Q: I’m a 58 year-old male. Three generations of my family have benefited from taking castor oil orally for arthritis. Lily used to make gel capsules but they have not been available for many years. For a while I took ½ teaspoon of castor oil a day. Now I fill ’00’ capsules and take three a day. The capsules are much cheaper on line or at a health store than they are at my pharmacy.
My grandmother was a nurse and where this ‘remedy’ originated from in my family. My mother told her doctor that she had great success with castor oil and asked why he didn’t recommend it to his patients. He replied that then he wouldn’t have as many patients if he did.
When I was young and my back caused pain and stiffness (I fractured three vertebrae in a motorcycle accident 15 years earlier), I would take ‘the cure’ for three to six months, then stop for several years until it returned. Now I take it year-round, as my back has become a real problem. I also tried castor oil topically for a period which seemed to work well, but applying it to my back was awkward and messy.
A: The most common use for castor oil is to treat constipation, yet there is reported use of the product as an antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, pain reducer, and immune system stimulator. In spite of what some researchers say, every user should be extremely cautious when experimenting with the product since there have been several reports of unwanted and serious side effects by some users.
Castor oil comes from the castor seed, native to India. It is a triglyceride comprised of fatty acids, 90% of which is ricinoleic acid. This particular fatty acid is also found in lesser concentrations in cottonseed oil and soybean oil and is believed to be responsible for what is purported to be castor oil’s unique healing properties. The oil has a consistent viscosity and will not freeze, making it ideal for lubricating equipment in extremely cold climates. In fact, the oil and its derivatives are used in the manufacture of soaps, lubricants, paints, dyes, inks, waxes, polishes, perfumes, hydraulic and brake fluids, and a great deal more. It is also useful as a lubricant in jet, diesel and race car engines that are regularly rebuilt because it tends to form gums in a short time.
The benefits of castor oil packs were made popular by the psychic healer Edgar Case author of The Oil That Heals and ultimately researched by Dr. William McGarey of Phoenix, Arizona. The author reported that when used properly, castor oil packs APPLIED EXTERNALLY improve the function of the thymus gland and other components of the immune system. Warnings indicate that as with everything else, a person must be careful regarding the source of castor oil. Much of what is currently sold in stores is derived from castor seeds that have been heavily sprayed with pesticides, solvent-extracted, deodorized or chemically processed which damages beneficial phytonutrients, and may even contaminate the oil with toxic agents. Emphasis is placed on the fact that many of the health benefits of castor oil are more anecdotal than scientific and adverse side effects have been reported.
The U. S. FDA has categorized castor oil as “generally recognized as safe and effective for over-the-counter use as a laxative. I am of a generation where a mother said to open wide and provided a spoonful of castor oil into a child’s mouth and I cannot dispute the FDA’s statement; however, I must urge current and potential users to be extremely careful when ingesting castor oil and to seek immediate attention for any side effects experienced. Personally, I’d rather opt for an over-the-counter laxative that, for all I know, may have a component of castor oil as an ingredient!