CASTOR OIL PACKS
If you're wondering how castor oil packs actually work, the magic is in two of its major components: ricinoleic acid and quercetin. But let's back up for a sec. What even is castor oil?
Castor oil is made from castor beans and primarily consists of monounsaturated fatty acids. Because of these types of fats, it's essential to get cold-pressed castor oil that is stored in a dark glass bottle. Otherwise, these fats can break down when exposed to too much light.
Castor oil packs aren't fancy—it's literally just castor oil on a flannel cloth that you place on your torso. The oil then gets absorbed into the skin! This absorption takes about 20 minutes.
Back to why it's beneficial for health: The main component of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, a type of fatty acid that possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Ricinoleic acid is what castor oil is most known for and is widely studied for the anti-inflammatory and gut health benefits.
There is another beneficial nutrient found in castor oil called quercetin that I learned from @innate_fertility , who has talked about how it impacts iron in one of her posts. It's one of the most natural flavonoids (powerful phytochemicals) found in foods including fruits, teas, and vegetables.
Quercetin protects our bodies against free radicals that can cause oxidative damage, AKA inflammation. It also helps to remove iron safely from the body. It does all of this without having any negative impacts on the rest of our vitamins and minerals in our bodies.
A third one I'll mention quickly is vitamin E! Castor oil also naturally contains vitamin E, which, if you've been part of my community for a while, you know I love for so many reasons. If you want to read more about this hormone-helping vitamin, check out my blog!
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Raise your hand if you're a fan of castor oil packs! 🙌
For those of you new to this supportive therapy, castor oil packs have been used since the beginning of time. Traditionally, castor oil packs were used for skin issues, digestive concerns, and improving blood circulation. We now know castor oil has a significant impact on inflammation in the body and can specifically support the digestive process and even positively impact our gut bacteria.
Let's go through the benefits first, and later on this week, we'll talk about how it works in the body and how you can start doing your castor oil packs at home.
Castor oil has been shown to:
+ Reduce inflammation—since castor oil helps remove excess iron from the liver, this greatly reduces oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. We'll talk more about why excess iron in the tissues is not a good thing in a future post!
+ Reduce stress and support relaxation—castor oil has been shown to induce a relaxed state and help reduce feelings of stress.
+ Support digestion and help get rid of constipation—castor oil has been shown to get rid of constipation and avoid the need for laxatives.
+ Support liver function and reduce inflammation in the liver—castor oil helps preserve and increase glutathione, a powerful detox antioxidant.
+ Balance out gut bacteria—castor oil has been using as a cleaner for many different types of bacteria. It can remove biofilms and help eradicate.
Overall, this makes castor oil a great addition to a hormone healing journey! Look forward to more info coming at ya this week on how exactly they work and how to make your own.
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