Thanks for reading this week’s blog. I had fun researching and writing about the things I discovered today. I have a confession. I was mindlessly scrolling through You-Tube when I saw a doctor reporting how castor oil might help your bad knees. Okay, you have my attention.
OLD FRIEND
The castor oil reference made me recall a conversation with one of John’s and my dearest friends (Yes you Raf.) He touted the benefits of castor oil. My reaction was…yuck! Didn’t our moms try to make us drink that stuff when we were kids? No thanks Raf. Nice try.
HE MAY BE ON TO SOMETHING
Maybe he is onto something. I Googled castor oil and…voila. A plethora of health related miracles appeared. I learned that the oil actually has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, and pain relieving properties. This stuff can’t be all bad can it?
STATE YOUR CASE
The National Library of Medicine gives the following information. Castor oil is a vegetable oil made from Ricinus communis, a plant common in the Eastern areas of the world. It is most well-known for its laxative properties. No wonder mom wanted us to drink it. Although castor oil has been reported to be beneficial for other ailments, apparently the FDA has approved it only for use a as a stimulative laxative.
THE CRUD
As I write this blog, I have a cloth soaked in heated castor oil on my chest. I’m on my sixth day of the crud. No, not Covid. Just an old fashioned cold. I have copious amounts of congestion in my lungs. Apparently this remedy is supposed to provide quick relief. Prescottnaturopathicdoctors.com finds that castor oil has a profound influence upon the lymphatic system and autonomic nervous system. As Castor oil is absorbed through the skin it moves through the lymphatic channels stimulating the natural healing ability of the body to break up any congestion present. We’ll see.
OTHER BENEFITS
You can use castor oil in a couple of different ways. You can apply it directly to the skin or use it orally (yuck) or take it in the form of a supplement. The benefits of topical use are…
- Arthritis treatment
- To strengthen and grow hair
- Acne treatment
- Skin moisturizer
- Deep cleanser
- Improve immunity function
- Eliminate fine lines and wrinkles
- Reduce swelling and inflammation
- Support lymphatic system
- Increase circulation
- Heal would and abrasions
- Relieve menstrual cramps
Oral uses for castor oil
- Relieves constipation
- Cleans out intestines before surgery
- Labor induction
Who knew?
HDD
As you may have guessed, High Desert Doppler and castor oil have absolutely nothing in common. This week’s edition is one of those random blogs that I though was interesting and thought I’d share. By the way, in closing, my lungs are still congested. Maybe I’ll keep trying. Rome was not built in a day. As always, if we can help with any of your diagnostic ultrasound needs, call us at 505-350-3397.