Castor Oil has been a household medicine in our communities for decades as a laxative or as a stimulant in full-term labor in pregnant women among many other uses. The oil is extracted from ripe beans after the hull is removed, as the hull contains a deadly poison called ricin.

The benefits of Castor Oil include:

• Bowel preparation before colonoscopy. Some research suggests that taking a single dose of castor oil is effective for bowel preparation in people undergoing a colonoscopy. However, castor oil might not be as effective as other bowel preparations, such as sodium phosphate or bisacodyl plus magnesium citrate.
• Constipation. Castor oil works as a stimulant laxative for reducing constipation when taken by mouth.
• Birth control. There is some evidence that a single dose of castor seeds with the outer coat removed (hulled) can work as a contraceptive for up to 8-12 months.
• Dry eyes. Some research suggests that using eye drops containing castor oil might be effective for people with dry eyes.
• Stimulating full-term labor in pregnant women. A single 60 mL dose of castor oil appears to start labor within 24 hours in at least half of women at term pregnancy who try it. There is also some evidence that women at term pregnancy whose “water has broken” are more likely to go into labor and are less likely to need a Cesarean section if they take castor oil.

While these health benefits are tempting the use of castor oil comes with side effects such as stomach discomfort, cramping, nausea and faintness. It is not recommended to be taken for a long time in larger doses nor the whole seed by mouth, as this may lead to loss of fluids and potassium and because the outer shell is a deadly poison.

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