Practical Reasons to Stock a Bottle of Castor Oil at Home

December 8th, 2023

By Dr. Joseph Mercola

Contributing writer for Wake Up World

Castor oil is considered one of the world’s oldest drugs, perhaps most well-known for its laxative effects and ability to induce labor in pregnant women1 — although I don’t recommend using it for the latter purpose.

Made by pressing the seeds of the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis), the resulting pale yellow oil is made up of 90% ricinoleic acid, along with small amounts of linoleic (4%), oleic (3%), stearic and linolenic fatty acids.2

Castor is native to India but cultivated in Mediterranean countries such as Algeria, Egypt and Greece. In France, castor is grown as an ornamental plant because of its large and lovely foliage.3 Many ancient civilizations, including early Egyptians, Chinese and Persians, valued the castor plant for its many uses, such as fuel for lamps and as an ingredient in balms and ointments.

In Prehistoric Times, Castor May Have Been Used as a Poison

While castor beans have notable anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, antibacterial, wound-healing and laxative properties, they also contain ricin, a poison. This is why, if chewed and swallowed, castor beans are toxic. While ricin is also contained in the bean pulp that remains after it’s pressed for oil, it isn’t found in castor oil.

“Castor oil does not contain ricin because ricin does not partition into the oil,” according to the International Journal of Toxicology.4 It may be the poison from castor beans that has the longest usage. According to the Toxins review:5

“The castor plant has been known since time immemorial and its use in the prehistoric era has been evidenced by archaeological findings such as that of the Border Cave in South Africa. Traces of wax containing ricinoleic and ricinelaidic acids were found on a thin wooden stick, which was suggested to be a poison applicator, dating back to about 24,000 years ago.”

Ricin prevents protein synthesis and kills your cells through oral, nasal or intravenous transfusion. It’s so potent that ingesting or inhaling just 1 milligram may be fatal,6 just as eating four to eight castor seeds can lead to death.7 There is no antidote for ricin, which is why it’s even used as a chemical warfare agent. In 2013, there were reports of ricin being mailed to U.S. senators and even former President Obama.

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