Iris colour change on a raw animal food diet

[TylerDurden]

I'm curious to know whether others have also experienced iris colour change like me. Please state what particular foods were related to any iris colour change(could well be that no particular food was responsible) and say what your original iris colour was and what it now is, if there was any change. For example, consuming dairy rapidly darkened my normally brown irises to an almost coal-black state over the years pre-rawpalaeodiet, my irises then changed to green or greeny brown on the outside with dark brown in the centre after a c.3 years into rawpalaeo, with only very small changes in iris colour since then.

[rawlion]

green or greeny brown on the outside with dark brown in the centre.

As far as I remember I used to have dark irises in the past. I don't know if raw vegan diet had any impact on their colour. Currently, after 2.5 years eating raw meats, my irises are "greeny with some brown in the centre".

[Michael]

Good photo rawlion!  Funnily enough, my eyes look exactly the same as yours with mainly light green but with brown around the pupils.  The brown used to be much more evenly spread and they would've been described as 'hazel' eyes.

Interestingly, in contrast to Tyler's experiences, I noticed the improvement when following a Primal-type Diet incl lots of raw dairy, raw meats, raw veg juices, honey etc.  Much to my disappointment, if anything, they have darkened since being on a rawpaleo diet so I, too, would be very interested in others experiences.

I am and will continue to closely monitor my new son's eye colour.  They were a fantastic clear blue when he was born.  He's now almost 4 months old and I have sadly noticed a light brown is forming around the pupil similar to rawlion's picture.  He is solely breast fed so far but his mother does eat a cooked WAP type diet.  I do try to include as much RAF in her diet as I can and she has plenty of homemade grass-fed jerky with raw butter, raw lamb liver/heart, raw eggs, blue ice CLO etc.

[TylerDurden]

Interestingly, in contrast to Tyler's experiences, I noticed the improvement when following a Primal-type Diet incl lots of raw dairy, raw meats, raw veg juices, honey etc.  Much to my disappointment, if anything, they have darkened since being on a rawpaleo diet so I, too, would be very interested in others experiences.

Could the darkening be because you're almost or wholly RZC, now? I can't remember whether my irises were darker on my RZC trials, myself, as I wasn't interested in that aspect at the time of the experiments.

Of course, we should all be wary re common mentions in rawist circles of lighter eyes being always linked with greater health. After all, what about RVAFers with blue eyes? They can be sickly and still have blue eyes.

[Michael]

Yes, good points Tyler.  Many of those raw vegans seem close to death yet have staggeringly clear blue eyes (at least in the internet pictures I've seen anyway) so it's not necessarily a marker for good health.

You're right that I am not far from being RZC now - just a few herbs for flavouring with my meat/fat meals and the very occasional piece of fruit.  There are also times when I do eat cooked foods with friends to be sociable but I keep this to a minimum - perhaps once per month at the most.  However, I think my eyes had darkened again long before I'd started heading in the direction of RZC.  I'm not sure if my eye color has any significance to my state of health but my instincts tell me there is something in iridology from my own observations of other's eyes.

Lex certainly appears to have overcome many health problems and reached a state of stable good health.  Lex, have you noticed much in the way of eye changes?

[Python]

Raw eggs make my eyes bluer. Instead of being a dull green-blue they become very blue.

When I was raw vegan they were grey but I was like 140lbs and unable to think so I was seriously nutrient and protein deficient.

[Python]

Actually, I want to clarify what I said above:

When I eat raw eggs, with or without eating a fully raw diet, my eyes become a very vivid blue. Cooked food does not "pollute" my eye color as long as I am eating raw eggs. I believe this to be related at least in part to a better absorption of cysteine as that would go a long way towards explaining some of the other benefits that I have noticed on the diet which are all in some way related to cysteine.

When I was raw vegan, my eyes were grey which while being a sign of less melanin than blue eyes was due probably not to cysteine inhibiting melanin production(which I think is healthful so long as I better absorb vitamin D given my limited sun exposure) but an overall deficiency in most every major nutrient and amino acid. I also had low hormone and energy levels at the time so it makes sense that my melanin levels would have been low simply from being unable to produce any.

[PaleoPhil]

Holy cow, this is unbelievable! You guys finally peaked my curiosity enough to check my eye color. I was convinced they couldn't have changed color--they've been completely light-brown my whole life (except for infancy, when they were a very dark bluish color, according to my mother). I just looked and, sure enough, the outer edge of my iris has turned dark blue-green. Kind of like the outside ring of rawlion's eyes, only darker and a bit bluish. And I've only been eating mostly-raw carnivorous RPD for about a month. I'm somewhat color blind, so I'll have someone else verify this.

Thanks for tipping me off to this. Fascinating. I eat raw meats, raw eggs, suet and water currently. Mostly grassfed.

[Michael]

I'm eating a very similar diet Paleophil but my eyes seemed to have darkened again recently.  The only difference?  You're eating eggs!

Perhaps you're onto something there Python.  I think I'll try adding them back into my diet again and monitor any changes.

[goodsamaritan]

It would be a shocker if my eyes changed color.  
I'm a mixed breed Filipino.  All our eyes are just plain dark brown.

[TylerDurden]

It would be a shocker if my eyes changed color.   
I'm a mixed breed Filipino.  All our eyes are just plain dark brown.

Actually, non-Caucasians are supposed to get amber-coloured eyes after going for RPD diets.

[Python]

I'm eating a very similar diet Paleophil but my eyes seemed to have darkened again recently.  The only difference?  You're eating eggs!

Perhaps you're onto something there Python.  I think I'll try adding them back into my diet again and monitor any changes.

Eggs are loaded with cysteine because baby chicks need the cysteine to produce all those cute little feathers by the time they hatch. It goes without saying that growing really awesome hair everywhere has been the only side-effect I've noticed from moderate egg consumption and a "burnt feather/hair" smell coming from when I just eat too many eggs.

[PaleoPhil]

A co-worker said she didn't see blue in the changed part of my iris, just green, so I guess my eyes are turning green, rather than bluish green.

I'm eating a very similar diet Paleophil but my eyes seemed to have darkened again recently.  The only difference?  You're eating eggs!

Perhaps you're onto something there Python.  I think I'll try adding them back into my diet again and monitor any changes.

Yes, and I've been eating lots of raw eggs, mostly fertilized, for the past couple of weeks or so. Averaging 4-6 per day I think. I bought so many eggs one time that one of the cashiers chuckled a bit. I don't think they had ever seen a lone customer buy so many eggs (I think it was 5 or 6 standard-size cartons and 2-4 containers of quail eggs). No ill effects so far from the eggs, no change in weight, just this partial change in eye color which I agree does seem to be related.


"Cell Cycle and Control of Cell Number"
Cell Biology (Second Edition)
Published Online: 27 Jan 2004
Chapter Authors: Stephen R. Bolsover, Jeremy S. Hyams, Elizabeth A. Shephard, Hugh A. White, Claudia G. Wiedemann
doi.wiley.com/10.1002/047146158X.ch19
"Green eye color is said to be recessive to brown because an individual can only have green eyes if they lack any brown eye genes."

Your Baby Week Ten (Two Months Old)
By Vincent Iannelli, M.D., About.com
Updated April 22, 2009
"The gene for green eyes is also dominant over blue eye color, but is recessive to brown."

Well, I'm disproving this, because my brown eyes are turning green.


"Among European Americans, green eyes are most common among those of Celtic and Germanic ancestry, about 16 percent.[45]" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color

That fits me--I am of mostly Irish ancestry.

[Kokki]

My left eye. They still look toxic green in dim light.. I hate it. Green is not "right" color of the eye.

And yes, my eyes have changed color radically, from olive green to blue-gray.

[PaleoPhil]

I don't know whether to consider my eyes changing to green from brown is necessarily good or bad. I thought it was kind of neat at first, because my lady friend prefers green and blue to brown eyes, but I'm suspicious of a change that is coming about apparently due to an unusual amount of eggs I'm ingesting. I'm only eating lots of eggs for bulking, not as a health improvement. People living in the wild would not have been eating lots of eggs year-round. So it seems just as possible that green eyes might be less advantageous than brown eyes (maybe the brown melanin offers needed protection from the sun?). However, other noncarnivorous raw dieters claim their eyes turned green or blue too, so it's intriguing to think it might be a sign of good health. What other foods are high in cysteine that the plant-heavy raw dieters might be eating?

[Python]

Too much melanin interferes with vitamin D absorption so if you're not experiencing sunburns then what's the reason for alarm? Wouldn't the betacarotene in the egg yolks protect your eyes from sun damage anyway?

I think that the reason raw vegans have a change in eye color is from an inability to make enough melanin due to a deficiency and not due to cysteine binding to the melanin precursor. Raw vegans are frail, have low-hormone levels, are tired and lazy when they're not bingeing on fruit sugar, and just otherwise look like they're ready to fall down and die if someone bumped into them.

[PaleoPhil]

Too much melanin interferes with vitamin D absorption so if you're not experiencing sunburns then what's the reason for alarm?

Don't worry, I'm not at all alarmed. Just curious.

I actually wish I had a bit more melanin in my skin, as I'm paler than probably 99% of the world's population and therefore still a bit more susceptible to sun burn and to blinding people with my pale, bare forehead than I care for. However, my pale skin does seem to provide frequent merriment for other people, so it does have additional advantages beyond easier absorption of sunlight for vitamin D production.

Wouldn't the betacarotene in the egg yolks protect your eyes from sun damage anyway?

I have no idea, as this eye-color-change thing is a completely new experience for me. I'm enjoying the novelty of it and curious about this phenomenon that is new to me.

I think that the reason raw vegans have a change in eye color is from an inability to make enough melanin due to a deficiency...

Interesting, what's the deficiency?

[Matt51]

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=54
Cysteine is concentrated in the eye and liver, so maybe eating a lot of cysteine could change eye color.
"As a key constituent of glutathione, cysteine has many important physiological functions. Glutathione, formed from cysteine, glutamic acid, and glycine, is found in all human tissues, with the highest concentrations found in the liver and eyes."

This article suggests bone broth and tougher cuts of meat are better than tender cuts of meat. (tough meat has a lot of collagen).
http://raypeat.com/articles/aging/tryptophan-serotonin-aging.shtml
It goes on to say glycine, which collagen is rich in, is important for good health. Glycine + cysteine = more glutathione = better health. Probably the change in eye color is an indication of better health.

[PaleoPhil]

Interesting. Thanks.

Sandy Simmon's Connective Tissue Disorder site has lots of info on connective tissues too. My connective tissues have been doing better on this diet (as indicated by tightening of lax ligaments and reduced curvature in the spine).

[yon yonson]

i've been really noticing lately that my irises have gone from a really dark brown to a fairly light hazelnut color. my mom even noticed. she also said that i had green eyes when i was a baby and im wondering if they'll eventually get back to that if i keep eating well. it would kind of make sense: maybe we are born with the iris color we should always have but after eating shitty food, we quickly develop darker colors around the toddler years. does this coincide with other peoples experiences? has anyone had the same exact color their entire life (even when born)? just a thought. i was really surprised mine changed nonetheless.

[PaleoPhil]

i've been really noticing lately that my irises have gone from a really dark brown to a fairly light hazelnut color. my mom even noticed. she also said that i had green eyes when i was a baby and im wondering if they'll eventually get back to that if i keep eating well. it would kind of make sense: maybe we are born with the iris color we should always have but after eating shitty food, we quickly develop darker colors around the toddler years. does this coincide with other peoples experiences? has anyone had the same exact color their entire life (even when born)? just a thought. i was really surprised mine changed nonetheless.

Yes, and that's been my hypothesis for many other health/physical phenomena also. I've noticed that it's like the clock is being rolled back to the way things were in my youth. Many symptoms that I used to consider "normal" with aging have been reversing. I think that way too many things are attributed to aging than is actually the case (though I wouldn't go as far as William on this subject ). I've found that many people have a great deal of trouble accepting that some symptoms/disorders/illnesses, such as joint pains and morning stiffness, are not just a normal consequence of aging plus genes, but also are influenced by diet. Maybe they don't want to have to give up some of their favorite foods, or don't want to admit that their own behavior is the cause of much of their physical deterioration, etc.

[primalpillo]

What exactly have you been eating and for how long have you been eating to notice a change in color?
I am on month 6, have noticed a slight change. I have dark brown at the moment.
I am particularly interested if you have alot of organ meants and butter?
thanks

[djr_81]

I looked into the mirror yesterday and my eyes have deepened from an ice blue-grey to a darker blue (almost looks like it's had a bit of green mixed into the previous color to darken it) since going raw ZC. I also eat no eggs whatsoever as they bother my stomach so this couldn't be a causative affect of eggs (I've avoided eggs for years).
All I'm eating is raw beef muscles, occasional organs (heart, liver, kidney, or spleen) and lots of fat. Very rarely I'll indulge in pemmican made with raw jerky. I usually sprinkle a small amount of celtic sea salt on my muscle meats. I drink water with the occasional addition of liquid electrolytes if I'm feeling the need.

I just realized I have a photo of my eyes from 3 1/2 years ago. I'll take a photo of my eyes tonight so there's a reference to the physical change. I know this can't show a cause-effect due to a RPD because it's too long a time span since the "before" shot but it will show a noticeable change due to eating healthier.

[yon yonson]

What exactly have you been eating and for how long have you been eating to notice a change in color?
I am on month 6, have noticed a slight change. I have dark brown at the moment.
I am particularly interested if you have alot of organ meants and butter?
thanks

i don't eat eggs often but i realized that i noticed the change after adding a small slice of liver to my daily diet. i'd say i've been doing this for about a month or so now. not sure if that had any effect...

[PaleoPhil]

While it's not necessary to eat eggs to change one's eye color to green or blue, they do seem to be one of the better foods at doing this. Here's an anecdote I posted elsewhere:

Quote
Ethyl D, 10. October 2006, 6:19

"When I changed to a low-carb diet a few years ago, within a week I noticed a change in my eye color from pale grey-blue to a much deeper turquoise blue. I assumed this change resulted from either the additional eggs or increased fat in my diet. Does this seem likely?"

From: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/nutrients-in-egg-yolks-help-prevent-macular-degeneration