Applying castor oil to the belly button is a popular wellness trend rooted in Ayurvedic practices. There is no scientific evidence that the belly button offers unique absorption benefits for castor oil. Castor oil does have proven benefits for skin hydration and, when used topically in packs, may help with constipation and cramping. The benefits come from the oil being absorbed through the skin in general, not specifically the navel. What Is Castor Oil? Castor oil is a vegetable oil produced by pressing the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. While raw castor beans are toxic, containing a poison called ricin, the oil manufacturing process removes this toxin completely. The final, commercially produced castor oil is safe for use and has been valued for centuries for its powerful medicinal and therapeutic properties. Used for centuries in traditional medicine by cultures like the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, castor oil has long been valued for its therapeutic proper...
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a complete system of medicine comprised of eight branches: Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Nutrition, Body Work (Tui Na/Cupping/Moxibustion), Meditation, Tai Qi/Qi Gong (Exercise), Feng Shui, and Cosmology. TCM looks to the natural world and observes how human health and disease are subject to the principles of natural order. In TCM, patterns of illness may arise in the body, organs, and meridians in various ways. If the organs and channel meridians that carry the “energy” or “Qi” are stagnated, deficient, or in excess, disease arises. Through unique diagnostic methods, the TCM physician provides a diagnosis, prescription, and treatment plan encompassing the branches of TCM to the patient. During the Zhou dynasty (770-446 BC), TCM was modernized and systematized. The Yin and Yang Theory, Five Element Theory, and other foundational theories that form the basis of TCM were established during...