What is Evening Primrose Oil?
Evening primrose oil, as its name suggests, is the oil extracted from a plant called evening primrose – a small plant from the genus Oenothera, originating in central or south America. Evening primrose has beautiful, bright yellow flowers that give rise to some alternative names: it’s sometimes known as the “suncup” or “sundrop” plant.
Although it does have a superficial resemblance to European primrose, the evening primrose is not actually closely related.
The oil itself, as a nutritional supplement, is valued because of its essential fatty acid content – it is rich in a fatty acid called gamma linolenic acid, or GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid that plays a role in numerous biochemical processes within the body.
Who needs EPO
We could all live full and happy lives without ever taking a single capsule of evening primrose oil, so it’s not needed in that sense. On the other hand, omega-6 fatty acids including GLA are vital for our health and well-being, and while they are available in many foods, there are few sources that provide them in the same concentrations as evening primrose oil – some of the other most potent sources include borage oil and blackcurrant seed oil, neither of which is very easily obtained.
What are the main health benefits Evening Primrose Oil?
As noted above, the main active ingredient in evening primrose oil is GLA, although of course the oil also contains many other natural plant compounds that add to its nutritional benefits.
As a therapeutic herbal extract, evening primrose is most widely used to aid in the management of dry skin conditions such as dermatitis and eczema. When you consider that our skin relies on the secretion of natural oils to remain moist, supple, and flexible, it’s not really that surprising that increasing our dietary intake of the right oils can be a big help.
Evening primrose is also valued for the relief it may provide from symptoms of PMS, since its nutritional ingredients can aid the body’s ability to manufacture a balanced mix of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Thus, although it can be helpful for skin health in men and women of all ages, it is often perceived (and marketed) as a “women’s” supplement that helps with skin and PMS at the same time.
Where is EPO available?
Evening primrose oil is available in capsule form. A dose of 1000mg is common, but some brands contain considerably less so check the potency carefully to work out which is the best value for money.
Since GLA is the main active ingredient of evening primrose oil, it’s important to check that an evening primrose oil supplement is standardised for GLA content. If it isn’t standardised to contain at least 10% GLA (for example, 100mg of GLA in each 1000mg EPO capsule), then it may not be the best brand to buy.
