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CAS Number: 308064-97-3
APPLICATIONS
The seeds have a protein content of about 15%, an oil content of 24% and contain about 43% cellulose.
The proteins are especially rich in the sulphur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine, as well as in tryptophan - all essential amino acids.
There is a relative deficiency in lysine and four other essential amino acids.
The nutrient of greatest interest is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid.
For this reason evening primrose oil is a widely sold dietary supplement.
The whole seeds can also be used similar to sesame roasted and in pastries.
Today, evening primrose oil dietary supplements are promoted for atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema), rheumatoid arthritis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), breast pain, menopause symptoms, and other conditions.
Evening primrose oil may also be included in products that are applied to the skin.
Many studies in people have evaluated evening primrose oil for atopic dermatitis or breast pain.
Smaller numbers of studies have evaluated it for other health conditions.
Use of Evening primrose oil for several reasons:
-soothing skin probs
-preventing hair loss
-calming bruises
-healing hemorrhoids
-taming digestive woes
-easing sore throats
BENEFITS
Evening primrose oil (EPO) is made from the seeds of the flowers of a plant native to North America.
Evening primrose oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
GLA is an omega-6 essential fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
The plant has traditionally been used to treat:
-bruises
-hemorrhoids
-digestive problems
-sore throats
Its healing benefits may be due to its gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) content.
GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid found in plant oils.
Evening primrose oil is generally taken as a supplement or applied topically.
-Evening primrose oil can help clear up acne
The GLA in Evening primrose oil is thought to help acne by reducing skin inflammation and the number of skin cells that cause lesions.
Evening primrose oil may also help the skin retain moisture.
According to a 2014 study, Evening primrose oil may help relieve cheilitis.
This condition causes inflammation and pain in the lips caused by the acne drug isotretinoin (Accutane).
A separate study found that GLA supplementation reduced both inflammatory and noninflammatory acne lesions.
-Evening primrose oil may help ease eczema
Some countries other than the United States have approved Evening primrose oil to treat eczema, an inflammatory skin condition.
According to an older study, the GLA in Evening primrose oil may improve the skin’s epidermis.
However, a 2013 systematic review concluded that oral Evening primrose oil doesn’t improve eczema and isn’t an effective treatment.
The review didn’t look at the effectiveness of topical Evening primrose oil for eczema.
-Evening primrose oil can help improve overall skin health
According to a 2005 study, oral supplementation of Evening primrose oil helps smooth skin and improve its:
-elasticity
-moisture
-firmness
-fatigue resistance
Per the study, GLA is necessary for ideal skin structure and function.
Because the skin can’t produce GLA on its own, researchers believe taking GLA-rich Evening primrose oil helps keep skin healthy overall.
-Evening primrose oil may help relieve PMS symptoms
An older study suggests Evening primrose oil is highly effective in treating premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, such as:
-depression
-irritability
-bloating
Researchers believe some women experience PMS because they’re sensitive to normal prolactin levels in the body.
GLA converts to a substance in the body (prostaglandin E1) thought to help prevent prolactin from triggering PMS.
According to a study, a supplement containing vitamin B-6, vitamin E, and Evening primrose oil was effective in relieving PMS.
Even so, it’s unclear how much Evening primrose oil played a role, since a 2009 systematic review didn’t find Evening primrose oil helpful for PMS.
-Evening primrose oil can help minimize breast pain
If you experience breast pain so severe during your period that it interferes with your life, taking Evening primrose oil may help.
According to a 2010 study, the GLA in Evening primrose oil is thought to reduce inflammation and help inhibit prostaglandins that cause cyclical breast pain.
The study found that taking daily doses of Evening primrose oil or EPO and vitamin E for six months decreased the severity of cyclical breast pain.
-Evening primrose oil may help reduce hot flashes
Evening primrose oil may reduce the severity of hot flashes, one of the most uncomfortable side effects of menopause.
According to a 2010 literature review, there’s not enough evidence that over-the-counter remedies such as Evening primrose oil help hot flashes.
A later study, however, came to a different conclusion.
The study found that women who took 500 mg daily of Evening primrose oil for six weeks experienced less frequent, less severe, and shorter hot flashes.
Women also had improved marks for social activity, relations with others, and sexuality on a questionnaire on how hot flashes impact daily life.
-Evening primrose oil may help reduce high blood pressure
There’s conflicting evidence about whether Evening primrose oil lowers blood pressure.
More research is needed.
According to a 2013 study, those taking Evening primrose oil had a slightly higher systolic blood pressure.
Researchers called the reduction “a clinically meaningful difference.”
A 2011 systemic review concluded there’s not enough evidence to determine if Evening primrose oil helps reduce the risk of high blood pressure during pregnancy or preeclampsia, a condition that causes dangerously high blood pressure during and after pregnancy.
-Evening primrose oil may help improve heart health
Heart disease kills more than 600,000 people in the United States each year.
Hundreds of thousands more are living with the condition.
Some people are turning to natural remedies, such as Evening primrose oil, to help.
According to a 2014 study on rats, Evening primrose oil is anti-inflammatory and helps reduce blood cholesterol.
Most people with heart disease have inflammation in the body, although it hasn’t been proven that inflammation causes heart disease.
-Evening primrose oil can help reduce nerve pain
Peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect of diabetes and other conditions.
Older research has shown that taking linolenic acid helps reduce neuropathy symptoms, such as:
-hot and cold sensitivity
-numbness
-tingling
-weakness
-Evening primrose oil may help ease bone pain
Bone pain is often caused by rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disorder.
According to a 2011 systematic review, the GLA in Evening primrose oil has the potential to reduce rheumatoid arthritis pain without causing unwanted side effects.
The seeds of the evening primrose oil plant (and therefore the oil that comes from them) are rich in omega-6 essential fatty acids, including linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid.
In fact, the seeds contain up to 25 percent fatty acids.
Evening primrose oil is this fatty acid profile that is largely responsible for its beneficial effects on the skin.
-Has anti-inflammatory properties: Linoleic acid is anti-inflammatory, so this oil can help with some dermatologic conditions, such as eczema.
Similarly, it may help tamp down redness.
Although the oil has been used for centuries for conditions such as atopic dermatitis, there has been little evidence to prove its effectiveness.
Point being, this is a situation where the benefits are more anecdotal, rather than scientifically proven.
-Is deeply moisturizing: Evening primrose oil is a very thick oil that helps improve skin's moisture by reducing transepidermal water loss, or TEWL.
-May help even skin tone: There are some claims that Evening primrose oil can brighten skin tone and help with acne scarring, but there are better ingredients out there for those purposes.
DESCRIPTION
Oenothera biennis, the common evening-primrose, is a species of flowering plant in the family Onagraceae, native to eastern and central North America, from Newfoundland west to Alberta, southeast to Florida, and southwest to Texas, and widely naturalized elsewhere in temperate and subtropical regions.
Evening primrose oil (EPO) is produced from the plant.
Other common names include evening star, sundrop, weedy evening primrose, German rampion, hog weed, King's cure-all and fever-plant.
Evening primrose is a plant native to North and South America that also grows throughout Europe and parts of Asia. It has yellow flowers that open at sunset and close during the day. The oil from evening primrose seeds contains omega-6 fatty acids, including gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
Native Americans made poultices from the evening primrose plant for bruises and wounds and used its stem and leaf juices as topical remedies for skin inflammations. The leaves were taken orally for gastrointestinal complaints and sore throats. In the 17th century, evening primrose oil became a popular folk remedy in Europe, where it was known as “King’s cure-all.”
Evening primrose oil is probably safe for most adults.
Less is known about its safety for children.
Evening primrose oil may be safe for use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, but the evidence is not conclusive.
Evening primrose oil is generally well tolerated.
The most common side effects are temporary gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, fullness, or nausea.
Evening primrose oil may increase the effects of the HIV medicine lopinavir.
As with all dietary supplements, talk with your health care provider before taking evening primrose oil if you are taking any kind of medicine.
Oil is extracted from the seeds and prepared as medicine using a chemical called hexane.
The seeds contain up to 25% essential fatty acids, including linoleic acid (LA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
Both LA and GLA are omega-6 fatty acids.
The body needs a balance of omega-6s and omega-3s (found in fish oil) to stay healthy.
Most North Americans get too much omega-6 fatty acids in their diet.
However, there are different types of omega-6 fatty acids.
Some are healthier than others, such as those found in Evening primrose oil.
Evening primrose oil is the oil that’s extracted from the seeds of the yellow evening primrose wildflower, Oenothera biennis.
Evening primrose oil is a rich source of linoleic acid and gamma-linoleic acid (GLA), both Omega-6 essential fatty acids.
GLA is used to make hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which can help calm inflammation.
Many women use evening primrose oil (EPO) to manage symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause, such as hot flushes.
Evening primrose oil is also used to help ease skin conditions, such as eczema and acne.
Evening primrose oil is most often taken as a capsule but sometimes comes as a liquid.
SYNONYMS
evening star oil
sundrop oil
weedy evening primrose oil
German rampion oil
hog weed oil
King's cure-all oil
Oenothera biennis oil
fever-plant oil
