Castor oil (ricinus communis) for constipation relief

[Lavandula Canadensis]

also posted (almost indentical) on Cronic Pain forum
here is the link for those who would like to follow it too
http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/showthread.php?t=33906

i just learned a little bit of information on castor oil therapeutic properties... from a great university nursing teacher and massotherapy teacher here at the art therapy centre... either taken internally or externally as a (abdominal) massage or as a pack (alone or with green clay)... for constipation and many other uses... enough for me to want to put more energy into discovering all what i can do with my new bottle... while unpacking and getting organized after big move... my articulations will certainly appreciate it too... as castor oil also has anti-inflammatory properties...

i just bought one bottle and should start using it today... i'll keep you posted on my discoveries...

according to Edgar Cayce, great American medium, good for arthritis, cellulite, constipation, ear ache, hemorrhoids, insomnia, insect bites, seasonal allergies, sunburn, tendonitis...

according the Canadian distributor to whom i just spoke to, apparently in India, people add 3% of castor oil to their salad and cooking oils... for daily internal hygiene... apparently, this is the only oil that won't turn rancid over the years at room temperature (except if you heat it up)...

as i just moved... 3rd move in 4 months... and a new member of 2 months... and have not yet been able to take the time to get up to date with all this forum... please forgive me if this info is already in here...

the only brand name available here in Québec, Canada, is Palma Christi, distributed by Innov'Import Inc. - they also have a new 2 months old 'certified organic' version which is not yet on their website... maybe other brands are available in other countries, but the basic information you would find on the internet would be quite the same...
http://www.innovimport.com/

and their blog, OutsideIN life is apparently worth visiting... i'll discover it at the same time as you...
http://outsideinlife.com/
http://outsideinlife.com/blog.php?id=44

"Health Canada approves of using Castor Oil internally in doses up to 5ml (1stp) for children and up to 15 ml (1tbsp) for adults. Please always consult a medical practitioner prior to using any laxative for severe conditions of constipation and/or increasing the recommended dose."

[Lavandula Canadensis]

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castor_oil_plant

[Mark N]

LC, thanks for the info on castor oil. I hope you get the results you are looking for from it.

[Proton Soup]

OMG, NO! that is a nasty remedy. my grandmother used to give that stuff to my mother every week until it nearly killed her one day, then never gave it to her again. and a friend of mine's mother got the regular dose as a child, too, and she's got chronic asthma now. i did a little checking after that, and it turns out asthma is a common disease in the workers who process the plant's seeds. i know that supposedly they get all the ricin out of it, but something about it is an allergen.

[Lavandula Canadensis]

from what i can recall from my childhood... castor oil won a very bad reputation mainly because people were taking excessive dosages... :eek:

castor oil is very powerful and an extra 1/2 tsp can make a big explosive difference... ex.: 1/2 tsp for me is too much... and two days is a row is explosive... 1/4 is ok, but only when i really need it... definitely not everyday... as i usually eat plenty of veggies and fruits...

but, the same quantity, as an external abdominal or under-foot massage may very well be just exactely what one needs... a few drops as a gentle abdominal massage has the reputation of bringing constipation relief on babies...

imho, one should try the smallest dosage, and increase it bit by bit, rather than taking 1 tsp that will produce regrettable results...

p.s. field workers in most farms that use chemical fertilizers & pesticides experience serious health problems, respiratory, dermatitis, neurological... not only ricinus fields... cotton, fruits, veggies, etc...

[brainandspinalcord]

I'd agree, castor oil can be very, very bad if you take too much. It's actually a good thing you only need to take a small amount, because it's not the most pleasant thing to take!

[Lavandula Canadensis]

brainandspinalcord,
i wonder why people say it's not pleasant to take... personally, i find it smells and tastes very much like sunflower seed oil...

tip: if someone has to take some... and don't like the taste or the texture... it can be put over your salad, your cold or hot cereals, your hot veggies or on your soup, after your served yourself... exactely like your would do with the flax seed oil (don't heat up either one)...

all these 3 movings this year have disturbed my healthy diet pattern a little... early this week, i ate something i should not have eaten... :eek: and which i had not eaten in 10-12 years... a burger from burger king, the only one that doesn't make me sick to my stomack and doesn't give me horrid migraine... :eek: it resulted in 2 days of bowel bloquage... so, i did a gentle external abdominal massage (clock wise) w 1 tsp of castor oil... diarrhea followed for 2 days... now i'm back to normal-soft end results, as i eat lots of veggies and some legumes ( incl. hummus)... but i still have some abdominal pain...

as i will not have another burger... :eek: i will never know if the diarrhea was from the burger fermentation, the chemicals in it, or from the castor oil massage... ;)

have a wonderful weekend everyone!!!

[BrierRose]

Will surely buy a bottle of castor oil in the nearest pharmacy in our neighborhood. Thanks for sharing the info an link. Very nice post.