Move over, tummy tea — wellness influencers are raving about a new technique that they say can banish bloating, boost digestion and even promote weight loss.
A growing number of TikTok users are obsessed with videos of navel pulling, in which health and beauty gurus massage a few drops of castor oil into their belly button and surrounding abdomen. The hashtag #naveloiling has already racked up 23 million views and counting.
But you might want to think twice before stocking up on castor oil; medical experts argue that many of the wild health claims flooding your feed aren’t backed by science.
Interest in navel pulling started to pick up steam on TikTok in 2023 and hit a fever pitch in June after aesthetic nurse practitioner Miranda Wilson took to the video sharing platform to tout her glowing results, racking up 6.4 million views in the process.
“POV: You started doing castor oil navel pulling 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 with any health fad, navel pulling has sharply divided the internet. There are nearly 1500 comments on Wilson’s video alone, with some users claiming the technique eased their period cramps, indigestion, and insomnia, while also helping grow their hair and nails. Others complained that it left them with sticky skin and stained clothes — without any of the benefits.
New trend, ancient practice
While social media has put navel pulling in the spotlight, the technique is actually rooted in an ancient medical system in India called Ayurveda.
Within the holistic practice, it’s believed that there is 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 slather castor oil all over your belly button, know this: there’s no scientific evidence to suggest that the gland actually exists.
Because the belly button is a “sealed orifice,” oiling it is “not a whole lot different, in my opinion, than applying (oils) to the forearm, the back of the knee, the elbow or anything like that,” David Harder, a clinical herbalist, told USA Today.
Many experts say the health benefits of navel oiling are greatly exaggerated and could 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 maladies like hernias, cysts, fibroids, or endometriosis “is responsible and detrimental to people who are suffering.”
Those people need scientifically proven interventions, not health hacks that help line the pockets of influencers selling oil as a miracle therapy online, according to Rabia De Latour, a gastroenterologist.
“I really think that this entire methodology of practicing healthcare and healing has been appropriated by people who have no knowledge, no family background, nothing to support their claims,” De Latour told Rolling Stone.
But what if you want to try it anyway?
Even still, some experts say that there’s no harm to navel pulling. While castor oil might not transform your health, it could hydrate your skin or provide a calming sensation thanks to its omega fatty acids, according to Gowri Rocco, a doctor of regenerative and functional medicine.
“I still recommend it because even though we don’t have enough proven science on it, it’s a really nice, natural way to detox,” she told CNBC. Plus, massaging the area could stimulate your lymphatic system, helping ease those digestive woes.
For those hoping that navel pulling can help them achieve a flat stomach, don’t get too excited. Science doesn’t support the technique as an effective weight-loss method in itself, but if chronic stress is a contributing factor to a person’s weight gain and they find it a calming tool, they could end up shedding unwanted weight when used in conjunction with diet and exercise, Gabrielle McCauley told Healthline.
Another way to use it
Ingesting castor oil could also have some health benefits. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration has approved its use as an oral stimulative laxative, which could help people seeking relief from stomach issues like constipation.
Considering giving castor oil a try to ease your tummy troubles? There are some risks associated with consuming it orally, such as electrolyte imbalance and cramping. Pregnant people should also exercise caution because it could send them into premature contractions.
