Your thyroid gland is a vital component of your hormonal system. Located in your neck, this small, butterfly-shaped organ produces hormones that regulate your metabolism, energy levels, and various bodily functions.
These thyroid hormones influence nearly every cell in your body, controlling how quickly you burn calories, how fast your heart beats, and even how efficiently your digestive system operates. When your thyroid is functioning properly, you may not even notice its effects. However, if it becomes overactive or underactive, you might experience a range of symptoms that can significantly impact your daily life. These could include unexplained weight changes, fatigue, mood swings, or changes in your body temperature regulation.
Given its wide-ranging influence, maintaining optimal thyroid function is essential for your overall health, energy levels, and quality of life. Regular check-ups and awareness of any unusual symptoms can help you keep your thyroid - and by extension, your entire body - in good working order. Optimising thyroid function also supports the heart, liver, and digestive organs, which all rely on proper hormone balance and circulation to function efficiently.
Understanding Your Thyroid Health
Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located just below your Adam's apple. It produces hormones like thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) and because these hormones control your metabolic rate, an out of balance thyroid can affect your energy levels, your sleep and even cause problems with your weight. The production of these hormones is controlled by a feedback loop involving the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in your brain.
When your thyroid hormone levels are low, your hypothalamus releases Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone (TRH), which signals the pituitary gland in your brain to produce Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH). TSH then tells the thyroid to produce more T4 and T3. If the delicate balance is disrupted, it can lead to either hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). Both of these conditions are 5x more likely to occur with women compared to men. That's because our hormonal system is so sensitive to everything we put in our bodies - including skin care products!
Both conditions can significantly impact your overall health and well-being, affecting everything from your energy levels and sleep patterns to your weight and mood. Supporting your thyroid function is essential for not just your physical health but also your mental health and castor oil may offer a completely natural way to do that. Supporting thyroid function also indirectly helps the adrenal glands, pancreas, and reproductive organs by maintaining balanced metabolism, optimal blood flow, and detoxification pathways.
Why Women Over 50 are more Vulnerable to Thyroid Imbalances
Thyroid disorders are more common in women over 50, due to a combination of factors. The natural aging process can affect the thyroid gland's function, and the risk of developing autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Graves' disease also rises. Hormonal changes, especially those associated with menopause, can play a significant role.
Additionally, cumulative exposure to environmental toxins, medication, toxic sunscreen, poor diet and high stress can play a part.
Over time, these factors can affect the lymphatic system around the neck and chest, slowing toxin clearance and increasing inflammation in the thyroid and nearby organs.
Common Symptoms of Hyperthyroidism:
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Rapid or irregular heartbeat (tachycardia)
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Unintentional weight loss despite normal or increased appetite
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Nervousness, anxiety, and irritability
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Tremors (usually in the hands)
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Excessive sweating and heat intolerance
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Increased bowel movements
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Muscle weakness
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Fatigue and difficulty sleeping
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Menstrual irregularities in women
Common Symptoms of Hypothyroidism:
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Fatigue and sluggishness
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Weight gain and difficulty losing weight
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Dry skin and hair
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Cold intolerance
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Constipation and gut issues
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Depression
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Slow heart rate (bradycardia)
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Memory problems and difficulty concentrating
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Muscle weakness and cramps
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Menstrual irregularities, including heavy periods
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Puffy face and hoarseness
The Composition of Castor Oil - What Makes It Special?
Castor oil is extracted from the seeds of the Ricinus communis plant, also known as the castor bean plant. The oil is rich in fatty acids that contribute to its therapeutic properties.
Ricinoleic Acid
This is the primary fatty acid found in castor oil, making up about 85-90% of its composition. Ricinoleic acid is known for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, which can help reduce inflammation in the body - a common issue in thyroid disorders. When applied topically, ricinoleic acid penetrates the skin and interacts with surrounding tissues, helping lymphatic vessels remove metabolic waste and toxins that may accumulate around the thyroid and cervical region.
Omega-6 and Omega-9 Fatty Acids
These essential fatty acids help to nourish and moisturise the skin, and they also play a role in reducing inflammation. Omega-6 fatty acids, in particular, are crucial for maintaining healthy cellular function and supporting the immune system. By strengthening cell membranes in the thyroid and nearby organs, these fatty acids help improve nutrient absorption and hormone transport.
Vitamin E
Castor oil contains small amounts of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cells from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been linked to various thyroid conditions, and vitamin E can help mitigate this damage while supporting the liver and adrenal glands in neutralizing free radicals.
Minerals and Phytochemicals
Castor oil also contains trace minerals and plant-based chemicals that contribute to its healing properties. These elements work synergistically to support skin health, reduce inflammation, and promote overall wellness. They also enhance the detoxifying pathways of the lymphatic system and aid cellular repair in the thyroid and surrounding tissues.
How Castor Oil Can Support Your Thyroid Health
Reducing Inflammation
Inflammation is a significant factor in many thyroid disorders, particularly autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Ricinoleic acid has potent anti-inflammatory properties.
When applied topically over the thyroid area, castor oil can help reduce local inflammation, potentially easing symptoms associated with thyroid dysfunction. By massaging the oil, blood flow is increased to the thyroid and nearby muscles, which further reduces stiffness and improves oxygen delivery to cells.
Enhancing Lymphatic Circulation
The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in immune function and detoxification. A sluggish lymphatic system can contribute to the accumulation of toxins, which may affect thyroid function.
Castor oil has been traditionally used in the form of castor oil packs to enhance lymphatic circulation and drainage. This involves soaking a cloth in castor oil, placing it over the thyroid area, and applying heat. The warmth helps the oil penetrate deeper into the skin, encouraging lymphatic drainage and promoting detoxification, which may support thyroid health.
This enhanced lymphatic flow also aids surrounding organs, including the salivary glands, trachea, esophagus, and cervical muscles.
Balancing Your Hormones
The fatty acids in castor oil, particularly omega-9 (oleic acid), have been shown to support hormone balance. Since the thyroid is a hormone-producing gland, maintaining a balance of fatty acids can be beneficial in supporting healthy thyroid function. Regular use of castor oil may help modulate the production of thyroid hormones, contributing to overall endocrine system balance.
Improving Your Circulation
Good circulation is essential for the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to your tissues, including your thyroid gland. Castor oil can help improve your circulation when applied topically, ensuring that the thyroid receives the necessary nutrients for optimal function. Better circulation also aids in the removal of metabolic waste, further supporting the gland’s health. Massage with castor oil supports microcirculation, lymphatic flow, and helps prevent fluid stagnation in the neck and upper chest.
How To Use Castor Oil To Support Your Thyroid Health
If you're looking to support your thyroid health and incorporate iAMA castor oil into your daily routine, there are many ways you can use this magical elixir, from self-massage to creating detoxifying castor oil packs. You can start by gently rubbing the oil onto your neck area each morning, feeling its warmth as it potentially boosts circulation around your thyroid gland. F
or a more intense treatment, try iAMA wrap packs. The heat and occlusion of the wrap help the oil penetrate deeper into the thyroid tissue and surrounding organs, stimulating lymphatic drainage, reducing inflammation, and supporting the detoxification of nearby tissues like the esophagus, salivary glands, and cervical muscles.
Don't forget about your hair and skin; a little castor oil can work wonders for dryness often linked to thyroid issues and also help you to remove toxic beauty products that are congesting your lymphatic system.
How to use our wrap packs
To harness the benefits of iAMA castor oil for thyroid health, consider incorporating castor oil packs into your routine. Here's a simple guide:
What you'll need
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A hot water bottle or heating pad
Instructions:
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Soak your thyroid and lymphs until they are fully saturated.
- Massage for 2-5 minutes. This can help mind-body connection, as well as heat that opens up pores and enhances absorption.
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Place the wrap over the thyroid area (at the base of the neck).
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Apply a heating pad or hot water bottle over the cloth and relax for 30-60 minutes.
- Leave on overnight for better absorption.
For best results, repeat this process three times per week. The packs enhance the lymphatic system, stimulate blood flow, support hormone delivery to the thyroid, and help surrounding organs remove waste and toxins.
Whether you're looking to reduce inflammation, enhance circulation, or balance hormones, incorporating castor oil into your wellness routine can be a gentle yet powerful way to nurture your thyroid and overall well-being. Here are our tips and reminders when using iAMA Castor Oil:
Your First Use
When you first use iAMA Castor Oil, the thick texture might feel unusual. We suggest gently massaging it in for 30 seconds - you'll find it absorbs quickly and leaves your skin feeling hydrated not oily.
After One Month of Daily Use
Your body is undergoing healing and transformation at a cellular level. Whilst the changes may not be immediately visible, the compounds in iAMA Castor Oil work to nourish and rejuvenate you naturally, from the inside out. Lymphatic drainage and circulation improvements begin to take effect, promoting detoxification in the neck, thyroid, and surrounding organs.
After Second Month of Consistent Use
iAMA Castor Oil's fatty acids are unique - they create pathways that enable other beneficial nutrients to be absorbed into your skin. The thyroid and nearby tissues benefit from enhanced blood flow, cellular repair, and improved hormone distribution.
After Three Months of Consistent Use
The real magic happens! Your skin, which is your largest organ, works in cycles of 45-90 days, and has now had the nutrients to heal and repair. It’s renewing and flourishing. Your skin and underlying tissues thrive off castor oil’s lipophilic qualities, as vital fats and oils are absorbed. Moisture can pass through your skin's sebum-rich outer layers, improving nutrient delivery, waste removal, and detoxification in the thyroid and surrounding organs.
iAMA Castor Oil's unique composition interacts with the body to promote balance and healing, especially for thyroid health. iAMA Castor Oil, with its rich composition of ricinoleic acid, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants, offers a natural, holistic approach to supporting thyroid health. Combined with our wrap packs, it provides deep, targeted support to enhance lymphatic drainage, reduce inflammation, support hormone balance, and improve circulation to the thyroid and surrounding organs.
References
[1] Vieira C, Evangelista S, Cirillo R, Lippi A, Maggi CA, Manzini S. Effect of ricinoleic acid in acute and subchronic experimental models of inflammation. Mediators Inflamm. 2000;9(5):223-228. doi:10.1080/09629350020025737
[2] Alookaran J, Tripp J. Castor Oil. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; November 21, 2022.; Liu J. Pharmacology of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. J Ethnopharmacol. 1995;49(2):57-68. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(95)90032-2
[3] Arslan GG, Eşer I. An examination of the effect of castor oil packs on constipation in the elderly. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2011;17(1):58-62. doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.04.004
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