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The health benefits of castor oil include relief from rheumatism, menstrual disorders, and constipation. It also helps in oral care, proper lactation, birth control, hair care, and skin care.
Even half a century ago, castor oil was a nightmare among children, and there were sufficient reasons behind that. It was extensively used as a purgative, and most peculiarly, as a medicine against almost all ailments in children (and olds too), ranging from cough and cold, fever, constipation, indigestion, ingestion of any poisonous stuff, tape worms and round worms, skin diseases and so on. The idea behind such a treatment was that malfunctions in the stomach were the roots to all other problems. So, whenever you have a problem, you need a thorough wash of your digestive system and the problem will be gone. Castor Oil was infamous due to other reasons too. Once upon a time, it was used to poison (administered in lower dosage to induce nausea, vomiting, sickness, loose motions etc.) and even to kill people. It is not a very healthy or nutritious thing and that is why it found its uses more in industries than in edibles. All the medicinal uses it has are mostly due to its germicidal, toxic, purgative and disinfectant properties. Castor Oil is tasteless and odorless oil extracted from Castor Seeds obtained from castor plant which is scientifically known as Ricinus Communis.
Let’s have a look what it can do for us. The health benefits of castor oil include the following:
- Rheumatism: The Ricinoleic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid and other fatty acids found in castor oil are very effective in treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, gout etc. They easily penetrate through the skin. Castor Oil is many a times mixed with other medicines for rheumatism to facilitate their penetration and to enhance the effects.
- Birth Control: Castor Oil contains a toxin called Ricin (a protein) which, if administered in very low dosages, acts as germicidal. Due to this property, it is also used as Spermicidal (in spermicidal gels, lotions etc.). If administered to pregnant ladies in higher dosages, it can also cause abortions. However, the second mode of birth control can be fatal for the mother too and is never recommended.
- Menstrual Disorders: Ricinoleic acid, present in castor oil, is Emenagogue in nature and helps open menstruation in cases of delayed or painful or stopped menstruations. It also helps relieve pain during menstruations.
- Skin Care: Castor oil contains Undecylenic Acid which, due to its germicidal and disinfectant properties, is useful in treating skin diseases and skin ulcers, particularly those which are caused due to bacterial or fungal infections.
- Lactation: Most of the substances which are Emenagogue in nature, are also Galactagogue in nature, that is, they stimulate secretion of milk. So is castor oil. Apart from easing and enhancing milk flow, it also increases quantity of milk due to presence of fatty acids in it. However, its cold-compressed form only should be taken in low doses to avoid its adverse effects on the infant.
- Hair Care: The germicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal properties of Ricin and Ricinoleic acid present in castor oil protect the scalp and hair from microbial and fungal infections, the two prime causes for hair loss. In addition, the fatty acids in it nourish hair and prevent the scalp from drying by retaining moisture.
- Constipation: Castor is most widely used as a laxative (better call it purgative). It is thus a very effective treatment in extreme cases of constipation where the bulk laxatives do not work.
- Other Benefits: Used as an effective purgative. Ricinoleic acid is anti inflammatory in nature. Castor oil is also used in medicines for HIV positive people, as compounds like Ricinoleic acid and Ricin in it have germicidal and anti viral effects. Castor oil is also used on burns, wounds etc. to protect them from infections.
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This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee.
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