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Have you ever noticed how much walnuts resemble tiny brains – and wonder why? One theory is that the shapes of plants helpfully provide usage hints. That’s why walnuts support brain health, kidney beans keep the urinary system functioning, pumpkins can ease a bloated belly, and tomatoes keep your heart strong.
The idea that plants resemble the parts of the body that they keep healthy dates back to at least the Middle Ages. It’s called the “Doctrine of Signatures” – a signature being a “mark” on the plant that indicates its curative benefits. And some plants do, perhaps by sheer coincidence, resemble the body parts they are believed to heal or keep healthy. For example:
Carrots look like eyes – and yes, the Vitamin A in carrots actually can enhance your night vision, and general eye health.
Bananas look like smiles when turned on their side, and have been rumored to supply serotonin, the “happy chemical” to your brain. Sadly, scientific research does not support this theory.
Ginger appears on a lot of modern Doctrine lists as good for the stomach. It certainly is, but does ginger look like a stomach? It might be more accurately described as gnarled fingers, and hey – ginger may also help reduce joint inflammation. Win-win.
Celery looks like bones – and it is a good source of folate, potassium, dietary fiber, manganese and pantothenic acid, calcium, phosphorus and other healthy bone substances.
Ginseng has wide usage in folk medicine, and is believed to benefit the entire body. There is some promising research that indicates it may boost the immune system and increase endurance, but there’s no conclusive scientific evidence as yet.
Grapes hang in clusters that resemble the alveoli of the lungs, and including red grapes (all dark colored fruit, actually) in your diet may reduce the risk of lung cancer and emphysema.
Kidney beans have nutritional qualities that promote kidney health, but beware – any intake of potassium, phosphorus and magnesium in kidney beans should be strictly limited (or avoided entirely) in cases of chronic kidney disease.
Olives apparently look like ovaries to some folks, but olive oil has a long history of healing many ailments, from the common cold to cancer, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis, and high cholesterol. You have to use the good stuff though; cheap olive oils lose all their medicinal benefits during processing.
Pumpkins, at least some of them, look like a round belly and apparently do assist in combating bloat, and – like all fruits and veggies that are low in calories and high in dietary fiber – also support weight loss.
Walnuts look like fun-sized zombie snacks. And they contain serotonin, omega-3 essential fatty acids, vitamin E and vitamin B6 – all good for brain health, and possibly protecting against dementia.
Sweet potatoes are shaped like a pancreas and contain adiponectin which can improve metabolism and support insulin regulation.
Tomatoes remind people of the heart (juicy, red…), and are packed full of the antioxidants and phytochemicals – specifically lycopene – that support a healthy cardiovascular system. Make tomato sauce though, the body absorbs lycopene better from cooked tomatoes.
Wheatgrass, according to some online articles, is supposed to contain B12 and can magically reverse gray hair back to its original color. This is untrue, plant foods have no naturally occurring vitamin B12.
Zucchini is unsurprisingly associated with male genitals, and some research suggests that it does support blood circulation and combats prostrate inflammation. Jury’s still out on those specific benefits, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying your zucchini.
The Doctrine of Signatures is fun to think about, and sometimes seems to be oddly accurate. One thing is for sure though, fruits and vegetables provide big benefits to the entire body. So, eat them up, no matter what their shape.
