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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,
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!
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