Known for having already served as an inspiration to name a famous comic rock band, Mamonas Assassinas, castor bean is a well-known plant that belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.Furthermore, this species has many uses, from the extraction of an oil also known as castor oil, used in the chemical industry, to its use as a base in some health treatments.

Basically, the plant’s physical characteristics make it unmistakable. The leaves are large, petiolate and star-shaped with eight points. The flowers, on the other hand, are unisexual, coexisting between the two sexes in the same branch, with the male ones being lower than the female ones. They appear in large erect, terminal curls. They are numerous, with small petals and pale color.

One of the main elements of castor beans are the fruits. They are arranged in a spinous capsule shape with about three seeds. These seeds are smooth, shiny, light or dark gray in color, tinged with white and speckled with black or brown. It is precisely from the seeds of these fruits that castor oil is extracted.

Depending on where castor bean is found, it can be known by several other names, such as castor bean, palm-christi, carrapateiro and castor.

Castor oil

Castor oil, also called castor oil. It can be used in folk medicine due to its purgative effect, however, it is widely used in the chemical industry due to a very peculiar characteristic: it has a hydroxyl (OH) linked to the carbon chain. There is no other commercially produced vegetable oil with this property.

Another important property of castor oil is that it is composed of a single fatty acid (ricinoleic acid), which gives it high viscosity and solubility in alcohol at low temperature. This product can be used as raw material for the production of biodiesel.

It is noteworthy that castor bean seeds are toxic mainly due to a protein called ricin, which when purified is deadly even in small doses. The oil is difficult to digest and can cause serious health problems, such as diarrhea. Depending on the amount, it can kill an individual, whether he is a child or even an adult.

Medicinal properties of castor beans

Added to all the properties that castor bean has for the chemical industry, depending on the indication, it can also be used in the process of treating and curing some illnesses. However, it is important to emphasize that, before including it in the treatment routine, the doctor must be consulted.

Castor oil can be used due to its vermifuge, purgative, emollient and healing (external use), cathartic, anticancer and analgesic properties. Thus, it combats the action of intestinal parasites, eczema, herpes, rashes, wounds, burns, hemorrhoids and baldness.

castor tea

To treat cases of hemorrhoids, a very effective way is through the preparation of castor bean tea. However, unlike other types of treatment where the drink can be ingested, in this case, the patient must use it in the form of a bath. To do this, just separate a liter of water and some sliced ​​castor beans. Bring the water to a boil and then add the leaves. Turn off the heat and let it cool a little. Once that’s done, just bathe the place with this kind of tea.

Contraindications and care

The use of castor oil is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, people with severe intestinal diseases and children under 12 years of age. The ingestion of chewed castor bean seeds is extremely toxic, causing abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, mucous diarrhea and, in more severe cases, seizures, coma and death can occur.