Evening Primrose Oil is the oil from the seeds of the plant, evening primrose. It is primarily used as a food supplement for the omega-6 essential fatty acids it contains, GLA (gamma-linolenic acid). GLA is needed in the body for the production of hormone liked chemicals called prostaglandins E1, (PGE1) which control numerous mechanisms such as inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol regulation and hormone regulation to name a few.
Our bodies can normally convert other essential fats found in the diet into GLA, however nutritional deficiencies, saturated fat, alcohol and abnormalities can block this conversion. This causes a deficiency in PGE1 which can lead to many health problems. Evening primrose oil supplementation gives the body a direct source of GLA and therefore is very useful for health maintenance.
Evening Primrose Oil Supplementation
Our herbalists recommend evening primrose oil for over 50 different disorders, hence there are too many to list here.
Generally, they recommend it for female hormonal problems such as PMS, Menopause, and in diseases of the skin, brain as well as various conditions where inflammation occurs eg Rheumatoid arthritis.
Other Evening Primrose Oil Information
Research has explored the use of Evening Primrose Oil for the treatment in many disorders where PGE1 deficiency occurs. These include alcoholism, learning difficulties and child hyperactivity.
Evening primrose supplements usually contain around 10% GLA and are most commonly found in 500mg and 1000mg capsules. Vegetarians can obtain it in liquid form.
GLA can also be found in supplements of Borage oil (Starflower oil) (at 24% GLA) and Blackcurrant seed oil (at 18% GLA), but most research is with Evening Primrose Oil.
It is advisable to take extra Vitamin E when using any fatty acid supplements to help protect them and prevent oxidation in the body.
Side Effects of Evening Primrose Oil
There are generally no side effects from taking Evening Primrose Oil supplements and is often taken as high as 6000mg per day.
Although research is not conclusive, some experts recommend that epileptics should not take evening primrose oil, as it may exacerbate a certain type of temporal lope Epilepsy, which can sometimes be mistaken for Schizophrenia. It is advisable to consult your doctor on this issue.
If you are already using blood thinning drugs such as warfarin, please consult with your doctor before taking Evening Primrose Oil.
When this article was written there were no other well-known negative drug interactions with the herb evening primrose oil supplements.
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