3 Ways Castor Oil Packs Support Menopause Symptoms

3 Ways Castor Oil Packs Support Menopause Symptoms

3 Ways Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs Support Menopause Symptoms

3 Ways Castor Oil Packs Support Menopause Symptoms

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive) & Melanie Swackhammer, B.A.
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams, R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 9 minutes.

I don’t know about you, but the phrase ‘my hormones are out of whack’ came out of my mouth more than I’d like to admit. Growing up, I heard women in my life say this when they were entering menopause, but by the time I was 25, I uttered those words along with them. Can you relate?

Even though I wasn’t actually experiencing menopause, I was experiencing estrogen dominance. I felt disconnected from my own body. As heart-wrenching and stressful as this time was, it was also my saving grace. It was what propelled me to try Castor Oil Packs- the key to balancing my hormones and freedom from:

 • Super irregular periods

 • Trouble sleeping

 • Alternating between constipation and diarrhea

 • Hair growth on my chin and upper lip

 • Hot flashes (power surges, as I like to call them)

Does this sound like you? I’ve been there too, I get it. After several appointments and sleepless nights, I was diagnosed with IBS, PCOS, and Hypothyroid. Looking back, it makes sense because estrogen dominance is always present when the thyroid is low, or vice versa.

My doctor also told me I likely wouldn’t be able to have babies. Up until then I never thought very hard about having babies before; but having it suddenly taken away from me was my wake-up-call to get up close and personal with my health and my hormones.

At that time, I didn’t know that my wake-up-call would begin with the ancient health practice of Castor Oil Packs, but I’m so glad it did.

My friend and hormone balancing fitness expert, Debra Atkinson, CEO of Flipping 50, has a solution for women who are craving movement, just like I was. Her 12-week STRONGER online programs are designed for women in perimenopause, menopause and beyond. 

Similar to the Castor Oil Pack, Debra’s program was made for you and is a gentle approach to support hormone balancing, which is what I love most about it.

How Castor Oil Packs support hormone balancing and estrogen dominance

1. Castor Oil Packs Relieve Constipation.

Our stools are how we naturally eliminate food waste, bacteria, toxins and hormones. However, estrogen dominance is a very common issue for women and can actually cause constipation1. That was me, constipated and overloaded with estrogen.

You see, a healthy balance of progesterone and estrogen are required for smooth-moving bowels. So, it makes sense that too much estrogen makes you constipated2, right?

I truly thought my constipation was unbeatable until I tried the Castor Oil Pack. It’s been shown to gently relieve constipation3 and regulate the bowels through improvement of smooth muscle function of the intestines4.

This is extremely important for estrogen dominance because you must eliminate the excess hormones in order to heal and rebalance.

It’s kind of like a gentle massage for your intestines, but a gentle massage that can support good flow and hormone balancing. Sounds like a dream, don’t you think?

Queen of the Thrones solutions for digestive health

2. Castor Oil Packs support Cleansing and Detox.

Cleansing is like a conveyor belt that keeps the body in flow. So, the conveyor belt must be working well in order to balance the dominance of estrogen.

My conveyor belt most definitely wasn’t working, it was almost like the belt was at a standstill. You see, without the Castor Oil Pack my conveyor belt was all backed up and there was an overload of estrogen that had nowhere to go (except to stay in my body).

 

The liver is pretty much the control system for the conveyor belt, so it has to be functioning well for our hormones to be in harmony with each other. So, my Castor Oil Pack helped restore the flow and was a support to my liver. Isn’t that amazing?

Just like how the Castor Oil gently massages your intestines, it also acts as a gentle repair system for your liver’s cleansing conveyor belt. 

3. Castor Oil Packs Naturally Shift you into a Relaxed State.

The problem in our modern world is that all of us are in a constant state of stress, would you agree?

You see, rest and relaxation takes practice, but the Castor Oil Pack gives your body the chance to practice over and over again.

Take it from me, I didn’t know what it was to feel relaxed. I was so out of practice, but that all changed as soon as I put the pack on my body. This is because the Castor Oil Pack on the skin activates the relaxed, ‘parasympathetic’ state5 and stimulates our feel-good hormones, dopamine6 and oxytocin7.

Oxytocin also lowers stress and balances blood pressure8, leading to healthy levels of progesterone for great bowel movements! You see, the more we’re able to release oxytocin and de-stress, the easier it is for our body to naturally boost progesterone (because progesterone is high when stress hormone levels are low). It’s a fine balance and is what connects regular bowel movements, liver cleansing, and relaxation.

Cleansing and Detox with Queen of The Thrones Castor Oil Packs for better health

For me, shifting into the relaxed state naturally not only made my body know what it is to be in flow, but also created a need to move my body. I started craving exercise, which was a refreshing shift for me since there was a time when I couldn’t even get out of my bed.

Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs Naturally Shift you into a Relaxed State

You see, the act of resting and releasing my feel-good hormones with my Castor Oil Pack resulted in my body having the energy it needed to re-introduce gentle movement.

Years ago, when I heard the words ‘estrogen dominance’ it startled me and my natural instinct was to fight it. So, be gentle with yourself if you’re feeling like your hormones are out of whack and know that you’re not alone in feeling this way.

Cleansing and Detox with Queen of The Thrones Castor Oil Packs to support your hormones balance

Kind of like the story of the Sword and the Stone, the key wasn’t to fight with aggression, it was to find a gentle approach so that I could work with my body to rebalance my hormones.

 

Would you love to know how you can support your hormones with Castor Oil Packs? Get your FREE eGuide below with everything you need to know!

Click here for references

1 & 2. Ji-Eun Oh,Yong-Woon Kim,So-Young Park, andJong-Yeon Kim Estrogen Rather Than Progesterone Cause Constipation in Both Female and Male Mice.Korean J Physiol Pharmacol. 2013 Oct; 17(5): 423–426. Published online 2013 Oct 17. doi:10.4196/kjpp.2013.17.5.423 PMID:24227943

3. Arslan GG, Eşer I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011 Feb;17(1):58-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.04.004. Epub 2010 May 18.PMID: 21168117

4. Sorin Tunaru,a Till F. Althoff,a Rolf M. Nüsing,b Martin Diener,c and Stefan Offermannsa,d,1 Castor oil induces laxation and uterus contraction via ricinoleic acid activating prostaglandin EP3 receptors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jun 5; 109(23): 9179–9184. Published online 2012 May 21. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1201627109 PMID: 22615395

5. Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17.PMID: 12571120

6. Francis S, Rolls ET, Bowtell R, McGlone F, O’Doherty J, Browning A, Clare S, Smith E. The representation of pleasant touch in the brain and its relationship with taste and olfactory areas. Neuroreport. 1999 Feb 25;10(3):453-9.PMID: 10208571

7. Walker SC1, Trotter PD2, Swaney WT2, Marshall A3, Mcglone FP4. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides. 2017 Aug;64:27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 19.PMID: 28162847

8. Uvnas-Moberg K1, Petersson M.[Oxytocin, a mediator of anti-stress, well-being, social interaction, growth and healing]. Z Psychosom Med Psychother. 2005;51(1):57-80.PMID: 15834840

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.

How to relieve constipation and stress with Castor Oil Packs

How to relieve constipation and stress with Castor Oil Packs

How to relieve constipation and stress with Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs

How to relieve constipation and stress with Castor Oil Packs

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro MD (Inactive)
Medically reviewed by: Melanie Swackhammer B.A. & Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 7 minutes.

Constipation is stressful, would you agree? Or what about:

  •  Bloating
  •  Gas
  •  Diarrhea
  •  Anxiety
  •  Can’t sleep

Do any of these sound like you?

I’ve been there! I suffered with Irritable Bowel Syndrome for years. Being stressed and constipated was normal for me, until I found relief with the ancient health practice of castor oil packs and the WHY behind it all.

Did you know that if you sleep better, have better digestion, and reduce stress, your health would be drastically different? I didn’t know this then, but now it all makes sense.

The more anxious I was, the less likely I’d be to have a bowel movement. At that time I thought my constipation was a stand alone issue. All I wanted was to feel relaxed and ‘normal’, but it seemed impossible. Have you ever felt this way? It’s not your fault, because bodies often have a mind of their own.

What finally relieved my constipation and stress?

When I actually understood how closely connected my stress and digestion was, I figured out how to give my body the reset it needed so that I could have:

  •  Better stools
  •  Better sleep
  •  Less stress

After years of suffering, castor oil packs opened my eyes to how gut health goes beyond just the gut and that sometimes our bodies need a total reset and that’s ok! Health begins in the gut, which is why castor oil packs are one of the gems for a balanced digestive health.

How did I know I should try a castor oil pack?

For years, I thought I was doing everything ‘right’. Taking the right supplements, seeing a naturopathic doctor, exercising, eating healthy, but still struggling with going to the bathroom. Can you relate? I was so used to being constipated that it became ‘normal’ for me, know what I mean? Be gentle with yourself if you relate.

I hit my lowest point and became so sick that I couldn’t even get out of bed for a week, so I took the leap and made my own castor oil pack after ignoring this suggestion for years.

How does the castor oil pack relieve stress and constipation?

As soon as I put on that Castor Oil Pack I felt what relaxed was supposed to feel like and then I was finally able to have that long awaited bowel movement. Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

You see, once my body was in a naturally relaxed state, I was able to naturally eliminate the build up of stools, it felt like a ton of bricks finally being freed from my stomach.

The 2 main ways the castor oil pack restored my gut

My gut was SO tense and contracted. The actual castor oil pack being placed on my abdomen worked with my stress and anxiety instead of fighting against it.

Yes, castor oil packs were 100% transformative for me, but I also needed to understand the 3 keys to gut health (better stools, better sleep and less stress) and how the castor oil pack worked with the 3 keys.

To my amazement, research showed that it supported the 5 fundamental pillars of health that just happen to spell out F-A-I-T-H.

Out of all these wonderful benefits, the ‘F’ and the ’T’ are the most important.

F: Function of the Digestive Tract.
Studies have shown that castor oil packs help to relieve constipation1 and improve the smooth muscle function of the digestive tract, in turn supporting better absorption and elimination.

T: Tension and Stress Reduction.
The soft compression of the pack on the skin stimulates sensory receptors that help to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, our ‘rest and digest’ state. The compress promotes production of our feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine2, as well as our love and connection hormone, oxytocin3.

FAITH on Queen of the Thornes Castor Oil products

My castor oil pack gave me back the FAITH that my body could heal and find relief from chronic constipation and a way to naturally relax.

It was kind of like getting a back massage for the first time, my stomach was relaxing and shedding all the food waste that needed to come out. And even better, I was less stressed and I was even sleeping better!

Can’t you just drink castor oil to relieve constipation?

When you actually drink castor oil it’ll make you go to the bathroom, but in a really rough and fast way. With this in mind, it’s an excellent stimulant laxative when taken by mouth but it doesn’t stay in you long enough to put your stomach in a relaxed state and that is one of the most important keys.

My key to freedom from constipation and stress: castor oil packs

You see, tension and stress inhibit our bodies’ natural ability to cleanse, have a bowel movement and relax. Trust me, I’ve been there without my castor oil pack and let me tell you, that’s a story worth reading.

It’s not that I needed my stress to disappear, I needed to have a system to naturally relax and release all the garbage (yes, stools!). 

This is why I want to share this new opportunity with you, an opportunity to get your body into that relaxed state, the way it’s meant to be!

I’m definitely not perfect and still have stress in my life, but I now have a system that pulls me out of the evil cycle all thanks to the castor oil pack.

Reach the freedom of relaxation with Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

1. Sorin Tunaru,a Till F. Althoff,a Rolf M. Nüsing,b Martin Diener,c and Stefan Offermannsa,d,1 Castor oil induces laxation and uterus contraction via ricinoleic acid activating prostaglandin EP3 receptorsProc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Jun 5; 109(23): 9179–9184. Published online 2012 May 21. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1201627109PMID: 22615395

2. Francis S, Rolls ET, Bowtell R, McGlone F, O’Doherty J, Browning A, Clare S, Smith E. The representation of pleasant touch in the brain and its relationship with taste and olfactory areas. Neuroreport. 1999 Feb 25;10(3):453-9.PMID: 10208571

3. Walker SC1, Trotter PD2, Swaney WT2, Marshall A3, Mcglone FP4. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides. 2017 Aug;64:27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 19.PMID: 28162847

4 Walker SC1, Trotter PD2, Swaney WT2, Marshall A3, Mcglone FP4. C-tactile afferents: Cutaneous mediators of oxytocin release during affiliative tactile interactions? Neuropeptides. 2017 Aug;64:27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.01.001. Epub 2017 Jan 19. PMID: 28162847

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.

Best Lab Tests to Help Treat Your Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Best Lab Tests to Help Treat Your Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs best alternative in the market

Best Lab Tests to Help Treat Your Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive).
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 11 minutes.

So you’ve been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Now what??

Why is IBS a Functional Bowel Movement Disorder?

Irritable bowel syndrome is classified as a chronic functional bowel movement disorder because it is diagnosed by the symptoms that you are experiencing. These are typically abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and changes in bowel movements, often diarrhea or constipation1. Other digestive diseases that can be seen by colonoscopy or confirmed by lab tests are often excluded before IBS is diagnosed.

Why Can’t Labs Tell Me That I Have IBS?

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Why should I test for IBS?

Since irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic, long term disease, being proactive in this way helps to stay on top of things and avoid the frustration and suffering of living with uncomfortable symptoms.

It is important to do tests to rule out other conditions; when the diagnosis is clear, it is easier to direct and guide treatment and to track improvements.

Are There Functional Tests for IBS?

Yes, there are things that can be tested, but again, it is a whole-body approach.

What Is the Point of Testing in IBS?

First off, it’s important to do tests to rule out other conditions. When the diagnosis is clear, I test irritable bowel patients in order to track improvements and direct and guide treatment.

Since irritable bowel is a chronic, long term disease, being proactive in this way helps to stay on top of things and avoid the frustration and suffering of living with uncomfortable symptoms.

Stress Hormone Testing Cortisol and ACTH

Research demonstrates that people with irritable bowel syndrome, mainly women, with onset at a younger age3, will have it for the greater part of their lives.

They typically also have an imbalance in their nervous system and stress response.

Stress markers of cortisol in the blood can be tested and show a difference between men and women as well as between healthy and unhealthy subjects4.

However, this is a costly test and is not common protocol for irritable bowel syndrome.

Salivary or urine cortisol markers can also be used to measure this, and they are my markers of choice. Research demonstrates that there is a significant difference in cortisol (stress hormone) markers in the morning and evening, and in general there was a higher spike in the a.m. and lower in the evening. The pattern of circadian rhythm night and day curve was still maintained5.

These tests can be purchased on YourLabWork.com.

Sleep is often something that is a complaint for women with IBS and there seems to be a difference between the type, whether it be IBS-D (diarrhea predominant) or IBS-C (constipation predominant)6. Sleep is something that normally balances our regulatory systems as it helps to reset the immune, nervous and hormonal systems.

Wearing an eye compress to bed at night helps support natural melatonin production, without having to take a supplement. Would you love to have your own sleep compress so you can sleep better naturally?

The Castor Oil Eye Compress Kit uses Castor Oil applied around the eyes, eyelashes and eyebrows, covered by a sleep mask. This has a relaxing effect on the system and improves natural melatonin levels, helping you to get a good night’s sleep. You will note over time, visible differences in sleep quality with using a mask7.

Inflammation Testing in IBS

Inflammation is a key component in IBS. Inflammation may be sourced from food sensitivities, allergies and intolerances, or choices of food, such as fermented foods that have high levels of histamine and act as an irritant to the gut. Inflammation is a root cause of all diseases and when there is imbalance in any system there is always inflammation.

Ferritin, the storage molecule for iron can also be a key indicator of acute inflammation. It is important to test in combination with a complete blood count (CBC) as well as an iron panel to make sure you rule out any other reasons for an elevated level of Ferritin.

There are certain key markers that are indicative of inflammation. Firstly, high sensitivity C reactive protein (HS-CRP). This marker is not often tested, however, levels have been noted to be higher in those with irritable bowel syndrome as compared to the healthy population8.

Cholesterol is also one of the markers of inflammation.

A complete blood count (CBC) is always important to do as well, because it demonstrates a variety of markers. With regards to inflammation, eosinophils are a marker of allergy and when they are elevated it’s an indicator that there is elevated histamines in the body10.

It’s most commonly correlated to parasite infection, which is something to be considered in irritable bowel syndrome, since the onset of IBS can be due to a gastrointestinal infection11.

Food sensitivity testing is in a class of its own. It can demonstrate inflammatory processes in the gut as well as immune reactivity. When aiming to fix an irritable bowel, it’s important to understand that there are so many things that can be irritating it.

Food is the biggest irritator and since we eat food every day, it’s very important to address this to reduce inflammation.

There are different tests for IBS, the food sensitivity testing in this lab in the US is one of the most recommended to measures your IgG reactivity levels.

Can You Test for Dysbiosis and The Microbiome?

You absolutely can, and uric acid (a key indicator of gout) is an excellent marker to use for dysbiosis or an unhealthy microbiome12. Uric acid is a good indicator of microbiome health because it shows improper metabolism of protein, typically due to unhealthy gut bugs.

Another test is the Organic Acids Test (OAT), which tracks overgrowth of yeasts as well as possible clostridium infections which aids in the support of people with IBS.

There are also recent novel tests that will actually classify the types of healthy v.s. pathogenic microbes in your microbiome. This research is in its infancy.

What Should You Test?

Here is your dream test list, so you can rule out other sources of pain in the intestine:

  • BC
  • Serum Electrolytes
  • Liver Enzymes, ALT, AST, ALP GGT
  • Urobilinogen, direct and indirect
  • Blood Lipids/Cholesterol
  • Albumin
  • eGFR and Creatinine
  • HS-CRP
  • Uric acid and urea
  • Iron panel including Ferritin
  • TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Antibodies for Thyroid
  • Dutch Hormone Test
  • Food Sensitivity Testing
  • OAT Test

What to Do While You’re Waiting to Get Your Tests Done?

 

Start working on a solution!

Start a new self-care ritual so you can begin to work on the stress component by balancing your body’s stress hormones by doing a Castor Oil Pack for Liver. It will reduce inflammation, help the body to cleanse, get the bowels moving and significantly reduce pain in the gut. The Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack for Liver Kit helps you get a great night’s sleep.

In addition, you can add the simple step to your sleep ritual by wearing an eye compress to bed. As mentioned before, this will help to increase the body’s natural melatonin production, improving quality of sleep. Get your Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Eye Compress Kit to improve your sleep.

You see, adding these two simple steps to your self-care rituals will help if you can start to reduce your stress, address the inflammation, cleanse, poop and sleep then you will be able to get a clearer picture of what is going on.

Peek After You Poo

Another simple step you can do is start peeking at your poo. It’s important for you to see what’s going on in your toilet bowl and the best part? You’ll have a better idea of what to tell your doctor. Because let’s face it, lab tests start to get quite expensive. For the full panel above you could be looking at anywhere between $1500-$2500 per shot, so why not learn what your poo is saying about you? It is an easy daily at-home test, totally free!

Use Queen of the Thrones® Eau de Throne® Organic Essential Oil Spray the ‘After You Poo Parfum to get into the habit of peeking after you poo and allow the blend of organic essential oils to ensure that you will never be embarrassed again for the smell you leave behind!

For a better understanding of what your poo says about you;

Start today! Don’t wait for tomorrow to do what you can do today. This is your health, your life, your body and it’s time for you to know and understand what is going on.

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

1. Bandar Mohammed Bardisi, Abdulaziz Kamal H. Halawani, Hassan Kamal H. Halawani, Aseel Hassan Alharbi, Nesma Saleh Turkostany, Taraji Saeed Alrehaili, Aisha Ahmad Radin, and Nasser Moqbil Alkhuzea. Efficiency of diet change in irritable bowel syndrome. J Family Med Prim Care. 2018 Sep-Oct; 7(5): 946–951.PMID: 30598938

2. Emanuele Sinagra, Gaetano Cristian Morreale, Ghazaleh Mohammadian, Giorgio Fusco, Valentina Guarnotta, Giovanni Tomasello, Francesco Cappello, Francesca Rossi, Georgios Amvrosiadis, and Dario Raimondo New therapeutic perspectives in irritable bowel syndrome: Targeting low-grade inflammation, immuno-neuroendocrine axis, motility, secretion and beyond. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 28; 23(36): 6593–6627.PMID: 29085207

3. Ju Yup Lee and Kyung Sik Park. Gender Difference in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders Korean J Gastroenterol. 2018 Oct 25;72(4):163-169. doi: 10.4166/kjg.2018.72.4.163.

4. Elizabeth J. Videlock,a Wendy Shih,b Mopelola Adeyemo,a Swapna Mahurkar-Joshi,a Angela P. Presson,c Christos Polytarchou,a Melissa Alberto,a Dimitrios Iliopoulos,a Emeran A. Mayer,a and Lin Changa,* The effect of sex and irritable bowel syndrome on HPA axis response and peripheral glucocorticoid receptor expression.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2016 Jul; 69: 67–76.PMID: 27038676

5. Patacchioli FR1, Angelucci L, Dellerba G, Monnazzi P, Leri O. Actual stress, psychopathology and salivary cortisol levels in the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). J Endocrinol Invest. 2001 Mar;24(3):173-7.

6. Robert L. Burr, MSEE, PhD, Research Professor,a Monica E. Jarrett, PhD, Professor,a Kevin C. Cain, PhD, Research Scientist,b Sang-Eun Jun, MS, Doctoral Candidate,a and Margaret M. Heitkemper, PhD, Professora. Catecholamine and Cortisol Levels during Sleep in Women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2009 Nov; 21(11): 1148–1e97.PMID: 19573081

7. Rong-fang Hu, Xiao-ying Jiang, Yi-ming Zeng, Xiao-yang Chen, and You-hua Zhang. Effects of earplugs and eye masks on nocturnal sleep, melatonin and cortisol in a simulated intensive care unit environment. Crit Care. 2010; 14(2): R66.PMID: 20398302

8. Keren Hod, MSc,1,2 Tamar Ringel-Kulka, MD MPH,3 Christopher F. Martin, MSPH,2 Nitsan Maharshak, MD,4 and Yehuda Ringel, MD*,2 High Sensitive C – Reactive Protein as a Marker for Inflammation in Irritable Bowel Syndrome.J Clin Gastroenterol. 2016 Mar; 50(3): 227–232.PMID: 25930973

9. Tall AR, Yvan-Charvet L. Cholesterol, inflammation and innate immunity. Nat Rev Immunol. 2015 Feb;15(2):104-16. doi: 10.1038/nri3793.

10. Church MK1. Allergy, Histamine and Antihistamines. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2017;241:321-331. doi: 10.1007/164_2016_85.

11. Wouters MM, Van Wanrooy S, Nguyen A, Dooley J, Aguilera-Lizarraga J, Van Brabant W, Garcia-Perez JE, Van Oudenhove L, Van Ranst M, Verhaegen J, Liston A, Boeckxstaens G Psychological comorbidity increases the risk for postinfectious IBS partly by enhanced susceptibility to develop infectious gastroenteritis. Gut. 2016 Aug;65(8):1279-88. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2015-309460. Epub 2015 Jun 12.

12 Zhuang Guo, Jiachao Zhang,  Zhanli Wang, Kay Ying Ang, Shi Huang, Qiangchuan Hou, Xiaoquan Su, Jianmin Qiao, Yi Zheng, Lifeng Wang, Eileen Koh, Ho Danliang, Jian Xu, Yuan Kun Lee, and Heping Zhang, Intestinal Microbiota Distinguish Gout Patients from Healthy Humans Sci Rep. 2016; 6: 20602.PMID: 26852926 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4757479/

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including information providers, are those of the respective authors or distributors. Neither Queen of the Thrones® nor any third-party provider of information guarantees the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content. This communication does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Information provided does not replace the advice of your health care practitioner. If you happen to purchase anything we promote, in this or any of our communications, it’s likely Queen of the Thrones® will receive some kind of affiliate compensation. Still, we only promote content and products that we truly believe in and share with our friends, family and patients. If you ever have a concern with anything we share, please let us know at care@queenofthethrones.com. We want to make sure we are always serving Our Queendom at the highest level.

3 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed with IBS

3 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed with IBS

Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Packs best alternative in the market

3 Things to Do If You’ve Been Diagnosed with IBS

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive).
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 13 minutes.

Bowel movements, defecation, going poo… it’s the #1 most important process of the human body, and not the #2! Are you one of the 14-20% of the world population with irritable bowel syndrome (that’s approximately one BILLION people!)1? It is hypothesized that those who have gotten the diagnosis are only the tip of the iceberg, meaning that there are so many more people that have it but haven’t been diagnosed yet. You know all too well how it can negatively affect your life. Here are the first 3 things you need to do to take control of what is happening to your body. It has to do with 3 “s” words, and shit isn’t one of them. Stools, stress and sleep.

What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Irritable bowel syndrome is a chronic, long term, recurring functional condition, meaning that when you are tested via labs or colonoscopy, everything looks normal. There seems to be no reason for your symptoms, nevertheless you have them and they are debilitating.

The Frustration of an Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diagnosis

This is extremely frustrating to hear from your doctor, especially after you have been suffering with these symptoms that have had a detrimental impact on all aspects of your life. From limiting your social life for fear of an adverse bowel movement, to affecting your work life by causing you to spend too much time in the bathroom or taking more sick days than the norm. Not to mention huge psychological impact on your well being, living with this ever growing problem.

What are the Risk Factors for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The most noted risk factors for irritable bowel syndrome are being a women, of young age, and having a preceding gut infection of some sort2. The risk is actually four times higher for those who have had an infectious gut condition3.

Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The most common symptoms of IBS include a combination of recurring:

  • Abdominal pain
  • Distension, bloating and gas
  • Abnormal bowel movements – diarrhea and/or constipation

The Categories of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It is classified in three categories – constipation, diarrhea or an alternation between both.

  • IBS-C: Predominantly constipation
  • IBS-D: Predominantly diarrhea
  • IBS-M: Mixed, alternating between constipation and diarrhea
  • IBS-U: Unclassified

The classification is based upon the Bristol Stool Scale (see below), designating the form of bowel movements.

Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Genetic?

It is possible. There is a link to early life exposure to stress affecting the body’s natural response to stress. So, your exposure to stress in utero or fetal programming4 as well as  experiences as a young child can pre-program you into a maladaptive, unhealthy response to stress, changing the way that your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) functions5. These are the master organs that balance the regulation systems of your body, most responsible for the way your body deals with stress.

IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT, BUT IT IS UP TO YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

 

The Regulatory Systems Impacted In Irritable Bowel Syndrome

When you are under stress, whether it be emotional or physical stress, the body does not have the ability to differentiate6. Two processes occur in the body to try and maintain balance. The inflammatory arm of the immune system activates to try and burn off the stressor. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (a combination of the hormonal and nervous system7) also activates to turn off less important mechanisms that don’t deal with immediate life right now.

These three regulatory systems of the body, the immune, nervous and hormonal system’s goal in health is to keep everything in balance, everything functioning well. But under stress, they shut down non-vital functions for preservation of life. Therefore there’s dysregulation in these systems with IBS8. We also see an elevation of glucocorticoids and inflammatory markers.

So don’t be surprised if you find yourself with multiple conditions on top of your IBS. For me, I had both irritable bowel syndrome as well as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). These are often conditions that respond to an elevation of the body’s immune inflammatory messengers and the neurohormonal glucocorticoids.

Hormone Problems and IBS

Is this a coincidence then, that many women who have IBS also have PCOS? No it is not, because the body can only balance so much. In PCOS there are elevated levels of leptin, a hormone that affects food intake, energy balance and fat tissue stores but is also pro-inflammatory to the intestinal tract. Research shows that with irritable bowel syndrome there is also this elevated level of leptin in the intestine9.

When there is stress, many of our non-vital systems like being fertile, having regular periods, or having a healthy metabolism go into preservation mode, because the infinite intelligence of our bodies doesn’t want to use up resources because it has no idea how long the stressor will last.

Another co-existing hormonal problem that is common with IBS type symptoms, like constipation, is hypothyroid10.

Immune System Problems and IBS

The immune system is regulated by the MICROBIOME. The ever important home of billions of bugs that live on our mucosal membrane and skin.

Healthy, friendly probiotics help to improve the mucosal immune system11, whereas conbiotics™, as I like to call them, or pathogenic bacteria cause total dysfunction of the immune system12.

This leads you susceptible to constantly getting sick. Overreacting to foods as your gut’s reaction to foods is based on the immune system. It is well known that people with IBS react to many foods such as lactose13, gluten14 and other components of wheat to name a few.

Nervous System Problems and IBS

Google IBS and you will soon find many links that discuss the coexistence of depression and anxiety with IBS, but also as a coexisting factor with most chronic conditions. Many say that it may be in response to the condition, but it very well may be the cause of the condition, (is it the chicken or the egg, which came first?) as stress significantly alters the bodies’ regulatory homeostatic mechanisms15.

Is Stress the Cause of IBS?

Stress is a root cause of many conditions and chronic diseases. It is likely that it is a root cause of IBS, as the overlap of anxiety, depression, hormonal disturbances and immune variations are all linked to irritable bowel syndrome.

Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

It’s no surprise that at present the majority of treatments and medicines for irritable bowel syndrome are tools that mediate the functions of these three regulatory systems of the immune, nervous and hormonal systems, as the gut is the main hub for all three.

Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications have been used for IBS, as well as antibiotics such as Rifaximin, as a way to improve the gut microbiome16.

Fix the FOUNDATION, Don’t Palliate the Problem

Living happy and healthy with IBS requires a more foundational perspective. Not looking at what can be taken to fix the problem, but what can be done and practiced to prepare the body to be in the best shape to target the regulation of the 3 systems that are out of balance – the immune, hormonal and nervous systems of the body.

 

The 3 easy steps to alleviate IBS:

1. Know Your Stools:

Your stools say everything about you. It’s no surprise that irritable bowel syndrome is classified based on the form according to the Bristol Stool Scale and frequency.

They can tell you key nutrient deficiencies, like magnesium being low in hormonal problems or zinc deficiency in nervous system problems, as an example. They tell about B-vitamins and other necessities to keep the foundation of our bodies functioning in harmony.

Download the free eGuide called the 50 Shades of Poo that is the first step in understanding what your poo says about you. This will set you up with an excellent practice so you can take control of your irritable bowel syndrome!

This is the most important place to start, because as Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you do better.” It’s time for you to know better.

2. Address Your Stress:

Stress plays such a key role in IBS and the problem is we are constantly bombarded with stress. Massages and acupuncture are great ways to balance our stress levels, but we can only do them from time to time because cost is prohibitive and we are so busy, it’s hard to go to an appointment.

A Castor Oil Pack is a legendary health practice that has been in existence since biblical times and practiced by all systems and cultures of medicine. Indian, Chinese, Greek, Mediterranean, Caribbean, etc.

This tool is predominantly used to practice the pause, or the relaxed state17. In the relaxed state you can heal. Your gut microbiota is healthier, your inflammation is down, you cleanse better and your bowels move (these are also all the things the Castor Oil Pack does, independently of helping you to practice the pause).

If you feel like you’re doing everything else ‘right’ – a healthy diet, good quality supplements, regular exercise, etc. but still feel like crap, this modernized ancient health tool can help pull everything together.

3. Fix your Sleep:

Sleep resets the body and it undeniably helps with cleansing and calming, so that the nervous, hormonal and immune systems have a fighting chance. One way to improve your sleep is simply by wearing an eye mask. Like the Castor Oil Pack for Liver, an eye mask stimulates the pituitary gland to produce melatonin naturally18. This is a supplement-free way to help your body sleep and it’s amazing how a simple strategy can help to improve the bodies’ ability to heal overnight. The Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Eye Compress Kit contains an eye mask as well as a 100ml Cosmetic Castor Oil and cosmetic brush for application of Castor Oil to the eyelash and eyebrow areas.

So there you have it. Those are the first three things you can do once you know you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. My hope is that you take these and let them help you to  make a difference in your life. Because you don’t need to suffer. You need to learn and do what will help you to get your best body balance.

 Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

1 Padhy SK1, Sahoo S1, Mahajan S1, Sinha SK2. Irritable bowel syndrome: Is it “irritable brain” or “irritable bowel”? J Neurosci Rural Pract. 2015 Oct-Dec;6(4):568-77. doi: 10.4103/0976-3147.169802.

2 Paul Enck,1 Qasim Aziz,2 Giovanni Barbara,3 Adam D. Farmer,2 Shin Fukudo,4 Emeran A. Mayer,5 Beate Niesler,6 Eamonn M. M. Quigley,7 Mirjana Rajilić-Stojanović,8 Michael Schemann,9 Juliane Schwille-Kiuntke,1 Magnus Simren,10 Stephan Zipfel,1 and Robin C. Spiller11 Irritable bowel syndrome  Nat Rev Dis Primers. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 Aug 26.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2016; 2: 16014.PMID: 27159638

3 Fabiane Klem,1,2,* Akhilesh Wadhwa,1,* Larry Prokop,1 Wendy Sundt,1 Gianrico Farrugia,1 Michael Camilleri,1 Siddharth Singh,3 and Madhusudan Grover1,# Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome After Infectious Enteritis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysisGastroenterology. 2017 Apr; 152(5): 1042–1054.e1.PMID: 28069350

4 Mariann A. Howland,1 Curt A. Sandman,1 and Laura M. Glynn1,2 Developmental origins of the human hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axisExpert Rev Endocrinol Metab. 2017 Sep; 12(5): 321–339.PMID: 30058893

5 Miranda van Bodegom, Judith R. Homberg, and Marloes J. A. G. Henckens* Modulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by Early Life Stress Exposure. Front Cell Neurosci. 2017; 11: 87. 10.3389/fncel.2017.00087PMID: 28469557

6 Vanja Duric, * Sarah Clayton, Mai Lan Leong, and Li-Lian Yuan Comorbidity Factors and Brain Mechanisms Linking Chronic Stress and Systemic Illness Neural Plast. 2016; 2016: 5460732. PMID: 26977323

7 Kate Ryan Kuhlman,1 Jessica J. Chiang,2 Sarah Horn,3 and Julienne E. Bower1 Developmental psychoneuroendocrine and psychoneuroimmune pathways from childhood adversity to disease Neurosci Biobehav Rev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2018 Sep 1.Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Sep; 80: 166–184.PMID: 28577879

8 O’Malley D1. Endocrine regulation of gut function – a role for glucagon-like peptide-1 in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Exp Physiol. 2019 Jan;104(1):3-10. doi: 10.1113/EP087443. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

9 De-Rong Liu, Xiao-Juan Xu, and Shu-Kun Yao Increased intestinal mucosal leptin levels in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome World J Gastroenterol. 2018 Jan 7; 24(1): 46–57.PMID: 29358881

10 Anant D. Patil Link between hypothyroidism and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2014 May-Jun; 18(3): 307–309.PMID: 24944923

11 Salvucci E1,2. The human-microbiome superorganism and its modulation to restore health. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2019 Mar 7:1-15. doi: 10.1080/09637486.2019.1580682. [Epub ahead of print]

12 Shi N#1, Li N#2, Duan X2, Niu H1. Interaction between the gut microbiome and mucosal immune system. Mil Med Res. 2017 Apr 27;4:14. doi: 10.1186/s40779-017-0122-9. eCollection 2017.

13Bayless TM1,2, Brown E3, Paige DM3. Lactase Non-persistence and Lactose Intolerance. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2017 May;19(5):23. doi: 10.1007/s11894-017-0558-9.

14 Rej A1, Sanders DS1,2. The overlap of irritable bowel syndrome and noncoeliac gluten sensitivity. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2019 Feb 12. doi: 10.1097/MOG.0000000000000517.

15 Vanja Duric, * Sarah Clayton, Mai Lan Leong, and Li-Lian Yuan Comorbidity Factors and Brain Mechanisms Linking Chronic Stress and Systemic Illness Neural Plast. 2016; 2016: 5460732.Published online 2016 Feb 8. doi: 10.1155/2016/5460732PMID: 26977323]

16 Emanuele Sinagra, Gaetano Cristian Morreale, Ghazaleh Mohammadian, Giorgio Fusco, Valentina Guarnotta, Giovanni Tomasello, Francesco Cappello, Francesca Rossi, Georgios Amvrosiadis, and Dario Raimondo New therapeutic perspectives in irritable bowel syndrome: Targeting low-grade inflammation, immuno-neuroendocrine axis, motility, secretion and beyond. World J Gastroenterol. 2017 Sep 28; 23(36): 6593–6627.PMID: 29085207h

17  Rolls ET et all. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17. ( Dopamine release, Limbic System of brain- Fatty Meal Satisfaction)

18 Rong-fang HuXiao-ying JiangYi-ming ZengXiao-yang ChenYou-hua Zhang. Effects of earplugs and eye masks on nocturnal sleep, melatonin and cortisol in a simulated intensive care unit environment. Published online 2010 Apr 18. doi: 10.1186/cc8965

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Do Castor Oil Packs Really Work?

Do Castor Oil Packs Really Work?

Discover with Queen of the Thrones How do Castor Oil Packs Work

Do Castor Oil Packs Really Work?

Written by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive)
Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.

Est. reading time: 16 minutes.

They Are Making a Comeback!

Castor Oil Packs are a legendary treatment that date back to ancient times. Traditional Chinese medicine, Indian Ayurveda, Ancient Egyptians and Mediterraneans all used Castor Oil for its rejuvenating health and beauty aspects. It is even mentioned in the bible as the oil that anoints! The plant has been given the special name of the ‘Palm of Christ’. The oil and the packs have been around forever and will forever be a part of natural medicine.

How do Castor Oil Packs Work?

1. Castor Oil Packs Help you Feel Good and Relax – Bring Pleasure – Stimulate Dopamine.

Who doesn’t want to be relaxed, feel good and feel pleasure? Like the pleasure you feel after an amazing1

Castor Oil Packs are meant to relax the body. By applying the pack on the body, most commonly the liver area underneath the right ribcage, you stimulate the sensory receptors in the human hairy skin. This sends a message via the somatic-visceral reflexes, the fancy term for the sensory receptors on the skin, to the organs inside the body.

The corresponding organs that are affected are the liver, pancreas, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, kidney and adrenals. Because the stimulus is soft to the touch and pleasurable2, it moves your body into the relaxed state from the stressed state.

Studies show that stimulation of the skin lights up the areas of the brain exactly as they do with pleasurable, dopamine-stimulating fatty meals. Big difference though, the Castor Oil Pack for Liver is much healthier than an excessively fatty meal!

I call these packs the escape button for the nervous system, like on your computer, and the science of physioneurology proves it. Castor Oil Packs take your body from frazzled to fine in a matter of minutes, all by naturally working with your physiology to make it happen. They are great because they are non-invasive and so beneficial to overall health. You could say it’s almost like giving your body a great big hug3 and you get the same benefits from it.

Because of this aspect you want to make sure that you are using good quality, luxurious, organic cotton flannel that is soft to the touch. The sensory receptors identity the soft sensation as pleasurable which promotes the relaxed state. The pack is just as important as the oil. If you use the oil on your body without the pack, you will lose the majority of the relaxation benefit.

Why does being relaxed matter? When you are relaxed you can heal, your digestive system produces all of its juices with ease, like digestive enzymes, bile, hydrochloric acid and immune factors4. Most important is that your so called “leaky gut” is a response to living in a stressed-out state. In the relaxed state, stimulated by a Castor Oil Pack, you regain your gut integrity5 6 7.

This means that all the supplements and organic food that you are taking, you will absorb even better if you are using Castor Oil Packs. They help to optimize digestion so that all these pills and potions you take will help supercharge your life.

In the relaxed state is also where your body can cleanse, detox and simply clean up the junk that is in your system. When your body is in the stressed state, all of these functions go on maintenance mode instead of enhanced mode. Move your body into the relaxed state with a Castor Oil Pack and you have the recipe for successful cleansing and detox.

A cool practical application of these Castor Oil Packs that I have seen in practice, is for health nuts just like me that love to do regular cleanses. When you do these packs during a cleanse, you AVOID the dreaded cleansing symptoms like headaches, skin irritation, moodiness, joint/muscle aches and pains. The mechanism of action here is this, when you are stressed and running away from say, a tiger who is going to eat you, your blood is flowing to the extremities and to your brain.

Similarly, if you do a cleanse while in the stressed state, the toxins that you are trying to eliminate from your body will flow to your extremities, causing aches and pains, and to your brain, giving you headaches and moodiness. It’s physiology 101, in the stressed state your blood hemodynamics feed the extremities to get you away from the predator to survive, in the relaxed state your blood flows to your internal organs allowing you to digest, cleanse and reset. If you want to supercharge your cleanses and make it easy on you and those around you, ALWAYS do a Castor Oil Pack for support.

Even better, retraining your nervous system daily to switch into the relaxed state helps you to optimize your life, in general, since you will become more resilient to stress of all types. These days we need it. So make Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs® for Liver a daily self-care ritual for life. You won’t want to stop.

2. Castor Oil Reduces Pain & Inflammation – Where There is Inflammation There is Sickness, Toxicity and Overall Distress in The Body.

Let’s face it, as humans we run from pain and move towards pleasure. How does the Castor Oil Pack stimulate pleasure and reduce inflammation at the same time?

The chemical structure of ricinoleic acid, the main component of this ‘magical’ Castor Oil, is similar in structure to prostaglandins in our bodies that reduce inflammation. To put this into context, when you take a fish oil supplement, you take it because it provides you with these prostaglandins that will reduce inflammation all over your body. Castor Oil is exactly like that, although we don’t take it orally for this effect, we use it as a pack on our bodies to reduce inflammation.

It also reduces substance P8 in the body, that is a chemical messenger that promotes the sensation of pain.
Inflammation in your body equals retention of water. Inflammation is basically a fire that burns in the body with the purpose of creating destruction in order to recreate, renew and heal. Inflammation is purposeful and it can be healthy. However, many cases of inflammation get out of control and result only in destruction.

Firefighters use water to control a fire, so does your body. With an inflamed intestine and gut, the body will hold water in the abdominal area to decrease the irritation. This leads to excess weight in your abdomen, the so called central obesity or in layman’s terms, the “beer belly”. Castor Oil Packs help to reduce and regulate the inflammation in the abdomen, so that you can work towards that flat belly you are dreaming of.

3. Castor Oil Increases your MASTER Cleansing Agent – GLUTATHIONE.

If you haven’t heard of glutathione, this is what you need to know. Glutathione is an incredible molecule that pulls and helps with elimination of most, if not all, toxic substances from the body including things like the dreaded heavy metals.

Glutathione is worth its weight in gold and it is priceless for a healthy body. The problem is that most of us are running on empty. We have used up our stores of glutathione because we have been bombarded with chemicals and pesticides of all types since the industrial revolution in the early 1900s.

Glutathione is also difficult to recycle naturally in our bodies and there are very few sources from our food. Some food sources are whey protein (which I don’t suggest because it is mucous-forming) or rooibos tea, which I personally love and always enjoy drinking on cleanses.

You can also take glutathione supplementally, via intravenous infusion or oral capsules. The latter of these isn’t necessarily the best absorbed and there is controversy about whether or not it is worth it to take glutathione orally.

Enter Castor Oil! A recent research study demonstrated that glutathione was increased in rat ocular lenses when they were placed in Castor Oil, greater than in the ocular lenses placed in actual glutathione9! Incredible.

We’ve known for eons that Castor Oil Packs aided in cleansing and detoxification but we weren’t sure exactly why. This eludes to the benefits of Castor Oil far beyond what we comprehended. This mystical oil is still surprising us and I’d bet there is more to come.

4. Castor Oil Increases your MASTER Cleansing Agent – GLUTATHIONE.

We all love a great poo. In fact there is nothing more pleasurable than poo, well perhaps a great orgasm! When we don’t poo frequently enough, we are recirculating in our bodies the junk that needs to come out. This builds our toxic load and predisposes us to problems like excess cholesterol, hormone imbalances and much more.

Castor Oil stimulates smooth muscle contraction via the prostaglandin EP3 receptors of the body10. Smooth muscle is what the intestines and guts are composed of, as is the uterus. Working with Castor Oil Packs stimulates these to move.

One caution: Do not use Castor Oil Packs or Castor Oil while pregnant. It is unknown but it could possibly cause movement of the smooth muscle of the uterus, enough to terminate the pregnancy. Work with your knowledgeable practitioner on this one.

Cleanliness is next to godliness and keeping your bowels moving and regular keeps you happier, healthier and in tune with your body. Instead of using laxatives, put on your Castor Oil Pack today! It’s proven to be just as effective and is a lot gentler on your system11.

5. Castor Oil Promotes a Balanced Microbiome, Happy Gut, and Biofilm Breakdown.

Having a healthy microbiome has massive implications for your overall health. Benefits include balanced mood, good bowel movements, reduced abdominal pain including bloating and gas, reduced physical inflammation, improvement of auto-immune and hormonal problems, the list goes on and on. A healthy microbiome is the one major determinant of your overall health.

A very common issue for many people is overpopulation of bad gut bugs, or as I call them, “conbiotics”. They are con artists that take up residency in your gut and steal space from the good guys known as “probiotics”.

Probiotics do great things for your body. They produce B vitamins and byproducts like butyrate which help to keep the gut really healthy. The conbiotics just wreak havoc. They can produce a protective layer called biofilm to keep them from being terminated. Biofilm can be so strong that it is almost impossible to kill off these conbiotics. If you are able to break down the biofilm then you have a much better chance of getting them out of your body and restoring the peace.

Castor Oil is one of very few natural substances that can break down this barrier, as well as chemical biofilm breakers like sodium hypochlorite12. The probiotics you are taking are actually going to work better and provide you with super health if you are able to get rid of biofilm in your gut. Wow, you save money and feel better faster!

Now that you know the benefits of practising a Castor Oil Pack regularly, it just makes sense to do it. These are all things that many of us are spending thousands of dollars to achieve. Use the Castor Oil Pack as a way to enhance all of the treatments, supplements and health tools that you are currently using. It’s your best next step to health.

Castor Oil Pack FAQs

  • 1. How does Castor Oil get through the skin?

    The active component of Castor Oil is ricinoleic acid. Castor Oil is composed approximately of 75-85% of this fatty acid. It has a molecular weight of 298 daltons. In dermatological medicine there is what is called the 500 Dalton Rule. Substances that are below 500 daltons can permeate through the lower layer of the epidermis, which is the top layer of the skin. It can then go deeper, into the dermis, that contains the blood and lymphatic vessels.

    These are the superhighways of the body, transporting medicinal substances like Castor Oil into the body. Compression also helps to put tension on the skin, facilitating its deep penetration. So using the pack is a very important part of the treatment.

  • 2. Do you need to use heat?

    Heat is optional. Used as a modality in natural medicine, heat slows things down, so depending on your bowel function you can use it appropriately. If you go to the bathroom too much, add heat to slow things down. If you don’t go enough, let your own natural body heat do the job. If you have your period, use heat as it will help to relax the uterine spasms. Heat has been shown to only speed up the elimination of metabolites and not the rate of liver detoxification13.

  • 3. Should I use Castor Oil Packs during my period?

    Yes, absolutely! In fact, it will help with reduction of pain and cramping associated with your period. The concern was that the Castor Oil Pack would make you bleed more. This is not the case, you will bleed what you have to bleed independent of the pack. The pack may speed up your period, but that could be of benefit if you’re off to a beach holiday!

  • 4. Why Castor Oil Packs are so messy?

    I don’t want to do them! You no longer have this excuse my friends. That’s exactly why I created the Queen of the Thrones®️ Castor Oil Pack for Liver, to make it a simple 2-step process instead of a 12 step ordeal. The Queen of the Thrones®️ Castor Oil Pack attaches onto your body for ease of use.

  • 5. How do I wash my Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack?

    You do not ever have to wash your pack, if you take care to only apply oil in the center of the pack away from the seams. If you do prefer to wash your pack when it becomes very saturated with oil, usually after 10-12 treatments, you may do so. Soak overnight in hot water with 4 tbsp. of baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. of clean, natural dish soap. In the morning wring it out and hand wash with the healthy dish soap. Place on the outside of an old tea towel that you don’t mind ruining and press out the Castor Oil. Continue to do this until the outside has very little to no oily residue.

  • 6. How often do I need to replace my Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack?

    Things don’t last forever, but in general, with daily usage your pack should last 2-3 months. For those who care for it well or use less frequently, longer.

  • 7. When is the best time to do the Castor Oil Packs?

    There really is no best time, but it is best to do it DAILY! Before bed is ideal because the Queen of The Thrones® Castor Oil Packs relaxes your body and promotes an amazing sleep.

  • 8. How long do I wear my Queen of The Thrones® Castor Oil Packs for?

    Wear your Castor Oil Pack for a minimum of 1 hour each day, or ideally overnight.

  • 9. What kind of material should I use for my Castor Oil Pack?

    I recommend using organic cotton flannel for the side that touches your skin. Otherwise materials contain brominated flame retardants that are hormone14, nervous and immune system disrupting15 16. The Queen of The Thrones® Castor Oil Pack is made from organic cotton without flame retardants on the inside and a non-toxic barrier layer on the outside made from eco and health friendly poly-urethane (PUL).

  • 10. Why Should I buy my Castor Oil in a glass bottle and organic?

    Castor Oil is a carrier substance as well as a healing agent. In a plastic bottle, Castor Oil will grab onto the chemicals in plastic and bring it into your body. All oils should be in a glass bottle if you are using them in or on your body. Organic is simply because it is produced cleaner and has had less exposure to chemicals and pesticides.

  • 11. How much Castor Oil do I use per treatment?

    Each treatment requires a new application of the oil. You always want to start fresh and reapply. Apply 1-2 tbsp of Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil in the center of the pack, then fold in half using either side to blot the oil around. Be cautious not to get it in the seams as there are holes and the oil will permeate the pack if you do.

Are you a practitioner, health coach or wellness influencer? If you’re interested in recommending our easy-to-use tools and practically applying them in your health and wellness professional practice, in clinic, or online with the people you serve, you can join now!

Click here for references

1 Francis S, Rolls ET, Bowtell R, McGlone F, O’Doherty J, Browning A, Clare S, Smith E. The representation of pleasant touch in the brain and its relationship with taste and olfactory areas. Neuroreport. 1999 Feb 25;10(3):453-9.

2 Rolls ET, O’Doherty J, Kringelbach ML, Francis S, Bowtell R, McGlone F. Representations of pleasant and painful touch in the human orbitofrontal and cingulate cortices. Cereb Cortex. 2003 Mar;13(3):308-17.

3 Löken LS, Wessberg J, Morrison I, McGlone F, Olausson H. Coding of pleasant touch by unmyelinated afferents in humans. Nat Neurosci. 2009 May;12(5):547-8. Epub 2009 Apr 12.

4 Grady H. Immunomodulation through castor oil packs. The Journal of Naturopathic Medicine. Volume 7 Jan 1 1998; 7(1): 84-9

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