Castor Oil For Constipation
Safe but not recommended
Before reading, you should be aware that although the FDA classifies castor oil as a GRASE agent, a fancy acronymic way of saying "Generally Recognized As Safe and Effective"(!), at the same time the FDA doesn't suggest the use of castor oil in treating constipation. In fact, the FDA will caution against people using it. And as usually, even if you decide to try a natural treatment, you should consult with a physician. Natural treatments can still lead to adverse effects.
A long history
Castor oil has a long history of being used as a curative agent for many ills over thousands of years. Some of those uses have fallen into disfavor as modern medicine has achieved an increasingly improved understanding of diseases and conditions. Yet among the few things for which it remains useful seems to be constipation.
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The United States Federal Drug Administration (FDA), responsible for scrutinizing, regulating and approving new medications, has stated that castor oil is a safe and effective agent for the relief of constipation. This is unusual to most people because the FDA does not regulate a lot of natural remedies for constipation. But it turns out that the category set up by the FDA for such products is known as GRASE, or "Generally recognized as safe and effective." Although there may not even be a controlled clinical study, the weight of historical evidence is such that the FDA is confident in issuing such a statement. However, we should also understand that FDA has said that this shouldn't be the preferred or first line of treatment for people with constipation.
The castor plant
A Castor oil is extracted from the well-known castor plant, the latin name of whch is ricinus communis. In manufacturing and industry, castor oil has uses in production of soap, lubricants, brake fluids and perfume to name just a few. The seeds of these plant even contain ricin, a deadly poison. Its potency as a poison has led to studies about whether it would be effective as a biological weapon. Of course, as ricin doesn't partition out with the oil, it's absent in pharmacy products. In medicine, castor oil is used for a large number of skin related ailments, such as mild sun burns, skin cuts, abrasions and styes in the eye. The oil has a small molecular size, allowing it to easily penetrate deeply into the skin, a factor that's likely to play a role in its positive effects on skin. Finally, castor oil is frequently used for relieving constipation.
A dual action natural remedy for constipation
How does castor oil work as a natural remedy for constipation? One theory is that it behaves like mineral oil, another lubricant laxative. Once inside the gut, castor oil can coat the surface of stool. The oil coating reduces the loss of water from the stool thereby ensuring that the stool remains soft and bulky. Another theory is that castor oil is actually a stimulant of movement in the intestines. Castor oil is broken down into different chemical components in the small intestine. These components may exert additional medicinal and physiological effects that lead to intestinal contractions. Indeed, in historical times it has been used to induce contractions in women in labor, although this use has largely been stopped due to numerous safety concerns.
Side-effects
Those who take castor oil report that the abdominal contractions tend to be quite forceful, and can cause diarrhea or cramps. As with any medicines, natural remedy or not, it's always wise to consult with a health professional who can evaluate whether you should take it or not. Indeed, a pregnant woman who has constipation may well want to avoid taking castor oil given that it can lead to unwanted contractions.
Sources
NIH drug information on castor oil and other stimulant laxatives.