Castor oil, which was once used by fascists in Italy as punishment because of its quick-acting laxative effect, is now a weight-loss trend on TikTok. Not drinking it, but rubbing it on your belly.
Influencers are also pouring it in their belly buttons and wrapping towels soaked in it around their midriff. They claim it can melt belly fat and help with bloating.
Castor oil – made from the beans of the castor plant – is an ancient medicine. References to it appear in an ancient Egyptian medical text called the Ebers Papyrus (1550BC). It was used as a laxative and to treat various skin conditions. Cleopatra is said to have used it in her hair and to brighten the whites of her eyes.
