We know castor oil is great for promoting hair and lash growth and glowing skin. It has great anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties which is good for your skin. But many influencers are starting to apply castor oil on their belly buttons or put on castor oil patches to wake up with a flatter stomach the next morning. Is the simple application of castor oil, called navel pulling, helpful for digestion?
Ayurveda says yes, although there are no scientific claims to back it. Most of the benefits are anecdotal. There could be health improvements like better digestive health as your bloat goes down and bowel movement becomes more regular. It can also help with detoxing your body and promoting weight loss.
All you have to do is gently massage castor oil on the navel region post-dinner before you hit the sack, and you might just see some improvements the morning after.
Some claims suggest it could also reduce symptoms of conditions like endometriosis and ovarian cysts. Castor oil can also work as a laxative when consumed orally.
Castor oil doesn't enter the bloodstream the way you might think. There aren’t any blood vessels going directly from your belly button to the rest of your body. At the end of the day, your belly button is a scar from the time your umbilical cord got cut off.
However, navel pulling is going up in popularity, much like other trends like oil pulling (rinsing your mouth with coconut oil to remove plaque and bacteria), which too, has no scientific basis, but there is anecdotal evidence.
Whether or not you use castor oil for digestion purposes, you can always try it out for its other benefits. It is a great moisturiser due to its ricinoleic acid content. Ricinoleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid known for its moisturising properties.
You can use it as an alternative to store-bought moisturisers or even mix it with some lighter, fragrant oils on your skin. It is especially useful for those with drier skin types.
However, it may lead to skin irritation or acne on drier skin types, so it is best to do a patch test before an overnight trial.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.