Evening Primrose Oil

Some people I know take Evening Primrose Oil especially to ease pre-menstrual tension so I have added this page to my health collection.

The human body cannot make linoleic acid and gammalinolenic acid so these must come into it from diet or supplements. Linoleic acid in the body gets converted into Gamma Linoleic Acid (GLA) which is required by cell membranes to produce Prostagladins. Polyunsaturated vegetable oils contain linoleic acid and allow the body to produce the essential GLA. However, Evening Primrose Oil contains 70% of linoleic acid and furthermore 10% of pre-formed GLA. The addition of Vitamin E as an antioxidant preserves Evening Primrose Oil and keeps it in good condition and Evening Primrose Oil must be solvent free for best effectiveness within the body.

Prostagladins go on to maintain hormonal balance in the reproductive cycle for women and reduce the effect of pre-menstrual tension, regulate blood pressure and also assist keeping healthy skin and hair via the release of sebum.

There are claims that Evening Primrose Oil taken or even rubbed into the skin can assist against hyperactivity and eczema.

Evening Primrose Oil, and other sources of essential fatty acids, may help to control the symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) by keeping the body healthy with a good immune system. MS is a degenerative disease that destroys myelin sheaths that cover the nerves, ultimately destroying them. This affects the brain, optic nerve and spinal cord. Stress, malnutrition or a virus can be causal factors. Evening Primrose Oil can work in effect as a resistor and regulator (MS has flare-ups) but there is no cure.

Evening Primrose (Oenothera erythrosepala, closer to the willowherb than primrose) seeds should be sown around July and August outside and the plant grows usually at the back of an herbaceous border. It was introduced as a garden flower from North America but spread on sand dunes and waste areas across England, Wales and southern Scotland. In the first year it is a small flat plant but grows to two to three feet tall on stems full of pith. Its flowers, seen between June and October, are yellow and often more than two inches in diameter and they open as the sun sets. It produces nectar for night flying moths but humans are interested in the seeds for the oil extracts. It takes over 450 Evening Primrose seeds to produce 1 lb of Evening Primrose Oil.

No claims are being made here for medical purposes.