Castor oil has been used by healers throughout history who understood its benefits in supporting wellness. In this piece, Certified Clinical Herbalist Christina Bertelli explores some of the new scientific research that verifies what healers have known for centuries, shares the impact castor oil has on PMS, fibroids, fertility, and postpartum recovery, and provides us with basic instructions for the use of the sticky oil.
History
The castor bean plant is a remedy with a remarkable history and wide variety of uses known around the world today and dating as far back as ancient Egypt. Though it has shown up in the medicine bags of countless folk healers throughout time, its observable results have often been dismissed and disregarded as unproven, or having cathartic effects due to aggravation and toxicity. There are now scientific studies verifying that castor oil works, and through very a targeted, non-toxic pathway.
One major community that has consistently valued the properties of castor oil and never abandoned its use, are midwives, doulas, and fertility specialists. As I discovered this relatively new research on the mechanism of castor oil, I found it exciting, though not surprising, to see that the intuition and experience in the lineage of birth workers was so perfectly aligned with the findings of what castor oil does biochemically.
Midwives and doulas have been fond of castor oil, taken orally, for its ability to start labor. Postpartum doulas suggest castor oil packs to help a woman’s body and abdominal organs return to normal function. Fertility specialists have used it to work on liver health and support hormonal balance.
In addition to birth workers, along the 4,000 year timeline of castor plant use, players have included healers from India, China, Persia, Greece, Rome, Aztec, Maya, Europe and the Americas. Many people age 50 and up still recall, but wish to forget, the dreaded spoon fulls of oily elixir they were force fed as a child by their Grandmother. We often find that Grandmothers are right on target with their “unproven” wisdoms, and it appears that castor oil has become yet another example.
How It Works Internally
The unique fatty acid compound that makes castor oil do what it does is called ricinoleic acid. Though other vegetable oils have some of this acid in their profile, castor bean oil is composed of 85-95% ricinoleic acid. According to a study published in October of 2014, it was shown that when castor oil is swallowed (by mice) the ricinoleic acid binds to prostaglandin receptor EP3. In the uterus, when EP3 binds to ricinoleic acid, it causes contractions and induces labor. Similarly, in the smooth muscle tissue of the small intestines, the ricinoleic acid binds to EP3 and stimulates a laxative response. (1)
This specific, and more sophisticated than expected, pathway of castor oil’s effect was demonstrated by a team of biologists from the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Germany.
Are topical treatments effective?
What do we know about the effectiveness of warm oil massages and castor oil packs? Do they work, and does the oil truly penetrate below the superficial layers of the skin?
Doulas have a myriad of experiences using the castor bean plant with their clients. Some mothers have difficult experiences when the dose they swallow produces more rapid results than is comfortable. Many Doulas have shared with me that they prefer to offer a belly massage with the oil as an alternative, and that they have seen this to have a more mild and gradual effect.
There are several studies showing significant positive results for castor pack therapy as:
- A successful means of reducing constipation in the elderly (2)
- An activator of the lymphocyte T-11 cells (3)(7)
The studies mentioned above show that topical castor pack therapy does have a positive result on healthy bowel function and relief of constipation symptoms. For 80% of the participants the condition was present for 10 years. The evidence of increased lymphocyte production from the use of packs also adds to the science behind the benefit of topical treatments. This small but growing body of research lends to the confidence in topical treatments. Furthermore, I find it interesting that pharmacological formulas of transdermal medicines incorporate castor oil as a vehicle for delivering drugs to localized areas.
The Castor Oil – Lymph – Pelvic Health Connection
The effect castor oil has on the lymph system is a major part of the castor pack magic! It has been said that a castor pack therapy can “activate lymph” or “increase circulation.” What this means is that it floats into the stream of lymph and increases the number of T-cell lymphocytes, thus empowering the body to produce more antibodies for killing viruses, fungi, and bacteria. (3)(7) The study observed a peak in results at 7 hours following use of a pack and then normalizing at 24 hours. This information affirms the value of keeping up with the therapy for a few days in a row.
The value of the lymph, and lymph-loving practices, is getting the spotlight in many popular natural health blogs these days. Not only does increased lymph flow activate a healthy immune response, it can pull up more toxins from the intestinal tract and from the extracellular spaces better. Lymph activity also aids the body in the absorption of nutritional fats. (4) Poor fat absorption can be an underlying issue with mood dips and disorders.
The main concentration of the lymph vessels are in the pelvic area and the ones inside the intestinal tract are known as the gut associated lymphoid tissue, or GALT. Sluggish lymph is a common aspect of modern living and current environmental realities. However, if one wants to access fuller vitality, maximize fertility, and longevity, then sluggish or clogged lymph cannot be ignored!
Tension and toxicity are often the culprits of so many pelvic health concerns. And although the GALT is in the gut and not the reproductive organs, it lives and operates right next door! It works in a different room of the same house. When you support the gut and the lymph in the gut, you support your reproductive health at the same time.
Once the river of lymph gets turned on and begins to flow more abundantly, the vessels widen. This awakens the parasympathetic nerves because they are what enervate the lymph vessels. It is believed that this relationship could be part of why castor oil packs bring people a sense of calm and help them sleep deeper when used before bed. This is great because more and more people are looking for routines to support a sense of calm in the evening in order to get a good night’s rest! Especially women who want to protect fertility or become pregnant soon need a nourishing evening routine to create a hormonally restorative lifestyle.
PMS, Fibroids, Fertility, and Postpartum Recovery
Premenstrual pain and cramping may be associated with the physical stress and emotional tension of stagnant lymph and the toxicity that builds up from the lymph river being too slow. Warm castor oil used as a massage or hot compress has been known to soften the pain and tension of PMS and offer a way for a woman to slow down and choose self care.
Fibroids typically have a connection with the body’s hampered ability to detoxify. (5) Hormonal imbalance and pelvic congestion are the result, if not a major part of the cause. Among other measures, women with fibroids often choose topical castor oil to relieve pain as well as to open up the intestinal and lymphatic drainage pathways.
For a woman preparing to conceive, castor oil packs can support the healthy flow of lymph, thereby helping to reduce pelvic and liver congestion. Pelvic congestion, or stagnation is the term you might hear from a Chinese Medicine doctor and it refers to reduced blood circulation and hormonal flow in the pelvic bowl and liver. This is seen as a common fertility challenge for many women, particularly those that spend a lot of the work day sitting at a desk. In this scenario, it is so important to take steps to clean the home, taking out the trash and wiping away the cobwebs of the pelvic bowl and set the stage for better function of the organs that live there.
Castor oil packs have been a useful strategy for womb wellness in the postpartum period by encouraging the uterus and intestines to return to normal function, supporting genitourinary recovery, and the release of organ adhesions. For a mother who has given birth by cesarean, adhesions and scars can slow the process of returning to normal. Castor oil packs are commonly a favorite strategy suggested by postpartum doulas and massage therapists to help with scars and adhesions.
After 4,000 years of use, the castor plant has established its value and potential for healing in folk medicine. Though it is not necessary, it is indeed interesting, to see how scientific research is identifying why it works. There have indeed been shadows and doubt around this plant, even among natural practitioners, and as with any powerful herb, it is warranted to be judicious and careful until you have developed a trust and relationship with it.
Perhaps the awareness of the studies mentioned in this article can help to clear some of the shadows and negative stigma around the castor plant. Certainly it is helpful to have greater confidence in what one recommends or invests time and resources in for themselves! And let this herbal story also help us to remember, not only the vast power of plants like castor to help us heal so many things, but the vast power of the human intuition and plant-human relationships which gave us an understanding of the castor plants actions with quite a reliable accuracy, well before the formal evidence of lab science.
How to use this remedy at home
Set Up
Choose a high quality, organic, cold-pressed castor oil. Pour 1-2 tablespoons onto a 12X12 inch soft, natural fiber cloth. Apply the oiled cloth to abdominal area and seal area with a layer of plastic. Cover with by a hot water bottle and then a layer of insulating towels. Rest for 1-2 hours. To aid in the clean up, wipe area with a warm water solution of 16 oz water : 1 T. baking soda.
Frequency
MENSTRUAL CARE: 2-3 days leading up to the beginning of your cycle. If you bleed heavily, do not let the treatment overlap with the first day of menstrual flow.
PRECONCEPTION: 3 days per week every week except week of menstruation. If attempting to conceive that cycle, stop after ovulation.
FIBROIDS & CYSTS : 3-4 days/week 2x day every week except week of menstruation.
POSTPARTUM : 3 days in a row as needed.
References
- Tunaru, Sorin, et al. Castor oil induces laxation and uterus contraction via ricinoleic acid activating prostaglandin EP 3 receptors. 2012.
- Arslan GG, Eser I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011;17(1):58-62.
- Grady, Harvey. Immunomodulation Through Castor Packs. Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. Vol 7, Number 1: p 84-88. 1999.
- Douillard, John. Remove Toxins From Your Fat Cells. Life Spa Blog. 2015.
- http://www.uterinefibroids.com/c_alt_castoroilpacks.htm
- Silva, Katherine. Fire Heart: The Life and Teachings of Maya Medicine Woman Miss Beatrice Torres Waight. p 218. 2011.
- Kennedy DA, Keaton D. Evidence for the Topical Application of Castor Oil. Int J Nat Med. 2012;5(1).
Christina Bertelli is a Certified Clinical Herbalist, Feminine Ecology & Vaginal Health Coach and founder of Femme Botanica. She is devoted to empowering women to uplift their vitality and deepen the roots of feminine energy. Christina resides in Asheville, North Carolina and sees clients in person or online. She is the creator of a new educational e-course called V-School, and makes a line of herb-infused castor oil kits.
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