“Use beeswax in case of purulent (puss) tonsillitis.”
Hippocrates – 450 BC
“Purge the body with kiki (castor oil) for three days every month.”
Herodotus – 500 BC
“Castor oil may be used for mal-digestion & constipation. It can be combined with figs & dates for internal use as a laxative. Rub castor oil around the eyes for relief of irritation. Use castor oil for skin burns. Stimulation of labor may be induced with castor oil.”
The Eber’s Papyrus - 1550 BC
Beeswax and castor oil are both antibacterial, anti-fungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory.
Castor oil’s long history and varied uses give it the status of an almost supernatural elixir. In ancient Egypt, more than 4,000 years ago, castor oil was a primary source of lighting. Currently castor oil lubricates heavy equipment, and is used as motor oil in the high performance engines of drag-race cars.
In western medicine, it is used in chemotherapy, HIV medications, antifungals, anti-bacterials, and as artificial tears for the eyes. It can cleanse the liver and gallbladder, eliminate digestive problems, make wound repairs, reduce or eliminate eczema and psoriasis, ameliorate menopause symptoms, soften the skin, and boost the immune system. It has helped mothers birth babies for thousands of years. If the castor seed is processed for nefarious reasons, it can make a deadly toxin called ricin. How can this one plant do all of these things?
Castor oil comes from pressed castor seeds and was domesticated more than 6000 years ago. 90% of castor oil is composed of a triglyceride, an omega-9 fatty acid called ricinoleic acid. “…ricinoleic acid latches onto EP3 molecules in smooth muscle cells on the walls of the small intestine and causes contractions, explaining castor oil’s effectiveness as a laxative.”
Peristalsis in our intestines, the wave like motion our intestines make when we need to have a bowel movement, is a smooth muscle contraction. Smooth muscles are also located just underneath the endothelial tissues of our hollow organs, and under our epithelial tissues (the tissues of our skin.) Smooth muscle is called involuntary muscle, and it contracts in response to environmental and/or physical stimuli. The pupils of the eyes contracting and/or dilating for varying levels of light, and goose bumps of the skin to temperature changes are examples.
Hollow organs include the breasts, reproductive organs including the penis, testes, and uterus, lungs, sinuses, intestinal tract, bladder, kidneys, and venous and lymph systems. Hollow organs respond to stimuli, including volumes of air, liquids, other matter, and temperature. Castor oil directs them to return to their natural, resilient shapes.
Our bodies make a hormone called prostaglandin, and it triggers contractions, but it can also trigger inflammation. Parts of our brains, like the hypothalamus, contain prostaglandin. By anointing with castor oil, brain inflammation can be reduced, and the workings of the mind enlightened (made lighter) through a reduction in swelling.
