perhaps not as a whole, however if you take a slice of a carrot and look at the insides- you'll see what looks just like a human eye. Its got a darker circle in the center (like the pupil) and a large outside ring that resembles an iris with radiating lines.. very similar, indeed. So.. do carrots aid this body part they look like? Well, the simple answer is yes. Carrots contain Vitamin A and β-Carotene ('β' is the symbol for 'beta'). Let's go over what these things are and what they help.
Vitamin A is group of antioxidant compounds. source (allaboutvision.com) They play an important role health of the immune system, in bone growth, and in vision. The antioxidant compounds found in Vitamin A strengthen things like the surface of the eye and mucous membranes (like the ones contiguous with the skin of our eyelids) be effective barriers to bacteria and viruses. This can reduce the risk of infectious diseases, respiratory problems, and eye infections.
There are two types of Vitamin A. The first comes from animal products and is already in the form of 'retinol'. This kind of Vitamin A can be used directly in the body after consumption. The second type of Vitamin A is in the form of 'provitamin A' carotenoids. A carotenoid is a pigmented substance found in fruits and veggies that has antioxidant properties. They are responsible for adding some of the color (mainly red, orange, and yellow) to the plants and food. You can see the similarity in color of carrots, sweet potatoes, and canteloupe- carotenoids doing there. Our bodies convert this type of Vitamin A to retinol after consumption.source (daviddarling.info)
'Beta-carotene' is one of the most prevalent and effective provitamin A carotenoids included in carrots. Other notable provitamin A carotenoids found in carrots are 'α-carotene' and 'β-Cryptoxanthin'. All of these helpful carotenoids keep your eyes, espescially the 'cornea', healthy and strong.
So.. eat up on those organic carrots, folks. Why not go the distance and buy some whole ones.. that way, when you wash it off and (if you wish)peel off the carrot skin, you can appreciate the food as an entirety.. and you'll probably only be eating the ingredient "organic carrot". Read your labels. (worth a repeat, let it sink in)
Steam your carrots.. (or most vegetables) one of the healthiest cooking techniques there is!
source (foodnetwork.com)
Regards,
-AA
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