We’ve all been raised on the idea of the inevitability of progress in every area of human endeavor. Thanks to our natural ingenuity, things, we believe, are getting better every day and in every way.
Except, that is, when it comes to taking care of our health. With the notable exception of certain surgery and emergency Western medicine (if a building ever falls on either of us, we want the best of space-age wizardry to put us back together), much of what modern medicine has come up with to treat the great raft of chronic conditions that plague us isn’t working too well.
In many instances, the most sophisticated drug-based medication cannot compete with many tried and tested natural remedies, some of them more than 3,000 years old. That’s definitely the case with castor oil, the star of WDDTY’s May 2024 issue, which is gaining traction all over social media as if it were a brilliant, innovative cure-all right out of a high-tech Big Pharma lab.
Castor oil is simply a vegetable oil extracted from the seeds of the castor plant (Ricinus communis), which is common in such places as India, Mozambique, China, Brazil and elsewhere in Africa and the Far East.
Many of its varieties grace homes as house plants. But there’s nothing new or innovative about it. One of the oldest plants to be cultivated, oil of Ricinus was used more than 2,000 years ago by the ancient Egyptians and other early civilizations that recognized its extraordinary ability to heal a wide range of ailments.
Even Cleopatra is purported to have revered the oil as a means of brightening the whites of her eyes.
Doctors used to know this. No general practitioner worth their Hippocratic Oath would have left their office without a bottle of the stuff in their black bag, and they turned to it for everything from arthritis and constipation to viral and bacterial infections.
Indeed, one of its common nicknames is the “palm of Christ” because of its purported ability to heal wounds plus a long list of bodily complaints.
It’s chiefly known as a powerful laxative since it stimulates both the large and small intestines to shove clogged-up fecal matter out the door, and the rich fatty acids it contains also help to maintain moisture in the bowel.
But there are dozens of other uses for this all-purpose elixir.
Besides its usefulness to ease joint pain, there’s good evidence it helps to heal loads of eye problems, such as dry eye and blepharitis.
It has successfully treated a range of skin complaints—from acne and stretch marks to ringworm and toenail fungus—and many users claim that as a bonus, the oil plumps up the skin, eliminating fine lines and wrinkles.
Doctors have used it to reduce swelling and inflammation, heal wounds and abrasions, and increase flow in both the circulatory and lymphatic systems.
For women, it’s said to relieve menstrual cramps and even induce labor.
Then there are the claims that it helps with growing healthier, more luxuriant hair, including in lashes and eyebrows.
As with any substance, there can be too much of a good thing, though, and castor oil should be considered a medicine to be used in limited amounts and only after a patch test. Even too much of it applied topically can cause a skin reaction, facial swelling or breathing issues. And too much taken orally can cause such issues as dizziness, abdominal cramps, low blood pressure and electrolyte disturbances.
In fact, too much castor oil can be a poison.
The level of safety has a lot to do with your age, weight and state of health. It’s not a bad idea to consult a healthcare professional who knows something about castor oil before taking it orally or even lathering it all over yourself.
But castor oil isn’t the only substance every doctor should have in their medicine chest.
Elsewhere in the May issue, you’ll discover that honey taken from local bees has healed hay fever, and grapefruit seed extract and other natural remedies helped clear up acne in the process.
In addition, a range of grow-your-own medicinal plants can treat various female problems, including infertility, menstrual and menopausal symptoms, and even bugbears like cystitis.
Possibly the most powerful of ancient cure-alls is exhibited by our own bodies, with the extraordinary clean-up process it engages in during a fast. And now we’re recognizing that you don’t have to stop all food—even a limited fast (called a fasting-mimicking diet) will trigger a massive metabolic reset, rid you of toxins, and kick off the process of autophagy, a cellular-level spring clean, tossing away or recycling damaged cells.
Most of the time, the simplest solutions are the best. Nowhere is that more evident than with some of the tried and tested health remedies of yesteryear, which are far safer than most of what lines the shelves at a drugstore or pharmacy.
It doesn’t have to be new or space-age to work. In fact, the greatest evidence for the safety and efficacy of any medical treatment is simply the test of time.
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