Natural Living: The magic of castor oil

When most people hear the words “castor oil” they cringe, bringing back childhood memories of their mom forcing a tablespoon down their mouth in order to move their bowels. Castor oil does indeed have an amazing laxative effect, however if our moms and grandmothers knew the myriad benefits of castor oil as Edgar Cayce did nearly a century ago, we would be consuming it like many pop ibuprofen.

Castor oil comes from the castor seed, Ricinus communis, which is native to India. It’s called the Palma Christi, or “palm of Christ.” Science has shown its antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal effects. It has been used for thousands of years to stimulate the liver, relieve pain, increase lymphatic circulation, reduce inflammation, and improve digestion.

Countless reports show current use of castor oil is used to treat a wide variety of health conditions such as cholecystitis, epilepsy, various liver conditions, asthma, scleroderma, headaches, appendicitis, colitis, and other intestinal disorders, arthritis, CFS, IBS, gynecological disorders, eye irritation, healing wounds and scars, fibromyalgia, acne, growths (such as lumps, tumors, cysts and bone spurs), psoriasis, gout, kidney stones, hypertension, lymphatic issues, skin disorders and more.

Edgar Cayce popularized the castor oil pack, which is now used for many ailments. A castor oil pack can be placed on the right side of the abdomen to stimulate the liver, on inflamed and swollen joints, bursitis, and muscle strains, the abdomen to relieve constipation and other digestive disorders and the lower abdomen in cases of menstrual irregularities and uterine and ovarian cysts.

Castor oil packs are made by soaking a three layered piece of flannel in castor oil and placing it on the skin. The flannel is covered with a sheet of plastic, and then a hot water bottle is placed over the plastic to heat the pack. Leave pack on for 45 to 60 minutes. Wash the skin with soap and water when finished.

Clinical results have shown the following results:

Five drops of castor oil orally each morning to control allergies; puncture wounds, cuts and bruises heal rapidly when rubbed with castor oil; prevention of pregnancy stretch marks when abdomen is rubbed with castor oil during the last two months of pregnancy;

rapid healing of a sprained ankle wrapped overnight in castor oil; marked reduction in tinnitus and hearing loss by applying castor oil drops in the ears.

Rapid healing of hepatitis using daily castor oil packs; clearing of cataracts with one drop of castor oil in each eye at bedtime;

healing of a pilonidal cyst after castor oil packs; Clearing of brown skin aging spots with castor oil plus baking soda; Relief of severe eye allergies by rubbing eyelids with castor oil at bedtime; relief of low back pain with one week of castor oil packs.

Relief of chronic diarrhea with abdominal castor oil packs; clearing of vocal cord nodes and hoarseness with castor oil packs daily on the neck for three months; complete clearing of tinnitus with 6-8 drops of castor oil orally each day for four weeks; clearing of hyperactivity with abdominal castor oil packs; removal of a wart after four weeks of applicator of castor oil on a Band-Aid; resolution of a calcium deposit from the sole of the foot with daily castor oil massage.

Clearing of skin cancer with castor oil plus baking soda; clearing of snoring after two weeks of abdominal castor oil packs; rapid clearing of a bee sting by application of castor oil; increased hair growth with daily scalp massage with castor oil 20 minutes before shampooing; clearing of nail fungus after four months of castor oil packs on the nail.

To assure high quality castor oil, buy organic from a natural health food store.