Why Do You Feel Hungover After Just One Drink?

Why Do You Feel Hungover After Just One Drink?

Hungover Without Drinking Alcohol by Queen of the Thornes

Why Do You Feel Hungover After Just One Drink?

Written by: Dr. Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (Inactive)

Medically reviewed by: Victoria Williams R.H.N.  &  Joanna Teljeur

Est. reading time: 7 minutes

Here’s why sugar overgrowth in your gut contributes to hangover symptoms and what you can do to help restore balance in your gut microbiome.

I had one drink last night, and I woke up with a cluster headache, foggy brain and feeling like total sh*t. All from just one drink? One drink! What’s up with that?! This never used to happen to my body before. I mean come on… It was just ONE drink!!! Has this ever happened to you

Why do I get hangover symptoms without drinking?

So you go out and you don’t even drink alcohol, but you wake up the next morning feeling hungover. How can this be, right? It makes absolutely NO SENSE, agreed?

Actually, and to be honest, it makes perfect sense, because I’ve seen this so often in clinical practice, and I’ve experienced it myself as well. So, I’m going to explain to you why you get a hangover after just one drink or even without drinking at all – and what you can do about it.

We don’t often realize these little signs and what they tell us about our bodies. If you know me, you know I love educating about poop, but there are so many more clues about what our body says about us. This “alcohol-less hangover” is one of them, and it actually shows a lot about what is going on in our gut.

What does a one drink hangover tell you about your gut? 

One hint? It has everything to do with your microbiome! So, read on to learn more.

Whenever you are afflicted by hangover symptoms, think of them like the drama in a Mexican telenovela. The symptoms of a hangover add turmoil, turbulence, and some painful excitement to our lives. You know, like the drama you talk about with your friends – the kind you try to figure out like a detective. You see, these hangover symptoms are the tune our basic biochemistry is singing. And for some, this singing is getting pretty loud and cacophonous which is basically an expression of our bodies in distress.

Feeling hungover after minimal amounts of alcohol or food is clearly not the norm, but when it becomes your norm, it gives us valuable information about WHY your biochemical song is out of tune.

How does sugar overgrowth affect your hangover symptoms?

Well, it all comes down to this. Any food or drink that you ingest eventually turns into one basic molecule, and that molecule is sugar.

Starches, alcohol, fruits, and vegetables all become instant forms of sugar for our bodies. Fats and proteins on the other hand, need to be modified into a different form before they can serve as an energy source, and that takes a lot longer.

Think of it like this: Alcohol, sugary pop, pastries, fruits, and certain foods like high starch breads, and basically anything that has sugar in it… is already sugar in your intestines.

And it’s important to remember that when you eat, your gut bacteria eats too!

What causes sugar fermentation and yeast overgrowth?

Your body, and especially your gut, is the home for trillions of  bacteria and yeasts that all feed on the foodstuff that we ingest.

Eight things that cause candida by Queen of the Thrones

Yeast, otherwise known as Candida albicans, can overgrow quite easily. If you have a history of taking antibiotics, birth control pills, or if you have estrogen dominance, you’re already at a higher risk for Candida overgrowth. Hmm, sounds like almost every woman that I know! Is this you too? 

So, these critters are all hanging around in the closed system known as your gut microbiome.  Now, if you’ve ever baked bread, you know that something dramatic happens when you pour sugar into a bowl with water and yeast.

What happens?  

You get a mini explosion as the yeast gobbles up the sugar. And when you leave the sugar and yeast long enough, you get fermentation. You know how the dough rises because of the yeast? That’s the same thing that happens in your belly (think bloating). 

But, in your gut microbiome fermentation creates alcohol and acetyl aldehydes that inhibit your body’s ability to detoxify and cleanse. In short, it creates the dreaded symptoms of a hangover! 

How to stop Candida overgrowth?

When you have a big buildup of yeast in your body, you are already what I like to call your very own “personal alcohol factory”, A.K.A. Super Fermenter (insert your name here). So, if you have hangover symptoms after just one drink, you’re feeling crummy because you’re already producing your own alcohol internally, and then by drinking alcohol or consuming high sugar food/drinks, your gut microbiome quickly creates more alcohol and pushes you over the edge! Believe it or not, it’s like drinking two bottles of wine, all on your own!

Basically, we are all one big biochemical factory. So, what do you do to cleanse the Candida? Well, you can start by:

  • Taking a good-quality probiotic supplement
  • Eating a low sugar, low starch diet – similar to the Paleo Diet
  • Avoiding alcohol until you get things under control

And now for my secret weapon when it comes to yeast overgrowth in the gut… the Castor Oil Pack.

It’s always about working on your microbiome, the bacteria and yeast balance in your body. Yeast grows in a gut environment that is hospitable to it. If you have slow moving intestines, low nutrient levels, high inflammation, stress and bad bacteria, your gut microbiome is becoming a comfy cozy home for yeast to set up shop.

But there is hope! Castor Oil Packs works on all of these factors to help make our gut an inhospitable place for yeasts to grow. Bye-bye one drink hangovers!

Four ways to help candida by Queen of the Thrones

How do Castor Oil Packs help balance the microbiome and support a hangover?

Have you ever heard your parents or grandparents talk about using Castor Oil as a laxative? Well, it’s true! When you drink it, it works really well as a very strong stimulant laxative, which is exactly why I don’t recommend drinking it to my patients.

But when you use Castor Oil with a less-mess Castor Oil Pack, the experience is all together different!

Castor Oil Packs may help support colon cleansing, constipation, and better bowel movements

A study was done in an old age home where the researchers compared Castor Oil Packs to conventional laxatives. Lo and behold, Castor Oil Packs were shown to be just as effective for constipation as oral laxatives but without cramping and the intense urgency to run to the bathroom1.

Better still, Castor Oil contains ricinoleic acid which has been shown to support peristalsis of the smooth muscle of the digestive tract2. In other words, Castor Oil Packs worn on your abdominal area may help support your intestines as they move waste through your system. And this is exactly what you want for better cleansing, better detox, and as a result, a more balanced microbiome.

And if that isn’t convincing enough, some recent research in periodontal medicine has shown that Castor Oil is one of the only natural substances that can break down biofilm3,4,5 – a protective layer created by bad bacteria that prevents you from killing it. What does this mean? Basically, you can only do a true Candida cleanse if you can get through the protective biofilm of the yeast… and a natural way to do this may be with Castor Oil.

In short, Castor Oil Packs may help support balance in your gut microbiome. Pretty amazing, agreed?

Castor Oil Packs may help support your gut nutrient balance

OK, so Castor Oil is a heavy hitter when it comes to nutrients. It’s a thick, rich oil replete with Omega 6 and 9, vitamin E and polyphenols6 and may also promote and preserve the antioxidants nitric oxide7 and glutathione8. So you might be wondering why this matters?

Here’s the deal – nitric oxide which has been shown to reduce Candida albicans9 while your body’s top-dog antioxidant, glutathione is essential for detoxification and cleansing.

When you wear a Castor Oil Pack with 100% pure, certified organic, extra virgin and hexane-free Castor Oil bottled in amber glass, you may help support better gut nutrient levels.

And in case I haven’t already mentioned it, Castor Oil is also an amazing carrier oil. It has the ability to penetrate the skin deeply and may carry nutrients across your skin barrier – allowing them to absorb deeper. And in this case, Castor Oil worn on your skin over your liver area in a Castor Oil Pack, may help support the absorption of these vital nutrients into your digestive tract.

Bottom line: Castor Oil Packs may help support a better balance in your gut. Brilliant, don’t you think?

Castor Oil Packs may help support inflammation balance

Remember how I said that Castor Oil contains ricinoleic acid? Well, to be more specific, Castor Oil contains 90% ricinoleic acid. This is an amazing asset, because in an animal study, ricinoleic acid has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties via reduction of substance P10

What is substance P? Well, without going into an entire biochemistry lesson, substance P is a mediator of pain. When you reduce substance P, you reduce pain. It’s that simple. 

Castor Oil may also help support PGE3 (prostaglandin E3), which creates a similar result in the body that happens when you take fish oils. Basically, Castor Oil has been shown to have anti-inflammatory11 properties, and when you wear Castor Oil Packs, you may help support a better balanced environment for your gut microbiome. And a balanced gut environment is a happy place for GOOD bacteria to thrive.

Castor Oil Packs may help support stress balance

You might be wondering if you can enjoy all these benefits by just rubbing Castor Oil on your skin. Is this you?

Well, this is where the compress part of Castor Oil Packs come into play.

You see, the gentle compression of the pack on your body may help move you into a relaxed state12, and support your love and connection hormone, oxytocin13. If you’ve ever used a weighted blanket then you know exactly what I mean. The only difference is that Castor Oil Packs are like a micro version of a weighted blanket, but they may still provide that comfy, cozy, and RELAXING sensation.

Basically, oxytocin helps balance cortisol14 (the stress hormone). So when you have more oxytocin, you can naturally shift more easily into the relaxed state. But this can’t be achieved with Castor Oil alone. The pack is a must!

But that’s not the only benefit. Castor Oil Packs are made with soft organic cotton flannel, and that luxurious feeling combined with the warm oil on the skin may activate the pleasure centers in your brain15,16, and help support dopamine production – a feel-good hormone that helps you feel satisfied.

Castor Oil Packs may help to get rid of bad bacteria

So, now we know that hangover symptoms are a reflection of gut health and Candida (or yeast) overgrowth, let’s break down how Castor Oil Packs affect the bad bacteria in your gut.

When bad bacteria is present and flourishing in your gut, yeast sneaks in and has a blow-out party. And that party, my friends, is Candida overgrowth. So when this happens, the bad bacteria create this mucus-like film around themselves called biofilm for protection.

Not many substances are able to break down this yucky layer, but fortunately, Castor Oil is one of them3, 4, 5! And if you want to balance your gut microbiome, stop yeast overgrowth, and subsequently mitigate hangover symptoms, you’ve got to break through that biofilm as the first order of business!

So, in a nutshell, balance can be achieved in your microbiome. And when you achieve this balance, you will stop having one-drink-hangovers AND the factors that caused the yeast in the first place, like loss of good bacteria from antibiotics or estrogen dominance, may also improve! Fantastic, right?

So what’s the best thing for hangover symptoms?

Well my friends, if you’re feeling hungover with any of these symptoms…

  • A cluster or migraine headache that feels like you spent all night banging your head against a wall
  • Lethargy so bad it feels you’re carrying the world on your shoulders and can barely move
  • Dark circles under your eyes that would win in the raccoon category at your local beastly pageant
  • An extra foggy brain after only one drink (or none!)

…don’t be dismayed

There really is a natural biological cause. Truly! It’s not your fault, and there really is something that you can do about it!

Get started with your very own super easy, less-mess Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack.

It’s time to support your biology so you can feel better, live your best life, feel freer, and have fun! So there you go, with regular practice, over time, it is POSSIBLE to reset your gut!

Natural recipe for a hangover 

While you’re working towards better microbiome balance, you might find some hangover relief with this very easy recipe that can help replenish your electrolytes – hangover or not! One of the benefits of this recipe is that you’ll be able to support your fluid balance after drinking alcohol, after exercising, or even after being sick! 

You see, electrolytes are essential minerals that your body needs to function properly. When you replenish your electrolytes, your gut, muscles, and nerve function will all be on the receiving end of something wonderful! Besides that, it’s just delicious and refreshing! 

A Natural Electrolyte Remedy

Prep time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups sparkling water
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Pinch of Himalayan salt
  • Dash of cayenne pepper (optional) 

Directions:

  1. Pour 1.5 cups of sparkling water into a glass.
    2. Then add the juice of ½ a lemon.
    3. Add Himalayan salt, and the cayenne pepper (optional). Stir and enjoy!

Conclusion

So, the next time you feel those dreaded hangover symptoms after having only one drink, remember that your discomfort is actually your body telling you it’s a little off balance and that your gut microbiome is in need of a little TLC. 

In the meantime, you can start working towards better microbiome balance today by wearing your Castor Oil Pack regularly. 

Don’t forget to share this with your friends on social media, through email and to like us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to learn more about  joining the movement so that we can all have an improvement!

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. 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.  
  2. 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 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22615395
  3. Andrade IM1, Andrade KM2, Pisani MX1, Silva-Lovato CH1, de Souza RF1, Paranhos Hde F1.Trial of an experimental castor oil solution for cleaning dentures. Braz Dent J. 2014 Jan-Feb;25(1):43-7.
  4. Badaró MM, Salles MM, Leite VMF, Arruda CNF, Oliveira VC, Nascimento CD, Souza RF, Paranhos HFO, Silva-Lovato CH. Clinical trial for evaluation of Ricinus communis and sodium hypochlorite as denture cleanser.J Appl Oral Sci. 2017 May-Jun; 25(3):324-334.
  5. Marcela Moreira Salles, Maurício Malheiros Badaró, Carolina Noronha Ferraz de Arruda, Vanessa Maria Fagundes Leite, Cláudia Helena Lovato da Silva, Evandro Watanabe, Viviane de Cássia Oliveira, Helena de Freitas Oliveira Paranhos, Antimicrobial activity of complete denture cleanser solutions based on sodium hypochlorite and Ricinus communis – a randomized clinical study.
  6. Marwat SK, Rehman F, Khan EA, Baloch MS, Sadiq M, Ullah I, Javaria S, Shaheen S. Review – Ricinus cmmunis – Ethnomedicinal uses and pharmacological activities.Pak J Pharm Sci. 2017 Sep;30(5):1815-1827.
  7. Mascolo N1, Izzo AA, Autore G, Barbato F, Capasso F.Nitric oxide and castor oil-induced diarrhea.J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1994 Jan;268(1):291-5.
  8. Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in optisol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013.
  9. Stasko N1, McHale K2, Hollenbach SJ2, Martin M2, Doxey R2. Nitric Oxide-Releasing Macromolecule Exhibits Broad-Spectrum Antifungal Activity and Utility as a Topical Treatment for Superficial Fungal Infections. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2018 Jun 26;62(7). pii: e01026-17. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01026-17. Print 2018 Jul.
  10. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8
  11.  Boddu SH1, Alsaab H2, Umar S3, Bonam SP2, Gupta H2, Ahmed S3. Anti-inflammatory effects of a novel ricinoleic acid poloxamer gel system for transdermal delivery. Int J Pharm. 2015 Feb 1;479(1):207-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.12.051. Epub 2014 Dec 24. PMID: 25542985 
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15834840
  15. 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 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10208571
  16. 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. PMID: 19363489 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19363489

 

Can I do a Castor Oil Pack without the pack / compress?

Can I do a Castor Oil Pack without the pack / compress?

Can I do a Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Pack without the pack compress

Can I do a Castor Oil Pack without the pack / compress?

Written by: Heather Tanti RPN (non-practicing)
Medically reviewed by: Marisol Teijeiro N.D. (inactive) & Melanie Swackhammer B.A.

Est. reading time: 10 minutes.

So, you’ve heard of Castor Oil Packs because you’ve been prescribed them from your Naturopathic Doctor, Functional Medicine Practitioner, or maybe you’ve heard about them from your favorite natural health influencer, right?

You love the idea of them because of all the amazing benefits, like…

  • Improved bowel movements1and better absorption2
  • Reduced core inflammation3
  • Liver detox4 and microbiome gut health5-6-7-8
  • Enhanced relaxation and better sleep9-10-11-12

While an interesting protocol, seed cycling for hormone imbalance requires the patient to ingest seeds like flax, pumpkin, sesame and sunflower on specific weeks of their cycle.

BUT you can’t help but think to yourself… “Do I need the compress for Castor Oil Packs?”

The doctor dresses the wound and the nature heals it by Queen of the Thrones

“Why can’t I just rub Castor Oil on my stomach, throw an old t-shirt on, and call it a day?”

Call it a pack, a compress, or a wrap, either way, if you want the benefit of the Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack for Liver Kit or Castor Oil Pack for Fertility, you need it to get the job done properly.

Sounds like I’m trying to sell you something, agreed? Well, you are right, essentially.

I’m selling you on the benefits of this ancient health practice, and doing it the right way as it was intended, thankfully now with some easy tools created by a Naturopathic Doctor, for herself, her patients and her practice, to help her patients comply and get the results they were looking for.

You see, with the nightly repetition of your Castor Oil Pack, the oil is only 50% of the treatment effect, the main purpose isn’t necessarily the oil, although most people think that it is.

Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Packs reduce inflammation from the outside in

The oil is supportive to reduce inflammation from the outside in, but what supports the body most is actually the use of the compress with the health-promoting action of CASTOR OIL.

Together, castor oil and the compress, pack or wrap, as people call it, have been used for centuries, and has since established its place in medicine.

But, like everything…

A Castor Oil Pack treatment must be done the right way, using the right tools.

It’s become a habit to skip a step, and to simply rub or roll on the Castor Oil over the liver, belly or pelvic region, or wherever else you may use the pack. Although this does provide benefit, we are missing the effect from the compress. Think of it like one large physiological bandage for your liver, pelvic region or belly.

The effect of a bandage is to draw the attention of the nervous system, by stimulation of the skin receptors, c-tactile receptors as well as others. This nervous system stimulation through the skin, actually acts as an escape button, to shift the body into the parasympathetic relaxed state,13-14-15-16 activating the Vagus nerve.

 

In addition, the pack keeps in heat, which, based on the principle of hydrotherapy, supports circulation and increases blood flow. With this comes nutrients and healing factors.

Plus, the pressure of the pack supports deeper permeation of the oil, which already is able to permeate the dermis, unlike other oils, so true activity can be realized.

Loving what you’re reading?

When Castor Oil is simply applied topically, without the pack, it’s as simple as a skin emollient.

This is why one cannot do what has been called the ‘ lazy mans’ Castor Oil Pack’, which is the practice of just applying oil to your skin and skipping the compress altogether.

You might be wondering, why does the compress matter this much?

Well, worn nightly as a compress, your Queen of the Thrones ® Castor Oil Pack has parasympathetic promoting effects, according to dermatological scientific research on neuro reaction to material softness and oil sensations on skin.17-18

In turn, this supports a shift into the parasympathetic nervous system, rest, digest and detox state, which is key to improving hormone imbalances and gut health. Sounds amazing, agreed?

Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Pack help you to rest digest and detox

Applying Castor Oil topically to your skin with your Castor Oil Pack compress, allows it to work from the outside IN.

But how does your Castor Oil Pack practice do this?

You see, Castor Oil is known as a carrier oil, meaning, due to its molecular weight of ricinoleic acid19 (the major triglyceride chain making up approximately 90% of Castor Oil), it is effective topically, and only requires a minimal daily dosage.

It takes less than 2 tablespoons of Castor Oil placed on the pack at night, and much stays on the flannel, making it much less messy, and more convenient than traditional Castor Oil treatments. Amazing, agreed?

Repetitive nightly practice is like the training of the olympian athlete. Stay with me here.

The more you repeat it, the more your body can naturally bring on the relaxed state and shift from the sympathetic stressed state of hormonal imbalance, leaky gut and metabolic syndrome, to a calm, balanced parasympathetic state, all due to nightly application.

In chronobiology medicine, this is known as entrainement.20-21

Our bodies are entrained by 2 factors:

  1. An internal genetic body clock
  2. An external zeitgeber
Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Pack naturally bring on your body to a relaxed state

What we are not too busy to do is easily place a Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack on the liver or pelvic region, before bed.

You, my friend, for your patients, clients or yourself can achieve this with practice, repetition and habit creation!

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. Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in opti-sol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013. PMID: 24260265

2. Boddu SH1, Alsaab H2, Umar S3, Bonam SP2, Gupta H2, Ahmed S3. Anti-inflammatory effects of a novel ricinoleic acid poloxamer gel system for transdermal delivery. Int J Pharm. 2015 Feb 1;479(1):207-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2014.12.051. Epub 2014 Dec 24.

3. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8 PMID: 11200362.

4. Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in opti-sol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013. PMID: 24260265.

5. Andrade IM1, Andrade KM2, Pisani MX1, Silva-Lovato CH1, de Souza RF1, Paranhos Hde F1.Trial of an experimental castor oil solution for cleaning dentures. Braz Dent J. 2014 Jan-Feb;25(1):43-7.PMID: 24789291

6. Badaró MM, Salles MM, Leite VMF, Arruda CNF, Oliveira VC, Nascimento CD, Souza RF, Paranhos HFO, Silva-Lovato CH. Clinical trial for evaluation of Ricinus communis and sodium hypochlorite as denture cleanser.J Appl Oral Sci. 2017 May-Jun; 25(3):324-334. PMID: 28678952

7. Salles MM, Badaró MM, Arruda CN, Leite VM, Silva CH, Watanabe E, Oliveira Vde C, Paranhos Hde F. Antimicrobial activity of complete denture cleanser solutions based on sodium hypochlorite and Ricinus communis – a randomized clinical study.J Appl Oral Sci. 2015 Nov-Dec; 23(6):637-42. PMID: 26814466.

8. Marcela Moreira Salles, Maurício Malheiros Badaró, Carolina Noronha Ferraz de Arruda, Vanessa Maria Fagundes Leite, Cláudia Helena Lovato da Silva, Evandro Watanabe, Viviane de Cássia Oliveira, Helena de Freitas Oliveira Paranhos, Antimicrobial activity of complete denture cleanser solutions based on sodium hypochlorite and Ricinus communis – a randomized clinical study. Randomized Controlled Trial J Appl Oral Sci Nov-Dec 2015;23(6):637-42. doi:10.1590/1678-775720150204. PMID: 26814466.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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. PMID: 19363489.

13. 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 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28162847

14. 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 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12571120.

15. 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 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10208571.

16. 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. PMID: 19363489 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19363489.

17. 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 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10208571.

18. 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. PMID: 19363489 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19363489.

19. PubChem [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; 2004-. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 643684, Ricinoleic acid; [cited 2022 Mar. 31].

20. Golombek DA, Rosenstein RE. Physiology of circadian entrainment. Physiol Rev. 2010 Jul;90(3):1063-102. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00009.2009. PMID: 20664079.

21. Kronfeld-Schor N, Dominoni D, de la Iglesia H, Levy O, Herzog ED, Dayan T, Helfrich-Forster C. Chronobiology by moonlight. Proc Biol Sci. 2013 Jul 3;280(1765):20123088. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.3088. PMID: 23825199; PMCID: PMC3712431.

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 Get You Regular with Castor Oil Packs for Constipation

How to Get You Regular with Castor Oil Packs for Constipation

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

How to Get You Regular with Castor Oil Packs for Constipation

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

Est. reading time: 9 minutes

I remember my mother always being constipated. She would hyper focus on food and what she should be eating. Sometimes it would help, most of the time it wouldn’t. This is the situation that most people find themselves in. You are trying to get all your fiber and fluids in, yet you’re still not going to the bathroom. You aren’t having those amazing bowel movements as you should. What gives?

Your poo is much more complicated than just the food that you eat. That is just the start of getting things going. The gut is also highly regulated via hormonal and nervous system pathways. In fact, if you didn’t know it, the gut is known as the second brain1. It not only relies on the brain to tell it what to do, but it is the only organ that can work independently.

Meaning you can take it out of the body and it can function completely on its own. This system is called the enteric nervous system and it dictates what goes on in the gut. How interesting is that! There are only a few ways to engage its action. The easiest is the infamous Castor Oil Pack for Liver, and this will be our focus in this article.

 

The Issue of Compliance with Castor Oil Packs

If you’ve been prescribed Castor Oil Packs, you are probably cringing right now. You know all too well the expectation that your practitioner had for you to do them, but they are just too much of a hassle and too messy to do. I know exactly what you’re feeling because I’ve been there too.

That’s what stopped me for years from doing the Castor Oil Pack for Liver. It was something that I was told to do for years by not one, but many people… doctors, health food store owners, people who had years and years of natural health expertise. I wouldn’t listen. Only because I was lazy and didn’t have the time. I know you are feeling that way too, and that’s ok! It’s human nature, after all, to do that which is of the least effort.

Pooping Problems

I was seriously suffering hardcore with gut issues. I’d go from diarrhea to constipation, to major bloating and gas. Like many of you, I was in a constant state of crap in my guts.

I would be told that I had microbiome issues, small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), food allergies, anxiety, depression, hormonal dysregulation, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and fatty liver. You name it, I was told that I had it, and above all, I had MAJOR pooping problems.

 

When You’re Doing Everything ‘Right’ But Still Feel Like Crap

I was addressing all of these things with my naturopath but it didn’t make sense because here I was, doing all the ‘right’ things but still feeling like crap. I was taking good quality supplements, probiotics, digestive enzymes, magnesium, I would even go as far as laxatives from time to time because my constipation would get so bad. I was eating the right foods and exercising, but for some reason, it wasn’t fitting the bill.

I remember vividly, the worst 10 days where I didn’t go poo once. I was literally beside myself, I felt soooo horrible in my own skin. I remember searching out for a way to manually extract my poo!

 

My First Castor Oil Pack

After weeks of constipation, I became super sick and decided that I was finally going to try this  self-care practice that EVERYONE had told me to do. I made myself my own Castor Oil Pack and tried it.

Wow, was my response. It changed my world from the first moment that I put it on my body. I was already feeling better, more relaxed and well in my body. I felt. For a long time, it was like I just wasn’t feeling anything, I didn’t feel present in my system. I know it sounds weird but I was dealing with so much discomfort, that I felt completely disconnected from my body.

You see, it’s easier to look for an escape. It’s no surprise that when you’re dealing with an irritable bowel, anxiety, and depression are usually a result. Some say it is the cause, my belief is it goes deeper than that.

 

Historical Use of Castor Oil Packs

Castor Oil Packs ended up being my saving grace. I’m not surprised, as I began my research and found that this practice dates back to biblical times. It is mentioned in the ancient Chinese and Indian medical texts as well as practiced by the ancient Mediterranean and Egyptian cultures.

Castor Oil Packs are not the new kids on the block, rather, they are the most important tool that fundamentally supports all other wellness practices. No other self-care tool is quite like the Castor Oil Pack and the beauty of it is that now it’s easy, and it can be done in the comfort of your home.

 

Innovative Castor Oil Pack Design

Necessity is the instigator of the invention. I know myself and I’m pretty sure you know yourself too. When something is difficult, time-consuming, or a plain old hassle, it takes a superhuman effort to get it done. When I was told to do the Castor Oil Pack, I would look at the process and snark, “There is no way that I’m going to do that, forget it! I’m busy, I’ve got too much on the go.”

It took me hitting rock bottom, feeling like I was “never gonna get better”. It took years of naturopathic school, to finally believe that it was good for every condition. It took me grabbing the bull by its horns and creating a pack that made the process simple, easy and less messy, otherwise, I was never going to keep it up.

The Queen of the Thrones® Castor Oil Pack for Liver was born. Simply apply oil to the cotton compress side and tie it onto the body over the liver. Get your very own Castor Oil Pack Kit here!

 

How Castor Oil Packs Help Alleviate Constipation?

1. Castor Oil Packs may help move the smooth muscle of our body


Smooth muscle is only in select parts of the body, notably the digestive system/gut, including the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus. It is in the uterus as well.

The other muscles of our body that you’re familiar with, like the biceps and triceps are made of what is called striated muscle. Smooth muscle works via signals of PG3— what is known as an eicosanoid.

You are likely familiar with it because when you take fish oils to get your omega 3s, those are also eicosanoids. In a nut shell, they are messengers in the body (like carrier pigeons) that tell certain body parts to do something. When you take fish oils, you tell your body to reduce inflammation.

When you do a Castor Oil Pack, you absorb Castor Oil through the skin that may tell the smooth muscle of the intestine to move. Movement in the intestine is known as peristalsis. This is a rhythmic movement, like a dance that propels the contents of the intestine down so it can be eliminated. In the stomach it mixes things, in the intestine, it moves things around to absorb and then to eliminate what we don’t need. The nice thing with the Castor Oil Pack is that it helps regulate this dance.

They may make you go to the bathroom and have an excellent bowel movement. One study in an old age home showed that Castor Oil Packs worked just as well as laxatives without the uncomfortable gas, bloating, and harsh urgency and patients felt more satisfied and fully evacuated3. This one thing that Castor Oil Packs do is incredibly important.

**Please note that Castor Oil Packs are not recommended if you are pregnant or may be pregnant because of the uterus also being smooth muscle4,5,6

2. Castor Oil Packs may help break down biofilm

Biofilm is a protective barrier created by bacteria on mucous membranes. You probably know of these gut bugs as probiotics, which is what we call them when they are beneficial for the body. When they are not good for our health, I have coined them “conbiotics”. Probiotics help us because they create nutrients for our body like B vitamins.

The conbiotics on the other hand, use up our bodies’ resources, they don’t make our vitamins, they create byproducts and gases that actually slow down peristalsis, making us constipated.

The more virulent conbiotics are the worst because of protective biofilm that they can create to stop us from killing them. In Lyme disease, as an example, the bacteria Borrelia is transmitted via ticks. It is known for creating a destructive biofilm that is very difficult to break down. People who are dealing with Lyme disease may find Castor Oil Packs beneficial, as they are one of the tools that may help them to reset their microbiome.

The research shows that Castor Oil, compared to other chemical agents that break down biofilm, outperforms in vivo (in the human body)7,8,9. We need to have a healthy microbiome to have good bowel movements!

Queen of the Thrones Castor Oil Pack are the most recommended remedy for constipation

3. Castor Oil Packs may help with good bowel movements

Stress does not allow you to have healthy bowel movements because it tenses up the parts of the body that need to be relaxed to work.

The intestines and bowels are regulated and working well in a relaxed state. You can take all the fluids, fiber, probiotics and digestive enzymes you want but if your body doesn’t know how to switch into the relaxed state for peristalsis and relaxation of the lower sphincter, you are a duck out of luck. For me, stress was severely impacting my bowels and regularity.

Castor Oil Packs may work via the nervous system by stimulating the nerves in the skin10,11. But this only works when you wear the pack. This is probably the most important action. Improving the microbiome and getting the smooth muscle to function won’t matter if your lower sphincter can’t relax enough to let go! The topical application of a Castor Oil Pack is exactly for that, to “LET GO”.

4. Castor Oil Packs may help recycle/preserve glutathione

We all know that cleansing is important, and there is one molecule known as glutathione that stands out among all of the antioxidants. It cleans and protects the body, and helps to detox heavy metals.12

It is well known that heavy metals impact our bodies in a variety of ways, inhibiting the immune system, therefore aiding and abetting to an unhealthy microbiome. They impact our hormonal system and detrimentally affect the nervous system. Glutathione is well known to be an antioxidant that in this day and age is in lower concentrations in our bodies because of the physiological demand due to industrialized pollution.

There are very few ways to get glutathione. It is found in whey protein (which I don’t prefer since it is dairy based and for those that have an irritable bowel it is just plain torture), rooibos tea (well known for its antioxidant effects), or oral supplementation (the jury is out on whether or not glutathione is absorbed well via supplements).

Supplementing with magnesium and NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) may help as they are precursors to glutathione. The other way is via IV therapy, known as a glutathione push. Recent research demonstrated that Castor Oil may improve the recycling of glutathione in the lenses of rats, greater than even a solution of glutathione13. This is very impressive; Castor Oil Packs may also support antioxidant status14.

5. Castor Oil may help balance inflammation

When you are inflamed in your intestines, it becomes very difficult to go to the bathroom. Castor Oil Packs may help balance inflammation15,16, allowing for smooth passage of stools out of the body.

It’s amazing that this wellness practice can be such aid for those that suffer from constipation. Constipation contributes to more serious conditions and diseases and if something is not done, your body can be severely damaged in the long term. A system that can’t eliminate waste backs up, and the back up is the cause of many problems.

No different than when your garbage removal goes on strike or the sewer back ups, that is always bad news. Now you have the tools at your disposal to make it all better!

Time to act.

xoxoxo

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 get your free e-guide join now!

Click here for references

1. Gershon, Michael D. The Second Brain. HarperCollins World, 1999.

2. 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

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.

4. Gao J1, Sun N, Wang F.[Effects of castor oil-diet on the synthesis of prostaglandin E2 in pregnant rats].[Article in Chinese] Zhonghua Fu Chan Ke Za Zhi. 1999 Mar;34(3):147-9.

5. Gao J1, Sun N, Wang F, Hao N.[Effect of castor oil-diet on the initiation of labor of pregnant rat].[Article in Chinese] Zhongguo Yi Xue Ke Xue Yuan Xue Bao. 1998 Oct;20(5):367-70.

6. Kelly AJ1, Kavanagh J, Thomas J. Castor oil, bath and/or enema for cervical priming and induction of labour. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jul 24;(7):CD003099. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003099.pub2.

7. Andrade IM1, Andrade KM2, Pisani MX1, Silva-Lovato CH1, de Souza RF1, Paranhos Hde F1. Trial of an experimental castor oil solution for cleaning dentures. Braz Dent J. 2014 Jan-Feb;25(1):43-7.

8. Badaró MM, Salles MM, Leite VMF, Arruda CNF, Oliveira VC, Nascimento CD, Souza RF, Paranhos HFO, Silva-Lovato CH. Clinical trial for evaluation of Ricinus communis and sodium hypochlorite as denture cleanser.J Appl Oral Sci. 2017 May-Jun; 25(3):324-334.

9. Salles MM, Badaró MM, Arruda CN, Leite VM, Silva CH, Watanabe E, Oliveira Vde C, Paranhos Hde F. Antimicrobial activity of complete denture cleanser solutions based on sodium hypochlorite and Ricinus communis – a randomized clinical study.J Appl Oral Sci. 2015 Nov-Dec; 23(6):637-42.

10. 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.

11. 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)

12. Jan AT, Azam M, Siddiqui K, Ali A, Choi I, Haq QM. Heavy Metals and Human Health: Mechanistic Insight into Toxicity and Counter Defense System of Antioxidants. Int J Mol Sci. 2015;16(12):29592-630. Published 2015 Dec 10. doi:10.3390/ijms161226183

13.  Holm T, Brøgger-Jensen MR, Johnson L, Kessel L.Glutathione preservation during storage of rat lenses in optisol-GS and castor oil. PLoS One. 2013 Nov 19;8(11):e79620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079620. eCollection 2013.

14. Kennedy D and Keaton D. Evidence for the Topical Application of Castor Oil: A Systematic Review. CCNM. Presentation 2010 AANP

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

16. Vieira C et al. .Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-8.

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.