Move over, belly tea — health influencers are clamoring for a new technique they say can banish bloating, boost digestion and even promote weight loss.
A growing number of TikTok users are obsessed with belly button tugging videos, in which health and beauty gurus massage a few drops of castor oil onto their belly button and surrounding abdomen. The hashtag #naveloiling has already amassed 23 million views and counting.
But you might want to think twice before buying castor oil; Medical experts argue that many of the wild health claims flooding your food are not backed by science.
Interest in navel tucking began growing on TikTok in 2023 and reached a fever pitch in June after aesthetic nurse Miranda Wilson took to the video-sharing platform to tout her excellent results, racking up 6.4 million views in the process.
“POV: You’ve started doing castor oil belly pull to help with digestion and your stomach has never been so flat,” she said in the 10-second video, holding up her shirt to show off her stomach.
Like any health fad, belly button pulling has divided the internet considerably. There are nearly 1,500 comments on Wilson’s video alone, with some users claiming the technique eased their menstrual cramps, indigestion and insomnia, while also helping their hair and nails grow. Others complained that it left them with sticky skin and stained clothes – for no benefit.
New trend, ancient practice
While social media has put the spotlight on belly button pulling, the technique is actually rooted in an ancient medical system in India called Ayurveda.
Within holistic practice, there’s believed to be something in the navel called the “Pechoti gland” that allows you to absorb substances into your body, Melinda Ring, director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at Northwestern University, told Women’s Health.
But does it actually work?
Before you rush to pour castor oil all over your belly, know this: there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the gland actually exists.
Because the belly button is a “closed hole,” anointing it “isn’t much different, in my opinion, than applying (oils) to the forearm, the back of the knee, the elbow, or something like that,” David Harder said. , a clinical herbalist, told USA Today.
Many experts say that the health benefits of navel oil are greatly exaggerated and may give patients in need false hope.
Sarah Jenkins, a general practitioner and women’s health expert, told Healthline that promoting castor oil as a treatment for serious conditions such as hernias, cysts, fibroids or endometriosis “is irresponsible and harmful to people who are suffering.”
These people need scientifically proven interventions, not health scams that help line the pockets of influencers who sell the oil as a miracle therapy online, according to Rabia De Latour, a gastroenterologist.
“I really think that this whole methodology of practicing health care and healing has been appropriated by people who have no knowledge, no family background, nothing to back up their claims,” De Latour told Rolling Stone.
But what if you want to try it anyway?
However, some experts say navel pulling is not harmful. While castor oil may not transform your health, it can hydrate your skin or provide a soothing sensation thanks to its omega fatty acids, according to Gowri Rocco, a regenerative and functional medicine physician.
“I still recommend it because even though we don’t have enough proven science for it, it’s a really nice and natural way to detox,” she told CNBC. Plus, massaging the area can stimulate your lymphatic system, helping to ease these digestive problems.
For those hoping that belly button pulls can help them achieve a flat stomach, don’t get too excited. Science doesn’t support the technique as an effective weight loss method per se, but if chronic stress is a contributing factor to a person’s weight gain and they find it a calming tool, they may end up losing unwanted weight when used together with diet and exercise, Gabrielle McCauley told Healthline.
Another way to use it
Taking castor oil may also have some health benefits. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has approved its use as an oral stimulant laxative, which can help people seeking relief from stomach problems like constipation.
Thinking of giving castor oil a try to ease your tummy troubles? There are some risks associated with consuming it orally, such as electrolyte imbalance and cramps. Pregnant women should also be careful because it can send them into premature contractions.
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