Iridology: Friend or Foe?

Alternative remedies take on a lot of criticism and for good reason. Much of complimentary medicine cannot be verified by scientific studies with the placebo effect often touted responsible for reported healing.

Iridology, the study of the iris of the eye to assess current or potential systemic challenges remains in the skeptic’s crosshairs. Science has had a field day dismissing this practice, just as they should because no one really knows its exact mechanism. Yet, placebo effect or not, iridology may be more friend than foe.

Ancient Observational Studies

Sometimes the success of a remedy can simply be rooted in the history of those healed by it. Evidence of healing through eye assessment can be found through thousands of years of Far East and Greek healing practices with Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine considering it an important tool.

The proclaimed father of iridology, Hungarian doctor Ignatz von Peczely, brought this practice to medicine in 1861 after he witnessed the significant change of an owl’s eyes when healing from a broken leg.

About thirty years later the second father of iridology, Sweden’s Dr. Nils Liljequist used himself as a test subject during his struggle healing from enlarged lymph nodes. This prompted him to publish his evaluation into the bible of iridology, Diagnosis of the Eye.

Benefits of Iridology 

The practitioner known as an iridologist claims to be able to assess various problems that may be manifesting or already in full swing. Looking at the color, striation and other minimal to major anomalies within the iris associates with different conditions, weaknesses, and pathologies.

Irydolog the English Iridologist Krzysztof Zygadlo site describes iridology as able to,

• Uncover congenital and acquired predisposition to certain illnesses
• Determine the degree of poisoning of the organism by harmful influences caused by the external environment and by-products of the human metabolism
• Evaluate the functioning of the nervous, immune, digestive, and circulatory systems
• Determine the system and/or organ responsible in which the process of illness is occurring

Renowned iridologist, Bernard Jensen, described this practice as,

“Nerve fibers in the iris respond to changes in body tissues by manifesting a reflex physiology that corresponds to specific tissue changes and locations.”

Indications

There have been many attempts by those hell bent on discrediting any shred of alternative remedies that have had unexplained healing success. One notable study is when iridologists were given photos of a mixed group of people to see if they could find the few afflicted with kidney disease. Of course the iridologists were unsuccessful as pictures should never be used in place of a live subject. However, the billion dollar natural health industry is making Big Pharma and other medical practitioners take notice.

Here are some possible indications according to specific clues found on the eye.

Blue-Eyed Type (lymphatic) – Challenges with the upper respiratory tract, digestive tract, urogenital tract, lymphatic tissues, joints, kidneys and adrenal gland imbalances.

Brown-Eyed Type (blood) – Potential problems with the circulatory system, liver, spleen, bone marrow, digestive system and endocrine glands.

Mixed-Eye Type (bile) – Liver related problems, digestive tract problems and allergies.

Color changes inside the iris may suggest:

• White – Body working hard to “maintain”
• Yellow-white – Area of the body losing a battle
• Yellow – Poor kidney function; yellow sclera (white part of the eye); gallbladder disease
• Orange – Problems metabolizing carbohydrates; liver or pancreas weakness; check glucose
• Red-brown – Indicates deterioration
• Brown – Poor liver function and “dirty blood”
• Black – Indicates dying tissue

Rings within or around the iris are also something an iridologist may look for.

Dark Band – Called the Scurf Rim or Ring of Purpose  is a dark band that may indicate skin issues and lack of detoxification.

Growth Rings – Called Stress Rings or Rings of Freedom these look like those rings found inside a tree trunk which may indicate neuromuscular tension and stress.

Heavy White Ring – These go by Lipid Ring or Ring of Determination and may be a sign of cardiovascular problems, arteriosclerosis, problems with the liver and thyroid, and an increased risk of Parkinson’s Disease.

Ring of Clouds – Called the Lymphatic Rosary or Ring of Harmony, these white cloudy rings around the iris may indicate lymphatic congestion or swollen lymph nodes.

There are also spots that can appear to move across the iris which may mean the person is struggling with deficiencies and/or blocking of awareness regarding a specific organ or entire system.

Iridology may not be a perfect science or even a science at all but if by chance it helps you improve your health then why not give it a try?

The best approach would be to get an iridology diagnosis and then see your physician for a full workup to determine the possibility of such. In any case, preventative or direct action as a result of an iridology visit may save your life or make you feel a whole lot better.

Be sure not to fall prey to some practitioners trying to sell you their line of bottled remedies before researching other options.