What is Castoreum?

Castoreum is a homeopathic remedy. It starts as a thick brown paste from the scent sacs of the beaver. Beavers use this paste to mark their home ground.

Two beaver types are used. One is Castor fiber in Europe. The other is Castor canadensis in North America.

Homeopaths have used the remedy for low mood, nerves, and cramping belly pain. It is a single remedy, not a blend. It is also rare, and you will not find it in most home kits.

Here is the short verdict. The paste is watered down again and again, with shaking at each step. At the common 30C strength, none of the beaver paste is left.

Trials have not shown that homeopathic remedies work better than a dummy pill (placebo). Long use in old books is not proof that a remedy works. We say that once here, and we do not repeat it in each section below.

How does Castoreum work?

The short answer is that there is no known way for this remedy to act on the body. At 30C, no beaver paste is left in the pill. What you take is sugar, water or alcohol.

Homeopathy rests on an idea called 'like cures like'. It says a substance that causes signs in a well person can ease those same signs once it is watered down. Chemistry and biology as we know them do not support that idea.

Some people do feel better after taking it. That fits with the placebo effect, which means feeling better because you expect to. Many everyday complaints also ease on their own with time.

What forms does Castoreum come in?

Castoreum comes as small sugar pills, as tiny granules, or as liquid drops.

Common strengths are 6C, 30C and 200C. Some makers also sell 1X, 3X or a plain tincture, which are much less watered down.

The pills are made with lactose (milk sugar) or with cane sugar. The drops are made with water and alcohol. Matters like milk sugar and alcohol are the only real body concerns with this remedy.

Where it comes from:

Castoreum is an old drug. Greek, Roman and Arab doctors used it for cramps, fits and what they called nerve trouble in women. It also went into scents, and long ago into a few food flavours.

It came into homeopathy in the 1800s. Old homeopathic books list it for weakness after a long illness and for belly cramps.

It has stayed a minor remedy ever since. Few homeopaths reach for it today.

What does Castoreum help with?

• Tiredness and weakness after an illness: This is the main use listed in old homeopathic books. They describe a person who is worn out after a long fever and who feels shaky and weak. No human trial has tested Castoreum for this.
• Nervous restlessness and low mood: Older texts link castoreum to jumpy nerves, weeping and a low mood. This traces back to its use in ancient medicine, not to any test. There is no trial evidence to support it.
• Cramping belly pain: Homeopathic books describe griping pain around the navel that eases when you bend over. This is a picture drawn from case notes, not from a controlled study. No human trial supports it.
• Period cramps: Some homeopaths use it for cramping period pain with weakness. Evidence for this is absent. See a doctor if period pain is severe or new.
• Hiccups and other muscle twitches: Old sources list spasms and hiccups among its uses. This rests on tradition alone. No study has looked at it.

Which foods are rich in Castoreum?

1. Vanilla-type flavourings: castoreum was once used in tiny amounts as a natural flavour in some sweets, drinks and tobacco; it is costly and very rarely used today

Practical Tips:

No normal food gives you castoreum today. Food use is a piece of history, not a way to take the remedy.

What are the side effects of Castoreum?

• No effect at all, which is the most common outcome
• Wind or loose stools from the milk sugar in the pills, if milk sugar upsets you
• A stinging mouth or a warm flush from the alcohol in liquid drops
• A short spell of feeling worse, which homeopaths call an aggravation
• Rash, itching or swelling from an allergy, which is rare and mainly a risk with very low strengths or the plain tincture

Good to know:

Side effects are rare and mild. At 30C the pill holds no beaver paste, so almost any effect comes from the sugar or alcohol base rather than the remedy. The real risk is different: using this instead of care you actually need, and letting a serious problem go untreated.

How much Castoreum should you take?

• Recommended daily: No dose has been set by any health body. Makers usually suggest 3 to 5 pills of a 30C strength, or a few drops, two or three times a day. Follow the label on the pack you buy, and do not take more than it says.
• Best time of day: Any time of day. Many people take it morning and evening, spaced away from meals.
• With or without food: The usual advice is to take it about 15 to 30 minutes away from food, drink, coffee or toothpaste. This is a custom within homeopathy, not a tested rule. Let the pills melt under your tongue.
• Time to effect: Not known. There is no trial that shows a time to effect, because no trial has been done on this remedy.
• How long to take it: Homeopaths usually stop once things improve. If you see no change in one to two weeks, stop and think again. Do not keep taking it for months on end.