

Several studies have shown that castor oil can relieve constipation.įor example, a 2011 study found that when older adults took castor oil, they experienced decreased symptoms of constipation, including less straining during bowel movements and lower reported feelings of incomplete bowel movements ( 3). The ricinoleic acid is then absorbed by the intestine, stimulating a strong laxative effect ( 2). Here’s generally how it works: When you consume castor oil by mouth, it’s broken down in the small intestine, releasing ricinoleic acid, the main fatty acid in castor oil. Stimulative laxatives act rapidly and are commonly used to relieve temporary constipation or to clean out the bowel before medical procedures. Castor oil is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a stimulative laxative ( 2). It’s classified as a stimulative laxative, meaning that it increases the movement of the muscles that push material through the intestines, helping clear the bowels. Or build your own bowl! Start with brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice, baked tofu or tempeh, and veggies like roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, or massaged kale.Perhaps one of the best-known medicinal uses for castor oil is as a natural laxative.Swap it in for the sauce in any of these recipes: But this tasty condiment is so much more than just bibimbap sauce! For starters, it’d be fantastic on any rice or veggie bowl.

If you’re already familiar with gochujang sauce, you likely know it from eating bibimbap, a traditional Korean rice bowl (pictured above). Use the sauce right away, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. It makes this sauce deliciously savory and sweet.Īdd the ingredients to a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Pure maple syrup – Many brands of store bought gochujang sauce contain corn syrup, but I like to sweeten mine naturally with pure maple syrup.Sesame oil – It cuts the heat of the gochujang paste and gives the sauce a nutty complexity.Different brands vary in potency, so start with less and add more, to taste, depending on how spicy you like your sauce. Gochujang paste – Find it at a Korean market or in the Asian section of your grocery store.Add it to Korean food or spoon it over a simple rice bowl, but whatever you do, make it! If you like hot sauce, you’re going to love this recipe.įor how flavorful this sauce is, it’s unbelievably easy to make! You just need these 4 ingredients: The resulting hot sauce is smoother and mellower than the paste, but its taste is just as complex. Instead of using the paste on its own, I mix it with sesame oil, rice vinegar, and pure maple syrup. That’s where this gochujang sauce comes in. It’s pretty assertive on its own – even small amounts add intense flavor to whatever you’re cooking. This delicious, distinctive taste comes from gochujang, a fermented Korean chili paste made from glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, red chili pepper flakes, and salt. I first made it to drizzle over homemade bibimbap, but once I had it on hand, I began topping it onto everything from roasted veggies to avocado toast! A traditional Korean sauce, it has a bold sweet/spicy/umami flavor with an underlying funk. As far as flavor goes, there’s nothing like gochujang sauce.
