Doctrine of Signatures

In the past, it was commonly believed that each plant gave some sort of clue that would indicate its therapeutic use. This concept was known as The Doctrine of Signatures.

This philosophy really fascinates me because I would often find myself wondering about the shapes of certain foods and plants and how and why they look the way they do. During my studies in Nutrition I came to understand the Doctrine of Signatures and now again whilst learning Naturopathy. Let me firstly explain a little about what the Doctrine of Signatures means before I go into the similarity of the foods and our body.

The Doctrine of Signatures is the belief that different foods and plants resemble the part of the body or the physiological function of the body that its purpose is to heal. Signals such as shape, colour and texture serve as hints to which organ a plant treats. Wow! It’s mind-blowing how “Nature takes care of things”.

It dates back to Dioscorides and Galen’s time, that’s 40-200 CE and continued to be recognised as part of the Materia Medica right through to Paracelsus’ time circa 1494 CE. Paracelsus was an advocate of the doctrine of signatures who wrote, “Nature marks each growth…according to its curative benefit.”

Here are a few fruits and vegetables and how they relate to different body parts, which I’m sure you’re going to find very interesting.

Avocado – resembles the female uterus.

It’s the shape of a pregnant belly and has a pit that resembles the foetus inside a womb. Avocados are really high in folate which supports reproductive health and is essential in growing a healthy foetus and preventing birth defects. It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado, exactly the time it takes a foetus to develop.

Grapes – resembles the shape of the heart

A cluster of grapes resembles the shape of the heart and individual grapes resemble blood cells. Grapes have been shown to be heart food as they are high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, they lower your risk of high blood pressure; blood clots; and heart disease.

Carrots – resemble the human eye

The similarity is so obvious when you slice through a carrot, you can see the shape of the human eye, ie the pupil and the iris. Carrots are high in Beta-carotene which is the precursor for Vitamin A which is very important for vision and eye-health.

Ginger – resembles the stomach

Ginger is known for its amazing digestion properties. It relieves nausea, reduces cramps, stimulates digestion for optimal absorption of nutrients. I always take ginger when I have an upset tummy and it really works!

Walnuts – resembles the brains

Walnuts look exactly like brains and they even have the left and right hemisphere. Our brains are made up of 60% fat and they require good quality fats like omega 3’s to function properly and walnuts are really high in omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to improve brain function, memory and help with depression.

Figs – resemble testicles

Figs are great for reproductive health and resemble the testicles in a male. They increase sperm mobility and sperm count.

Sweet Potato – resembles the pancreas

The pancreas is the organ in our body that monitors and controls our blood sugar by secreting the hormone insulin and glucagon. Sweet potatoes have been shown to stabilise our blood sugar levels because of its high fibre content.

Celery – resembles our bones

Celery contains a high amount of silica which is very important for bone health and preventing osteoporosis. Celery contains 20% sodium and so does our bones!

Onions – resembles our cells

Onions resembles the cells in our body and are one of the most powerful detox foods and help to remove waste from our cells keeping us healthy and vibrant.

I hope you found the Doctrine of Signatures interesting and it makes you think about the healing properties of the foods you eat.

Yours in wellness,

Rita