"A History of The Doctrine of Signatures - Tomatoes"
The theory that nature provides clues as to the beneficial uses of plants is known as The Doctrine Of Signatures. The earliest known references to this theory are the writings of Galen (131-200 AD). Some 1,400 years later The Doctrine Of Signatures was expanded upon by several authors of note:
Paracelsus (1493-1541 AD) was born Phillip von Hohenheim, who later took up the names Philippus Theophrastus Aureolus, Bombastus von Hohenheim, and finally taking the title Paracelsus. He is regarded as the father of modern chemistry. The writings of Paracelsus are regarded as the earliest formal account of The Doctrine Of Signatures and had a significant influence in bringing the concept into the medicinal realm.
Jakob Boehme (1575-1624 AD) offered two books which further expanded upon The Doctrine Of Signatures from both physical and spiritual aspects. His books Signatura Rerum (The Signature Of All Things) and Aurora were published in the early 17th Century.
William Coles (1626-1662 AD) was a 17th century botanist, herbalist and physician. He authored a book titled The Art Of Simpling which reflected a contemporary belief that the appearance of a plant provides a clue, or signature, which indicates its beneficial medicinal use.
Surprisingly, little has been written on the topic since the 17th century. But now that modern day researchers are focusing more resources on the study of whole foods, the concept is once again coming into focus. The latest scientific research offers a good bit of anecdotal evidence suggesting that The Doctrine Of Signatures does hold true in many cases, including signatures that appear at a microscopic level – here is our first example.
Tomatoes are red and have four chambers, just like the human heart. Scientists are suggesting that tomato lovers may be more likely to reduce the risk of serious disease. Lycopene, an anti oxidant which gives tomatoes their lovely rich red color, helps remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules and have been implicated in cancer and other serious diseases.
Professor Michael Avirim of the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel who is testing lycopene in clinical trials says, ' In its natural form, lycopene is an excellent anti oxidant that helps to prevent formation of oxidized LDL, the 'bad' cholesterol in blood, which contributes to the build up of plaque that narrows, stiffens and constricts arteries and can lead to heart attacks. When this natural extract was added to cancer cell cultures, the lycopene inhibited their growth. Lycopene is the most potent nutritional antioxidant found to date.
