Bernard Jensen
Bernard Jensen (1908-2001) was an American chiropractor, nutritionist, and iridologist known for his promotion of complementary and alternative medicine practices. After experiencing health issues in his youth, including an incurable lung disease, Jensen was mentored by practitioners who emphasized natural healing methods. This led him to establish a chiropractic practice and later develop multiple nature cure sanitariums in California, where he treated chronic illnesses using holistic approaches. Jensen's methods included advocating for healthy diets, exercise, stress management, and various alternative therapies such as hydrotherapy and acupuncture.
He authored numerous books and articles, sharing his philosophy that the mind and body are interconnected and advocating for overall wellness. Despite the controversy surrounding some of his ideas, especially in iridology, his influence persists through the continued teachings of his practices by his family and followers. Jensen's legacy includes a commitment to holistic health and the promotion of natural diets free from processed ingredients, contributing to the ongoing dialogue around alternative medicine.
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Bernard Jensen
- Born: March 25, 1908; Stockton, California
- Died: February 22, 2001; Escondido, California
Overview
American chiropractor and nutritionist who promoted a variety of complementary and alternative approaches. Bernard Jensen was an American iridologist, chiropractor, nutritionist, entrepreneur, and author of numerous books and articles on health and healing. He was born in Northern California, where he later attended college to study chiropractic medicine (his father's profession). It is said that Jensen’s health began to deteriorate at a young age and that he was later diagnosed with bronchiectasis, which is an incurable lung disease. However, he was reportedly mentored by a Seventh-Day Adventist physician, who taught him the principles of good nutrition and other natural approaches to managing his health. Using these practices, Jensen reportedly nursed himself back to relatively good health and went on to open a chiropractic practice in California around 1929.
Jensen reportedly relied on chiropractic and other natural methods to treat his patients. Specifically, he was said to recommend a healthy diet, regular exercise, sufficient rest, stress management, and maintaining vigor for life that involved providing service and support to fellow human beings. He posited that a combination of such natural steps would maintain or improve a person’s health.
Jensen was eventually mentored by a Norwegian homeopath, Victor Rocine, learning the importance of physician-patient interactions and the need for long-term care for the well-being of some persons with chronic illnesses. Based on this idea, he went on to develop multiple nature cure sanitariums in California, where he treated persons with serious illnesses such as cancer, arthritis, weight disorders, and other degenerative diseases. He reportedly treated hundreds of thousands of patients in these sanitariums using natural approaches, and he gained some notoriety for these efforts.
In addition to his notable work in iridology, which studies the iris of the eye to determine a person’s health status, Jensen supported numerous other methods that fall within the classifications of complementary or alternative medicine, including hydrotherapy, fasting, reflexology, homeopathy, and acupuncture. He reportedly taught his methods to several doctors around the world and wrote hundreds of works during his lifetime.
Jensen’s teachings and enterprise have been maintained after his death. His daughter-in-law and protégé, Ellen Tart-Jensen, continues to apply and teach his practices. In the twenty-first century, many of Jensen's ideas on iridology remain controversial and lack supporting scientific evidence. However, his impact on the complementary and alternative medicine community is still evident in his promotion of holistic health. Jensen advocated for whole food and plant-based diets that avoided artificial ingredients and processed foods. He was also an early proponent of colon health and detoxification. His belief that the mind and body are connected and that individuals must care for themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually is widely held in traditional and alternative medicine communities today.
Bibliography
Barden, Anna. "Can iridology really detect health conditions by analyzing the iris?" All About Vision, 12 Oct. 2022, www.allaboutvision.com/eye-care/eye-exams/what-is-iridology. Accessed 8 Sept. 2024.
Ernst, E. "Iridology Not Useful and Potentially Harmful." Arch Ophthalmology, vol. 118, no. 1, Jan. 2000, pp. 120-121, doi:10.1001/archopht.118.1.120. Accessed 8 Sept. 2024.
Jensen, Bernard. Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Body Chemistry and Nutrition. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill, 2000.
Dr. Jensen’s Juicing Therapy: Nature’s Way to Better Health and a Longer Life. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill, 2000.
Dr. Jensen’s Nutrition Handbook: A Daily Regimen for Healthy Living. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill, 2000.
West, Kim. "Bernard Jensen 1908-2001." American Botanical Council, 2023, www.herbalgram.org/resources/herbalgram/issues/54/table-of-contents/article2187. Accessed 8 Sept. 2024.