The Skinny On Castor Oil

I’m sure everyone is familiar with the “oil that grandma used to make you take”, aka Castor Oil. She would push it for everything from constipation to nervous tension. “Just take a spoon of this, and you’ll feel better”. Well, as usual grandmother knew what she was talking about. Now we have the research and current studies to back her up. Castor oil, made from the castor bean/seed is one of Nature’s most amazing gifts. I have just recently started using it in some rather unorthodox ways (in my eyes) and am truly amazed at the results. Let’s take a few minutes and look at all the things castor oil can do, shall we?

Dr. Mercola stated in one of his recent articles, “You are probably aware that castor oil is regarded by some as a remedy for constipation remedy.

But you may not be aware of its reported use as an antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal, or that it has been used topically to treat a variety of skin conditions, reduce pain, and stimulate your immune system.” As always, I recommend that you use caution when exploring new herbal treatments and do not just charge in full throttle until you have done your homework. Hopefully, this article will help steer you in the right direction.

What is Castor Oil and Where Does it Come From?

History of the Castor Seed: Ricinus Communis

Castor oil comes from the castor seed, Ricinus communis, which has a very unusual chemical composition. Castor oil is a triglyceride, comprised of fatty acids, 90 percent of which is ricinoleic acid.

This unique fatty acid is found in lower concentrations in a few other seeds and oils and is thought to be responsible for castor oil’s unique healing properties. The castor seed plant is native to India.

Centuries ago, the plant was referred to as “Palma Christe” because the leaves were said to resemble the hand of Christ. This association likely arose out of people’s reverence for the plant’s healing abilities.

It was later adopted for medicinal use in Ancient Egypt, China, Persia, Africa, Greece, Rome, and eventually in 17^th Century Europe and the Americas. Castor oil is now widely used in industry. The stem of the plant is used in the textile industry, particularly in Russia, where castor oil is known as “Kastorka.”

The oil has a very consistent viscosity and won’t freeze, which makes it ideal for lubricating equipment in severely cold climates. Modern non-medicinal uses for castor oil include:

Food additive and flavoring agent
Mold inhibitor
Ingredient in skin care products and cosmetics (lipstick, shampoo, soap, and others)
Used in the manufacturing of plastics, rubbers, synthetic resins, fibers, paints, varnishes, lubricants, sealants, dyes, and leather treatments; the lubricants company Castrol took its name from castor oil

Castor oil was first used as an aircraft lubricant in World War I. So, castor oil has a number of handy industrial uses. But did you know that the castor seeds from which castor oil is made can be DEADLY?

How can something that heals also kill

The potent toxin ricin is made from a protein in the castor seeds that, if ingested (orally, nasally, or injected), gets into the ribosomes of your cells where it prevents protein synthesis, which kills the cells. Ricin is made from the “mash” that is left over after processing castor seeds into oil. For this reason, I recommend you buy castor oil, and do not attempt to make your own.

Just 1 milligram of ricin is fatal if inhaled or ingested, and much less than that if injected. Eating just 5 to 10 castor seeds would be fatal.

Once poisoned, there’s no antidote, which is why ricin has been used as a chemical warfare agent. Even though such a toxic component is also derived from this seed, castor oil isn’t considered dangerous.

According to the International Journal of Toxicology’s Final Report on Castor Oil , you don’t have to worry about castor oil being contaminated by ricin, because ricin does not “partition” into the castor oil. Castor oil has been added to cosmetic products for many years, without incident. For example, castor oil and hydrogenated castor oil were reportedly used in 769 and 202 cosmetic products, respectively, in 2002.

The U.S. FDA gives castor oil a “thumbs up,” deeming it “generally regarded as safe and effective” for use as a stimulant laxative.

The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives has established an acceptable daily castor oil intake of up to 0.7 mg/kg body weight. This amounts to, roughly, one tablespoon for adults and one teaspoon for children. Taking castor oil orally usually results in a “purging” of the digestive tract in about four to six hours.

According to the International Castor Oil Association, castor oil studies in which people were dosed with castor oil at dietary concentrations as high as 10 percent for 90 days did not produce any ill effects.

Is there a side effect with castor oil?

Of course, we have all heard about castor oil’s wonderful ability to reverse constipation, but one word to those who have Irritable Bowel Syndrome or ulcers, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, colitis, prolapses, or have recently undergone surgery, you should probably avoid castor oil due to possible reactions. Castor oil is broken down by your small intestine into ricinoleic acid, which acts as an irritant to your intestinal lining. This effect is what gives castor oil the ability to reverse constipation—but it’s also the reason that some people report digestive discomfort, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal side effects.

Modern Medicinal Uses for Castor Oil

In general, the reported medicinal uses of castor oil fall into the following five general categories:

Gastrointestinal remedy
Antimicrobial (antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal)
Labor stimulant
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic
Immune system and lymphatic stimulant

The oil’s benefits can be derived by topical application, and it appears to be useful for a variety of skin conditions like keratosis, dermatosis, wound healing, acne, ringworm, warts and other skin infections, sebaceous cysts, itching, and even hair loss. Castor oil and ricinoleic acid also enhance the absorption of other agents across your skin. And castor oil shows some promise in the treatment of cancer. For this reason, we use castor oil in several of our skin care products including our Alive and Fresh Face Wash.

They also report that early clinical trials suggest that ricin, when combined with an antibody to confine this poison to malignant cells, shrinks tumors in lymphoma patients. In fact, castor oil has been reportedly used to treat all of the following conditions listed below. While I certainly cannot attest to castor oil’s efficacy for all of these conditions (as there is not enough research to date), I list them here as a way to illustrate the wide array of possibilities.

Multiple sclerosis	Parkinson’s Disease	Cerebral Palsy
Arthritis	Migraine and other headaches	Cholecystitis (inflamed gallbladder)
Epilepsy	Liver ailments, including cirrhosis	Scleroderma
Appendicitis, colitis, and other intestinal problems	AIDS	Detoxification
Cancer	Eye irritation	Gynecological problems

Studies Support Castor Oil’s Efficacy as an Antimicrobial, Anti-Inflammatory, and Immunostimulant

While castor oil has been thoroughly investigated for its industrial use, only a minimal amount of research has been directed toward its medicinal benefits. That said, the healing properties of castor oil appear to have survived countless generations of scrutiny. I believe it has enough history behind it to at least warrant greater scientific exploration, and perhaps a little careful at-home experimentation on your own. Oftentimes, modern day scientific studies end up validating thousands of years of “folklore.”

Castor Oil May Promote Healing by Boosting Your Lymphatic System

One of the more compelling health benefits, if true, is castor oil’s support of your immune system. And this healing property does not require you ingest the oil, but only apply it externally.

The benefits of castor oil packs were popularized by the late psychic healer Edgar Cayce, and then later researched by primary care physician William McGarey of Phoenix, Arizona, a follower of Cayce’s work and the author of The Oil That Heals. McGarey reported that, when used properly, castor oil packs improve the function of your thymus gland and other components of your immune system. More specifically, he found in two separate studies that patients using abdominal castor oil packs had significant increases in lymphocyte production compared to placebo packs.

Lymphocytes are your immune system’s disease-fighting cells and are produced and stored mainly in your lymphatic tissue (thymus gland, spleen, and lymph nodes). Hundreds of miles of lymphatic tubules allow waste to be collected from your tissues and transported to your blood for elimination, a process referred to as lymphatic drainage. When your lymphatic system is not working properly, waste and toxins can build up and make you sick.

Lymphatic congestion is a major factor leading to inflammation and disease. This is where castor oil comes in. When castor oil is absorbed through your skin (according to Cayce and McGarey), your lymphocyte count increases. Increased lymphocytes speed up the removal of toxins from your tissues, which promotes healing.

Castor Oil Can Work Wonders Applied Topically

When my sister’s liver was failing a few years ago, everyone had given up hope. She was at home with 24-hour nurses and doctors coming to the house to see her weekly. She was unable to talk, confined to a wheelchair and not able to do anything for herself. I went to see her for a week and took along my “supplies”. For five days, I applied castor oil packs to her abdomen and liver area 3-4 times a day. After about three days, we were beginning to see some results. She was talking and asking for various types of foods (had an appetite), and able to spend a little longer time out of bed. By the time I had to leave, we had agreed that the next time I came she would be dressing herself and brushing her own hair. The doctor came that morning and stated, “you are doing so much better that I am going to take you ‘out of the woods’”. Applying castor oil packs can be very effective, here’s how to do it.

Castor oil “packs” can be an economical and efficient method of infusing the ricinoleic acid and other healing components of castor oil directly into your tissues. You would be wise to do a “patch test” prior to applying a castor oil pack to make sure you aren’t allergic to the oil.

There are several ways to use castor oil topically. You can simply rub castor oil onto an affected area of your skin. Or, you can affix a Band-Aide soaked in castor oil if only a very small area needs to be treated. For larger or more systemic applications, it can be used as massage oil, which is reported especially effective when applied along your spinal column, massaged along your lymphatic drainage pathways. But the coup de grace of castor oil therapy is the “castor oil pack.” To make a castor oil pack, you will need the following supplies:

High quality cold-pressed castor oil (see last section of this article)
A hot water bottle or heating pad
Plastic wrap, sheet of plastic, or plastic garbage bag
Two or three one-foot square pieces of wool or cotton flannel, or one piece large enough to cover the entire treatment area when folded in thirds
One large old bath towel

Below are instructions for making and using a castor oil pack (courtesy of Daniel H. Chong, ND):

Fold flannel three layers thick so it is still large enough to fit over your entire upper abdomen and liver or stack the three squares.
Soak flannel with the oil so that it is completely saturated. The oil should be at room temperature.
Lie on your back with your feet elevated (using a pillow under your knees and feet works well), placing flannel pack directly onto your abdomen; cover oiled flannel with the sheet of plastic, and place the hot water bottle on top of the plastic.
Cover everything with the old towel to insulate the heat. Take caution not to get the oil on whatever you are laying on, as it can stain. If necessary, cover that surface with something to protect it.
Leave pack on for 45 to 60 minutes.
When finished, remove the oil from your skin by washing with a solution of two tablespoons of baking soda to one-quart water, or just soap and water. (Be sure to wash the towel by itself, as the castor oil can make other clothes stink if washed together.)
You can reuse the pack several times, each time adding more oil as needed to keep the pack saturated. Store the pack in a large zip-lock bag or other plastic container in a convenient location, such as next to your bed. Replace the pack after it begins to change color.
For maximum effectiveness, apply at least four consecutive days per week for one month. Patients who use the pack daily report the most benefits.

One More Thing….

I mentioned earlier that I was using castor oil in my eyes. I use our Ever Clear Eye Care daily to nourish and strengthen my eyes and help prevent macular degeneration, improve eyesight etc. But the castor oil at bedtime is moisturizing them and really helping prevent dry eyes during the day. Castor oil is an age old Ayurvedic remedy with quite a number of beneficial uses. Ayurveda uses castor oil eyedrops to reduce symptoms related to everything from dry, red, itchy eyes, “allergy eyes”, styes, conjunctivitis (Pink Eye), subconjuntival hemorrhage (broken blood vessel in the eye) glaucoma and cataracts. I just place a drop or two in each eye before I retire. For more information on what castor oil can do for the eyes check out this article https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/6-benefits-using-castor-oil-eyes-aishwarya-malhotra

I hope this information is helpful for those of you who are interested in the many uses of castor oil. Isn’t it wonderful how one simple oil can be so helpful and healing. We keep learning and digging deep because we know that Nature Heals You Best!

Sending you many blessings,

Wendy

Products and services rendered by Crooked House Herbals and its representatives are intended to assist in educating those persons interested in exploring options in wellness. They are not intended to replace the care of a medical professional. It is always advised to receive a diagnosis from a licensed health care professional before exploring alternatives.

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Tags antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, castor oil, pain relief

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