Castor Seed – 1 lb (454 g)

Castor Seed, known in Chinese as 蓖麻子 (Bìmázǐ) and scientifically as Semen Ricini, is a valued herb in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This TCM herb has been traditionally used to support natural wellness, maintain vitality, and encourage holistic balance. At TCMforyou.com, we provide premium-quality Castor Seed carefully sourced to preserve its therapeutic properties.

As a herbal supplement, Castor Seed helps promote overall well-being and supports natural energy, immunity, and balance. Integrating this herb into your wellness routine offers a gentle, time-tested approach to enhancing daily health. Whether brewed as tea, added to herbal remedies, or taken as part of a TCM formula, Castor Seed provides a safe, natural way to experience the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trusted for centuries, Castor Seed has been used in TCM to harmonize the body and encourage optimal functioning of key systems. At TCMforyou, we prioritize authenticity and quality. Each batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure purity and potency, delivering an herbal product aligned with traditional practices.

Experience the natural support of Castor Seed, promoting immune health, vitality, and holistic well-being. Embrace the wisdom of TCM and incorporate this gentle, effective herbal remedy into your daily wellness journey.

[Overview] This herb is also known as Bima Seed, Castor Seed, Hemp Seed, and Grass Hemp Seed. It is the mature seed of Ricinus communis L., a plant of the Euphorbiaceae family. It is produced throughout China.
In autumn, the fruit turns brown and before it splits open, the fruit clusters are harvested in batches, sun-dried, the husks removed, and the seeds collected.
[Properties] Taste: sweet and pungent; nature: neutral; toxic. Enters the Large Intestine and Lung meridians.
[Actions] Reduces swelling and detoxifies; purges and guides stagnation downward.
[Applications]
1. Used for carbuncles, swelling and toxicity, scrofula, and breast abscesses; can be used alone or combined with rosin, croton seed, Ru Jie Du Xiang (乳解毒香), myrrh, and others. Also used as an insecticide.
2. Used for mouth and eye deviation (facial paralysis), migraine, and traumatic swelling and pain. For mouth and eye deviation, it can be pounded and applied to the Jia Che (ST6) acupuncture point to relieve itching; for migraine, pounded and applied to the Tai Yang (EX-HN5) point; for traumatic swelling and pain, often combined with Cao Wu Tou (草乌头) and frankincense, pounded and applied to the painful area.
3. Used for constipation and edema. For dry, hard stools, taken internally to produce a mild laxative effect; for edema, it is best to remove the oil and steam for a long time before internal use.
Additionally, pounded castor seed applied to the Bai Hui (DU20) point can treat gastric ptosis, uterine prolapse, and rectal prolapse.
[Dosage and Administration] External use: appropriate amount, pounded and applied externally; or ground into powder and mixed for application. Internal use: included in pill form, 1.5–5 g, either raw ground or stir-fried.
[Cautions] Contraindicated in pregnancy and in cases of diarrhea. Raw ingestion easily causes poisoning.
[Modern Research]
1. Chemical constituents: The seed contains fatty oil (castor oil) and protein. It also contains ricin (ricin protein), ricinine, lipase, and other components.
2. Pharmacological effects: After oral administration, castor oil can be hydrolyzed by pancreatic lipase in the small intestine to produce ricinoleic acid, which reduces absorption of electrolytes and water in the small intestine and accelerates intestinal transit, causing laxative effects; ricin protein inhibits transplanted tumors in mice including Ehrlich ascites carcinoma, ascitic hepatoma, cervical cancer U14, sarcoma S180, and leukemia; ricin protein is highly antigenic and can induce antibody and allergic reactions via various routes of administration, also increasing nonspecific antibodies in the body; ricin protein raises blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rate and tidal volume in anesthetized cats; ricinine causes hypotension and respiratory depression in experimental animals.
3. Clinical reports: (1) Lymph node tuberculosis: equal parts of castor seed and raw Chinese yam were pounded into a paste and applied externally to ulcers. In 98 cases treated, 91 were clinically cured, 3 relapsed, and 4 were lost to follow-up. [Shaanxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1986, 7(2):77] (2) Induction of labor at term: 110 full-term primiparas with indications for labor induction were randomly divided into two groups: Group A (57 cases) took 30 ml castor oil with fried egg yolk orally; Group B (53 cases) received oxytocin by intravenous drip. Results: labor induction success rates were 87.72% and 81.13% respectively (P>0.05). Among women with cervical scores ≤7, Group A had a higher success rate (86.96%) than Group B (58.33%) (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in cesarean section rates, postpartum hemorrhage within 2 hours, fetal distress, or neonatal asphyxia between groups. [Journal of Practical Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2004, 20(1):10] Insecticide adjunct: Castor oil (Bimayou) is the refined fatty oil obtained by pressing castor seeds. It functions to moisten the intestines and relieve constipation, mainly used for dry constipation. Oral dose: 10–20 ml each time. Avoid concurrent use with fat-soluble anthelmintics. Contraindicated in pregnancy.