Castor bean (Ricinus communis)

Very poisonous

Image: Wikipedia, Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata, CC BY-SA 4.0

Effect:

laxative

Areas of application:

Chronic constipation, worming treatments, sometimes as a labor cocktail

Plant parts used:

Seeds

Collection time:

Autumn

To find:

-

Ingredients:

Protein (ricin), essential oil, fatty oil, alkaloids, bitter substances, glycerides

Other:

The castor bean seeds are highly poisonous; for a person weighing 70 kg, just 12 grams of the seeds are fatal.

The oil is produced by cold pressing and no longer contains the toxic ricin to this extent. Castor oil has been known as a laxative for around 4000 years.

🛑 Castor oil must not be used during pregnancy as it triggers uterine contractions.