CASTOR OIL
is a vegetableoil obtained from the castor bean (technically castor seed as thecastor plant, Ricinus communis, is not a member of the bean family).Castor oil is a colorless to very pale yellow
liquid with mild or noodor or taste. It is a triglyceride in which approximately ninetypercent of fatty acid chains are ricinoleic acid.Oleic and linoleicacids are the other significant
components
The UnitedStates Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has categorized castor oil as"generally recognized as safe and effective" (GRASE) forover-the-counter use as a laxative, with its major site of
action thesmall intestine. However, it is not a preferred treatment forconstipation. Undecylenic acid, a castor oil derivative, is alsoFDA-approved for over-the-counter use on skin disorders or
skinproblems.
Castor oilpenetrates deep into the skin thanks to its Molecular Weight. At 298u., research on transdermal absorption indicates castor oil willpenetrate the stratum corneum since it is below the
500 u. required todo so.
Ricinoleic acid is the main component of castor oil and it exerts anti-inflammatory effects.
One study hasfound that castor oil decreased pain more than ultrasound gel orVaseline during extracorporeal shock wave application.
The use of coldpressed castor oil in folk medicine predates government regulations.Cold pressed castor oil is tasteless and odorless when pure. Usesinclude skin problems, burns, sunburns, skin
disorders, skin cuts, andabrasions. Castor oil can also be used to draw out styes in the eye bypouring a small amount into the eye and allowing it to circulate aroundthe inside of the eyelid. The
oil is also used as a rub or pack forvarious ailments, including abdominal complaints, headaches, musclepains, inflammatory conditions, skin eruptions, lesions, and sinusitis.A castor oil pack is
made by soaking a piece of flannel in castor oil,then putting it on the area of complaint and placing a heat source,such as a hot water bottle, on top of it. This remedy was oftensuggested by the
American Healing Psychic, Edgar Cayce, given in manyhealing readings in the early mid-1900s.[31] Castor has been used toinduce childbirth, but does not always work. Castor oil triggerscramping in
the bowel (hence it being an effective laxative) andsometimes this cramping spreads to the uterus. In an overdue pregnancyin which the mother's cervix is already effacing and partially
dilated,this cramping can become labor contractions. Castor oil induced laborcan be stressful on the mother and fetus as the cramping can be quitesevere, causing irregular, painful contractions,
which can cause fetaldistress. It also leaves the laboring woman quite dehydrated as aresult of the vomiting and diarrea which result when the recommendeddose of castor oil for labor induction is
taken--2 oz, or about 8tbsps. This leaves her without access to the energy she could otherwisederive from food or drink throughout her labor process. Some womenprefer this method to a chemical
induction in a hospital. Using castoroil for induction is not recommended without consulting a medicalpractitioner and is not recommended in a complex pregnancy.
