The cure for your aches and pains!  Just be careful as to how you use it!

 

Interactions

The oil of the castor bean is the main product used by humans today.  Countries known for castor oil production today are India, China, Brazil, Russia, Argentina, Thailand and the Phillipines.  Castor oil is a special vegetable oil due to the fact that the chemical make-up is unlike any other vegetable oil. 

The chemicals derived from the castor bean are considerably superior due to the fact that they are from renewable sources, bio-degradable and eco-friendly.  Castor oil is used to make paint, varnish, soap, laxatives, printing inks, linoleum, oilcloth, lubricants and greases.  It is also used as a solvent of pure alkaloids such as cocaine and can be used to remove after-irritation caused by removal of foreign objects from the eye.  The residue that is left after the oil is extracted is called pomace.  This pomace contains a toxin called ricin.  Ricin is a toxin that is unsuitable for live stock feed but due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium it is used as a fertilizer.  You can learn more about ricin in the Facts section!  The leaves of the castor bean have been subject to research and have potential of being used as an insecticide.  The stems are used to create cardboard, wallboard, newsprint and other paper materials due to the high pulp and cellulose content.

Want to learn about another plant grown for oil?  Click here to learn about the Sunflower!

Castor oil contains a unique acid known as Ricinoleic acid.  This acid has been known to work as a preventative measure against certain virus,

bacteria, yeasts and molds.   It is also said that castor oil can be used to treat ringworm, keratoses, skin inflammation, abrasions, fungal-infected finger and toenails, acne and chronic pruritus.  These conditions are typically treated by leaving a cloth soaked with castor oil over the affected area overnight.

The people of India have found it useful in treating gastrointestinal problems including constipation and inflammatory bowel disease.  They also found it useful in treating vaginal and bladder infections along with asthma. 

The effect of castor oil on skin inflammation is brought up several times all over the world.  In India the seed is boiled in milk or water and drank to relieve arthritis and lower back pain.  In the Canary Islands nursing mothers are known to rub the leaves on their breasts to increase milk secretion and relieve inflammation in the mammary glands.

Dr. McGarey reported, that when used property, castor oil can improve the function of the thymus gland and other areas of the immune system.  He found significant increases in lymphocytes which are disease-fighting cells of the human immune system.

Want to learn about more ways that castor oil is useful to humans?  Well then click here and explore!

Want to learn about some cool castor plant facts?  Head on over to the Facts section!

Back to Home              To Multipleorganisms.net           To UW-Lacrosse