Castor Oil
4 benefits mapped to clinical evidence across supplements.
Benefit Evidence
Gut permeability/stool looseness +
Labor onset/VBAC +
Bowel prep/imaging mixed
Gut permeability/stool looseness +
Labor onset/VBAC +
Bowel prep/imaging mixed
Research sources
Bowel regularity (8)
- Is bowel preparation necessary before kidney-ureter-bladder radiography and intravenous urography?
PubMed ID: 22903484
Large RCT: castor oil bowel prep improved imaging in constipated subgroup—evidence of laxative effect in chronic constipation.
- Effects of acetorphan, an enkephalinase inhibitor, on experimental and acute diarrhoea
PubMed ID: 1624154
Direct human evidence that castor oil induces diarrhoea (strong laxative), so highly likely to ease bowel movements.
- [Comparison of misoprostol and ricinus oil meal for cervical ripening and labor induction]
PubMed ID: 9639767
Oral ricinus meal had laxative/inductive effects though less effective than misoprostol—supportive for easing bowel movements.
- Does bowel preparation improve the quality of abdominal gallium scintigraphy?
PubMed ID: 11192708
Improved bowel evacuation before imaging (reduced colonic gallium activity) supports stool clearance effect.
- Evaluation of the effect of castor oil on initiating labor in term pregnancy
PubMed ID: 16830021
Oral castor oil produced clinically significant downstream effects consistent with strong GI motility stimulation (labor induction context).
- Prospective, randomized comparison of castor oil and sodium phosphate preparation for barium enema
PubMed ID: 19253801
Bowel prep RCT demonstrating cathartic action and effective colon cleaning—evidence that castor oil induces bowel activity.
- Castor oil for labor initiation in women with a previous cesarean section: a double-blind randomized study
PubMed ID: 34886746
Double‑blind RCT: single oral dose commonly initiated labor via bowel stimulation—strong evidence for easing bowel movements.
- Castor oil for induction of labor in post-date pregnancies: A randomized controlled trial
PubMed ID: 28750937
RCT showing oral castor oil sped onset of labor via strong laxative/prokinetic effects—direct evidence.
Digestive support (6)
- Effects of acetorphan, an enkephalinase inhibitor, on experimental and acute diarrhoea
PubMed ID: 1624154
Human experimental data: castor oil reliably induced secretory diarrhoea in volunteers, indicating strong laxative/intestinal-stimulant action.
- Evaluation of the effect of castor oil on initiating labor in term pregnancy
PubMed ID: 16830021
RCT in pregnant women: oral castor oil markedly increased labour onset and Bishop score; this effect is mechanistically and clinically linked to GI stimulation/laxation.
- Prospective, randomized comparison of castor oil and sodium phosphate preparation for barium enema
PubMed ID: 19253801
Randomized bowel‑prep study: castor oil produced effective colon cleaning—evidence of cathartic effect.
- Is bowel preparation necessary before kidney-ureter-bladder radiography and intravenous urography?
PubMed ID: 22903484
Large bowel‑prep RCT: castor oil aided imaging in patients with chronic constipation—supports use in constipated patients.
- Castor oil for induction of labor in post-date pregnancies: A randomized controlled trial
PubMed ID: 28750937
RCT: oral castor oil increased rate of entering active labor via strong bowel stimulation—robust evidence of cathartic action.
- Castor oil for labor initiation in women with a previous cesarean section: a double-blind randomized study
PubMed ID: 34886746
Double‑blind RCT: single oral dose prompted labor in many women—strong evidence of castor oil's laxative/prokinetic effect.
Skin hydration (2)
- An artificial tear containing flaxseed oil for treating dry eye disease: A randomized controlled trial
PubMed ID: 31734510
Large nanoemulsion including castor oil improved dry eye signs—evidence castor‑containing emulsions have moisturizing benefit on exposed surfaces.
- Effect of an oil-in-water emulsion on the tear physiology of patients with mild to moderate dry eye
PubMed ID: 17251808
Castor oil eye emulsion significantly reduced tear evaporation and improved lipid layer—strong direct evidence of occlusive/moisturizing action on mucocutaneous surfaces.
Skin repair (1)
- The effect of different formulations of equivalent active ingredients on the performance of two topical wound treatment products
PubMed ID: 15206088
Wound‑care RCT: ointment containing castor oil (plus other actives) healed laser wounds better with improved epithelialization and less scarring metrics vs comparators—supports potential scar‑improvement contribution.
Similar by evidence
Supplements the same benefits carry qualifying findings for — a fact about the evidence graph, not a recommendation to swap.
Products with Castor Oil
Search all10 products whose verified label declares Castor Oil — not every bottle that mentions it in a title.
Being studied right now
Recruiting clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. A trial in progress has no result yet — this is what the field is asking, not what it found.