Castoreum

• Overview
• Uses
• Side Effects
• Precautions
• Dosing

Castoreum is a substance collected from the glands of Canadian, European, and Siberian beavers.

People take castoreum for anxiety, restless sleep, and as a calming agent.

Women take it to start their menstrual periods or treat painful periods.

In foods and beverages, castoreum extract is used as a flavoring agent.

In manufacturing, castoreum tincture is used as a fragrance or fixative in cosmetics and soaps.

How does it work?

Castoreum seems to have calming and soothing effects.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Menstrual problems.
• Anxiety.
• Sleeping disorders.
• Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of castoreum for these uses.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

Castoreum is safe in usual food amounts and seems to be safe for most people when applied directly to the skin. There isn’t enough information to know whether it is safe to take castoreum by mouth in medicinal amounts.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Not enough is known about the use of castoreum during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

The appropriate dose of castoreum for use as treatment depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for castoreum. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.