Castor oil is known for its medicinal purposes. It has been used around the world for many years in folk medicine, and it is taken internally and applied to the body externally to relieve a variety of complaints.
History
The castor oil plant was known in ancient Rome as Palma Christi, which means "hand of Christ." According to the Journal of Naturopathic Medicine, 4,000-year-old castor bean seeds, which are cold pressed to make castor oil, have been found in Egyptian tombs. The journal also states that castor oil has been historically used for a variety of medicinal purposes in Africa, India, China, Persia, Greece, Rome and the Americas.
Benefits
In the folk medicine tradition, castor oil is said to be a laxative, pain reliever, muscle relaxant, itch reducer, sore healer, eye irritation remover, labor inducer for pregnant women and a means of increasing the flow of breast milk.
External Uses
Castor oil can be put into the eye with an eyedropper to dislodge a foreign object, or it can be applied directly to the skin to stop itching or treat ringworm. It can also be made into a compress and put on the outside of the body to relieve various aches, pains and injuries or induce labor. To do this, soak a cloth in the oil, fold it over a few times, and apply the cloth to the area that's in pain or the pregnant belly for at least an hour. It's best to lie on a sheet of plastic while doing this to make cleanup easier, and put another sheet of plastic on top of the oil-soaked cloth. A heating pad on medium heat, placed on top of the plastic, will increase the oil's ability to work.
Internal Uses
Castor oil has a reputation for tasting terrible, so most people don't just ingest it by the spoonful anymore, although that's the classic folk remedy. Instead, put it in capsules or mix it with lemon oil, cinnamon water or coffee. The main internal use is as a laxative, although midwives have been known to give it to pregnant women, in addition to external application, to induce labor.
Industrial Uses
Castor oil can be used to make homemade soap, and commercial soap production sometimes uses it too. It's also often found as an ingredient in plastics, paints, cosmetics, textiles, inks, dyes, polishes, lubricants and adhesives.
Precaution
Some people are concerned that the castor oil plant contains ricin, a deadly poison. While those who advocate using castor oil for medicinal purposes say there's not enough ricin in the oil to hurt anyone, it's best to be safe and choose the best quality oil possible. High-quality, cold-pressed castor oil can be found in many health food stores.
Member Comments