A popular ingredient in Indian food is mustard oil, which is made from the seeds of the mustard plant.
It’s used for sautéing and stir-frying vegetables in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, among other places, because it has a strong taste, a strong smell, and a high smoke point.
In the US, Canada, and Europe, pure mustard oil isn’t allowed to be used as a vegetable oil. However, it’s often put on the skin and used as a massage oil, face serum, or hair treatment (1).
You can also get mustard essential oil, which is made from mustard seeds using a process called steam distilling, and it is safe to use as a flavoring agent (1).
Here are 4 benefits of mustard oil and mustard essential oil, along with some simple ways to use them.
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May block microbial growth
Some research studies have shown that mustard essential oil is very good at killing germs and may help stop the growth of some types of dangerous bacteria.
One test-tube study found that white mustard essential oil slowed the growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus, among other types of bacteria (2Trusted Source).
Pathogenic bacteria were used in another test-tube study to see how essential oils like mustard, thyme, and Mexican oregano killed them. It was found that mustard essential oil worked the best (3 Trusted Sources).
Several studies in test tubes have also shown that mustard essential oil may stop the growth of some types of mold and fungus (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
But since most of the evidence comes from studies done in test tubes, more research is needed to find out how mustard essential oil might affect people’s health.
May promote skin and hair health
Pure mustard oil is often put on the skin and hair to improve their health.
It can be used to make face masks and hair treatments, and it can also be mixed with wax and put on the feet to help heal cracked toes.
It’s also usual to massage newborns with oil in places like Bangladesh, which is thought to make the skin barrier stronger (6Trusted Source).
However, most of the proof on the topical benefits of pure mustard oil is just anecdotal. Many people say that it helps with fine lines, wrinkles, and hair growth.
You should do a patch test first and use only a small amount of mustard oil on your skin or hair if you want to avoid irritation.
May alleviate pain
A chemical called allyl isothiocyanate is found in mustard oil. This chemical has been studied a lot for how it affects pain receptors in the body .
While there isn’t a lot of research on people, one study on mice found that adding mustard oil to their drinking water made some pain receptors less sensitive and helped treat widespread pain .
ALA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that is found in large amounts in mustard oil, may help reduce swelling and ease the pain of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis .
But keep in mind that pure mustard oil has been shown to burn the skin badly if it is applied for a long time.
More study needs to be done on people to find out if using mustard oil to relieve pain is safe and effective.
May slow cancer cell growth
There is some good evidence that mustard oil may help slow the growth and spread of some types of cancer cells.
It was found that giving rats pure mustard oil stopped colon cancer cells from growing better than giving them corn oil or fish oil .
It was found in another study that mustard seed powder high in allyl isothiocyanate stopped bladder cancer from growing by almost 35% and also stopped it from spreading into the muscle wall of the bladder .
A test-tube study found the same thing: giving bladder cancer cells allyl isothiocyanate, which is derived from mustard essential oil, slowed their growth.
More research needs to be done to find out how mustard oil and its parts might affect the growth of cancer in people.