Is Castoreum Bad For You?
Short answer
In spite of its unpleasant derivative, castoreum is not bad for you, and is actually said to carry a few health benefits.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Castoreum is derived from a gel secreted from the anus of a beaver. In the animal kingdom, beavers use this ‘goo’ as a reference to other animals. The message is how beavers essentially “marks their territory”. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies castoreum as a “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS) additive. Modern food and perfume manufacturers have been using it for almost one hundred years.
Though not currently used in any form of western medicine, castoreum has been used for centuries to treat the symptoms of many illnesses. Some Ancient Romans believed that by simply inhaling the fumes giving off by castoreum, abortion could be induced. Fourteenth-century Swiss occultist Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (Paracelsus), believed it could be used to treat seizure disorders, like epilepsy. In the 21st century, through the methods associated with eastern medicines, many people use castoreum to treat pain, anxiety and sleep disorders. There has been no evidence that indicates any negative side effects or contradictions with medications.
As odd as it may sound, the anal secretions of these beavers are used in some foods, for flavoring purposes. Castoreum is prepared into a powder form and added for use as ‘natural flavoring’, which is better known as vanilla flavoring. It is sometimes used in the same manner with strawberry, as well as raspberry flavorings. There is no evidence that ingestion of castoreum through food products has any adverse effects to humans.
Castoreum is also used as a method to induce desirable pheromone responses in the brain. For anyone that has cleaned the inside of their car and used the ‘New Car’ air freshener, the fragrance you were smelling was likely that of a castoreum extract. The alcohol-dried castoreum sacs give off a fragrance described by people as resembling that of “fresh leather”. Due to its ability to trigger pheromone reactions, designers use it in the production of perfumes and colognes. Castoreum is also a common fragrant additive in some body soap and fragrant products made for use on the human body. There has been no evidence that topical application of castoreum products causes any harm to the body.
Commonly found in
- frozen dairy
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gelatins, puddings
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hard candy
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perfumes, colognes
Benefits
- tasty food flavoring
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treat epilepsy (eastern medicine)
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relieve pain (eastern medicine)
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relieve anxiety (eastern medicine)
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treat sleep disorders (eastern medicine)
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Written by DeeAnne Oldham
Published on: 02-17-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016
Thank you for your feedback!
Written by DeeAnne Oldham
Published on: 02-17-2016
Last updated: 12-10-2016
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