Medicinal Uses

Surprisingly, this sac excretion is a versatile remedy used throughout history. It was used to treat stomach upsets, fevers, and mental illnesses, and it was added to soaps and lotions. For a while, cigarettes contained it to enhance the naturally sweet smell.

Castoreum contains salicylic acid, which is the pain-killing ingredient in aspirin. As gross as its origin may sound, this substance has its uses. The discovery of castoreum came during the height of the fur trade, which almost wiped out the beaver population in North America and Eurasia.

Historical Impact

In fact, the species faced extinction in the 16th century in Europe and the 19th century in North America. Of course, sac excretion is helpful for the beavers themselves. They use it to mark their territories, although the males in beaver families usually take charge of this task.

They also use it to identify family members since each beaver’s sac scent differs. The substance also makes their tails and fur more slick and water-resistant.

Your Vanilla Ice Cream is Safe

heir diet of leaves, bark, and other bits of fauna are responsible for the sweet-smelling vanilla aroma. But don’t worry about finding castoreum in your food under the innocent-sounding label “natural flavorings.”

“If food companies can find anything else to substitute for vanilla or to create a strawberry flavor, they will,” Reineccius says. “It actually isn’t very hard to make a basic strawberry flavor that you would recognize with just two compounds.”