What is castor seed used for : Can we eat castor seeds

The castor plant (Ricinus communis) grows in arid and semi-arid regions. It is cultivated on a commercial scale in 30 different countries, with India, China, Brazil, Russia, Thailand, Ethiopia and the Philippines being the major castor bean producing countries accounting for about 88% of world production. In India it is sown in July-August and ripens from December to March. Gujarat is the major producing state, accounting for 86% of domestic production, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. A bag of castor seeds weighs 75 kg.

castor seed benefits

These seeds, known as castor beans, contain a toxic enzyme known as ricin. Heating castor oil helps inactivate the ricin and castor oil is safe to use.

Ricin is a toxin found naturally in castor beans. If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the ricin released may cause injury. Ricin can be produced from waste materials left over from castor bean processing. This is one May be in the form of a powder, a mist, or a pellet, or it may dissolve in water or weak acids.

Can you eat castor beans

In De Materia Medica, the Greek herbalist and physician Pedanius Dioscorides (40 to 90 CE) wrote that castor seeds can be used as an expectorant, diuretic, emetic, laxative. Anti-inflammatory, to cure erysipelas, burns, varicose veins etc.

How many castor beans are deadly

Castor seeds are rich in oleic acid, ricinoleic acid and linoleic acid among other fatty acids which are highly beneficial for a person’s health. Apart from fatty acids, castor seeds are rich in protein, carbohydrates and calcium.

What are the uses of castor seeds

Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans. If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the released ricin can cause injury. Ricin can be made from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. 

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