Open Wide And Let It Flow | From Freewrite (Day 878) | Prompt: a bitter remedy

We didn't have a choice. None of our friends we knew had a choice either.

"Open your mouth and hold your nose," was all we heard.

Why? Because it was time for our monthly dose of castor oil. It didn't matter if we were bit stopped up or not (meaning constipated). We all took turns digesting the one tablespoon of the thick substance.

And, it didn't matter to my mom that we struggled to keep it down. That was what holding you nose was meant to help with.

"It's good for your digestion," she would tell us, "and it's an old remedy."

The awesome good substance that was good for our digestion was Castor Oil.

As an adult, I finally researched all my mom told us about Castor Oil. To her credit, it was definitely an old remedy.

According to Healthline, Castor Oil is a multipurpose vegetable oil that people have used for thousands of years. It's made by extracting oil from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant. Castor beans, which are the seeds, contain a toxic enzyme called "Ricin". ¹

Now, I've heard of the toxicity of Ricin. However, I learned that during production of the castor beans, the Ricin is deactivated in the heating process. This process makes the bean safe for human consumption. Thus, it allows the oil to be marketed and used safely.¹

That was interesting and useful information.

Also, according to Healthline, Castor Oil has essentially four unique benefits:

• A powerful laxative. Classified as a stimulative, this is the best-known use case that produces a natural bowel movement. However, it's recommended to use in small doses as too much can cause severe abdominal issues.

• Superb Moisturizer. I didn't know this, but the unique oil is rich in ricinoleic acid. This acid is a nonounsaturated fatty acid. It's these kind of fats that are helpful in keeping skin moisturized.

• Contains healing properties for wounds. If you apply the oil to a wound, it creates a moist environment that may help the healing process. It can also keep the sores from drying out.

• Denture Cleaner. Another important point I didn't know about the oil. Apparently it can prevent bacteria and fungi from forming on dentures if the teeth are not stored properly. ¹

Also, I discovered there exists products that contain Castor Oil, such as Venelex that doctors recommend to help treat Diabetic ulcers. Now this is something I'd be interested in since I'm a Type 2 Diabetic. ¹

But getting back to my point.

If Castor Oil was so beneficial for us, why did we need to hold our nose. What was the purpose of that? The purpose was that if we didn't, it would certainly come back up to greet us. This fact had been proven too many times to doubt it.

And that wasn't the worst thing that could happen. You'd end up getting two doses. Try as I might, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't keep it down.

I can still remember what it was like, and how it tasted. Not so much a bitter remedy, but a remedy that spiraled out of control in your imagination before it ever landed on your tongue.

She professed to love us. If so, then why force us to drink something that made us cringe.

And to her point about it being good for your digestion, she knew what she was talking about. She just didn't know the technical information to impart to us.

Such was my childhood. We were being administered a beneficial natural substance that kept bodies cleansed. But all my mom kept saying each month was that it was good for you, so open wide!