What is evening primrose oil ?
Evening primrose is a flowering plant that is native in the wild in Europe and North America, whose yellow flowers only open up at dusk. The whole plant, including the flowers are used for medical purposes.
The most potent and active part of the plant is the oil in the seeds of the flowers, which contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
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Important evening primrose oil facts
- The GLA in evening primrose oil is an omega-6 fatty acid
- GLA is an important part of cell membranes
- A deficiency of GLA can be a factor that contributes to eczema
- Some women with PMS benefit from supplementation of evening primrose oil
- GLA has an anti-inflammatory effect, which is why some people with rheumatoid arthrtis benefit from it
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Why evening primrose oil is important
The GLA in evening primrose oil, when converted into prostaglandins acts as an anti-inflammatory.
GLA is also found in mother's milk, some types of fish and spirulina. It is also found in borage seed oil and black currant seed oil, which actually have higher levels of GLA than evening primrose oil.
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references
- Osiecki, Henry, The Nutrient Bible 2002, BioConcepts Publishing
- Osiecki, Henry. The Physician's Handbook of Clinical Nutrition. 6th edition, 2001, BioConcepts Publishing
- Rolfes SR, Pinna K, Whitney E. Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition. 7th Edition, 2005. Brooks Cole Publishing
- Tortora GJ, Derrickson BH. Principles of Anatomy & Physiology. 11th edition, 2005. Wiley Publishing
More information
To learn more, go to the following web sites:
NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
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