Evening Primrose Oil

What is Evening Primrose Oil?

Evening primrose is a beautiful plant though it is often considered a weed in gardens. Evening primrose can be up to eight feet in height, and it has beautiful blossoms. The plant blooms all throughout the summer, but each blossom lasts only one day. It blooms as the set sets and then withers in the sunlight, which is why it is called “evening primrose.”

Evening primrose oil was once valued by Native Americans and early American settlers as a remedy for a variety of ailments. Today, people are rediscovering the supplement, and finding that it can be an effective and relatively safe treatment for several medical conditions.

The effectiveness of evening primrose oil stems from an ingredient called gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, an essential fatty acid thought to have anti-inflammatory and other healing properties.

Evening primrose oil is perhaps best known for its ability to ease symptoms of several female problems, including pre-menstrual syndrome, endometriosis and fibrocystic breasts. It may also lessen pre-menstrual breast tenderness.

The fatty acids contained in evening primrose oil are believed to reduce breast inflammation for women suffering from fibrocystic breasts. It is also thought to aid in the absorption of iodine, which is often decreased in women suffering from this condition.

Evening Primrose Oil has also been used in various supplements that ease the effects of the following conditions:

• Eczema - The supplement may alleviate the many symptoms of eczema, including itching, dryness, and inflammation, oozing and flaking. For this condition, evening primrose oil can be taken orally or applied as a topical cream.
• Acne and rosacea. 
• Reverse symptoms of diabetic neuropathy, a debilitating form of nerve damage suffered by many diabetics. 
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s 
• Alcoholism, especially in alleviating withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking. 
• Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis with this condition, and seems to help control inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
  

Side Effects and Warnings of Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil has few known side effects, aside from possible bloating or gastrointestinal upset.
It also should not be used by patients suffering mania. It is generally recommended that pregnant women do not take evening primrose oil, because it may alter the composition of breast milk.

All in all, you should always seek medical advice before using any dietary supplement.

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