Evening primrose oil.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Evening Primrose Oil
From: klugl.explorer.sasknet.sk.ca (linda klughart)
Date: 16 May 1995 18:53:42 -0600

Hello,

I was wondering if any of you have heard about Evening Primrose Oil or Borage oil... I understand it is the GLC that does the good. I have been taking it for arthritis and seem to be having a lot of success with it. Apart from heresay, I haven't heard anything about it, about why it works, or if the effects are longterm, or how long one needs to take it.

Can anyone give me some facts about it?

From: cigolott.nbnet.nb.ca (Tom Cigolotti)

A little something found laying around a health food store

                     EVENING PRIMROSE OIL
+----------------------------+    +-------------------------------------+
|  Evening Primrose oil is   |    |   The more GLA in the Evening       |
|  rich in an essential      |    |   Primrose Oil supplements, the     |
|  fatty acid called Gamma   |    |   more effective it is              |
|  Linolenic Acid (GLA)      |    +-------------------------------------+
+----------------------------+
+----------------------------+    +--------------------------------------+
|  GLA is converted in the   |    |   The presence of Alpha              |
|  body to prostaglandins    |    |   Linolenic Acid INHIBITS the        |
+----------------------------+    |   Utilization of GLA                 |                           +--------------------------------------+
+----------------------------+
|  Prostaglandins are short  |
|  lived hormone like        |    +-------------------------------------+
|  substances                |    | Clinical trials have found optimum  |
+----------------------------+    | levels of supplementation for       |                           | Conditions:                         |                           |                                     |
+----------------------------+    |                                     |
|  THE  PROSTAGLANDINS :     |    | PMS            3-5 x 500 mg daily   |
|                            |    |                                     |
|  Can help in the managment |    | ECZEMA         3-5 x 500 mg daily   |
|  of   Rheumatoid Arthritis |    |                                     |
|                            |    | HEART DISEASE  4-6 x 500 mg daily   |
| Reduce the symptoms of PMS |    |                                     |
|                            |    | MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS 6-8 x 500 mg dly |
| Reduce Asthma and Eczema   |    |                                     |
|                            |    | ALCOHOL        3-5 x 500 mg daily   |
|  Reduce   hyperactivity    |    |                                     |
|  in   children             |    |                                     |
|                            |    | RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 4-6 x 500 mg d.|
|  Reduce symptoms of        |    |                                     |
|  Multiple  sclerosis       |    +-------------------------------------+
|                            |
|  Reduce  risk  of          |
|   Heart    disease         |
|                            |
|  Strengthens   nails       |
|                            |  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|  May help alchoholics      | * +--------------------------------------+ *
|  overcome brain/liver cell | * | To aid the conversion of essential   | *
|  damage.                   | * | fatty acids to prostaglandins, the   | *
+----------------------------+ * | following Vitamins and Minerals      | *                        * | are needed                           | *                        * |                                      | *
+----------------------------+ * |  Vit. C,  B6, Niacin, Magnesium      | *
|Vitamin E should be present | * |  Zinc, Selenium                      | *
|   in Evening Primrose Oil  | * +--------------------------------------+ *
|   supplements to prevent   |  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
|   oxidation of the oils    |
+----------------------------+

***NOTE** Different brand names may have varying results
based on method of extraction (cold press or hexane) *******

FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY

From: A.prodigy.com (Jeffrey King)

>A little something found laying around a health food store

Prostaglandins have a number of different functions in the body. They are made via the arachadonic acid pathway, which branches to produce two families of prostaglandins. One group actually causes inflammation, such as the joint inflammation of arthritis, while the other group has protective effects (eg. protecting the stomach lining from acid). EPO acts as a precursor to the "good prostaglandin" pathway, shifting production toward the protective and away from the inflammatory prostaglandins. Prostaglandins also play a big role in uterine contraction, hence the effect on PMS.

From: ntlor.primenet.com (Sharon Rust)

> Prostaglandins have a number of different functions in the body.

Jeffery and Tom, I thought that essential fatty acids did more in the body than produce prostaglandins, I thought that ESSENTIAL FATTY ACID meant just that, in order to utilize fats and carry on body functions you need to eat the essential fatty acids; linoleic, arachidonic, and linolenic, (these are unsaturated fatty acids) GLA is in breastmilk and is different than linolenic acid it is at an already performed body level (ready to be used by the body in stead of being converted). Some people cannot convert LA into GLA. Lots of times people do not need to supplement with GLA, but they do need to be eating the essential fatty acids. People are getting saturated fatty acids or oxidized oils, or hydrogenated oils, or oils with solvents in them all of these lend to disfunction or a deficiency in the essential fatty acids. With the FAT-FREE trend I have seen more kids with eczema. Some of the kids and their moms have cleared up with the addition of extra virgin olive oil or safflower oil to their diets maybe just a teaspoon as part of some salad dressing a few times a week. The Evening primrose oil works as well and probably acts quicker but it very expensive, and it seems it is just a dietary flaw for most.

Sharon Rust