Internal use of castor seed oil
Castor oil is often used sterilized for oily eye drops, but must meet the requirements of parenteralia. Due to their higher viscosity, the oily solutions have the advantage that the active ingredient solution does not run off rapidly after being applied to the eye. A disadvantage, however, is the temporary clouding of vision.
In folk medicine, castor oil is said to have healing effects such as loosening stiff arthritis joints, increasing the function of congested lymph glands, strengthening the immune system, combating herpes and alleviating mastitis.
Castor oil has also been used as a laxative since the Middle Ages. Like other oils, it causes the emptying of the gall bladder and thus increased contractions of the small intestine. It is not effective in cases of insufficiency of physiological fat digestion. Depending on the dose, the effect occurs within 2-8 hours.
Castor oil is not completely harmless as a laxative. Higher doses may cause nausea and stomach irritation, vomiting, severe diarrhea and colic. Occasionally allergic skin reactions are noticed. During pregnancy it is not recommended to use it, since higher doses can cause contractions.