What exactly is evening primrose and what is evening primrose oil?

The evening primrose is also known as yellow nightshade or night rose. The plant got its name because it opens its bright yellow flowers even at dusk to attract moths for pollination. In the 17th century, the perennial was introduced to Europe from North America, where it quickly spread in the plant world.

Evening primrose oil gets its special properties from its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, which strengthen the immune system and support cell renewal, among other things. Evening primrose oil is one of the few oils that contains high concentrations of gamma-linolenic acid. This triple unsaturated fatty acid regulates the hormone balance and supports the healing of the skin. Due to this valuable combination of ingredients, evening primrose oil is often recommended for the treatment of skin damaged by eczema or neurodermatitis.

What exactly is borage and what is borage oil?

Borage originally comes from Asia and is now cultivated in almost all of Europe and North America. Borage is also known as cucumber herb, kukumer herb, love-eye, blue sky star, salad herb, star flower, heart's joy or comfort flower. This kitchen herb, which is grown worldwide, is indispensable for one dish: Frankfurt Green Sauce.

Borage oil is a natural compound with a high content of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). This fatty acid is only found in certain plant oils and has a strong anti-inflammatory effect.

Most people only consume very small amounts of GLA through their diet.

GLA is an essential omega-6 fatty acid that the body cannot produce itself. Our body is able to convert other omega-6 fatty acids (such as linoleic acid from nuts or seeds) into GLA to a certain extent. However, it is more effective to consume GLA directly and introduce it into our body.

Since borage oil is highly perishable, it is recommended to take it in capsule form.

Borage as a fresh herb contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA). These are secondary plant substances that the plant produces as protection against predators and can be harmful to humans. Although borage is contained in the typical Frankfurt green sauce and in teas, the Federal Institute for Nutrition advises against consumption. PAs are only found in fresh Contains borage. Pressed borage oil and capsules for dietary supplements no longer contain PAs and can therefore be used without hesitation.

The ingredients of evening primrose oil & borage oil

The health-promoting effect of both oils is based on the high concentration of unsaturated fatty acids. Evening primrose oil contains 60-80% linoleic acid. It is an important component of cell walls and is responsible for building a healthy skin barrier that protects against external influences and at the same time regulates moisture levels. Linoleic acid belongs to the group of essential fatty acids. The body cannot produce these itself; they must be ingested through food.

Both oils also contain the omega 3 fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Borage oil has a particularly high GLA content of around 23%, whereas evening primrose oil - next to blackcurrant, number 2 behind borage oil in terms of GLA content - has around 9% GLA.

Also included are::

• saponins
• vitamin C
• vitamin E
• tannins
• silica
• mucilage
• resin
• potassium nitrate

Typical applications for evening primrose & borage oil (Sources: see below):

• Itchy skin prone to neurodermatitis and eczema:
• Recent research indicates that some neurodermatitis patients lack an enzyme called delta-6-desaturase. This enzyme converts the linoleic acid ingested in food into gamma-linolenic acid, which is required for anti-inflammatory processes. Patients with this enzyme deficiency can benefit from taking evening primrose and borage oil, as this route provides the body with gamma-linolenic acid directly.
• In a study with people suffering from skin inflammation, it was demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory substances leukotriene B4 and C4 as well as prostaglandin E were inhibited.

• Dry skin: When skin is dry, the skin barrier no longer functions and water is lost. If dry skin cannot produce enough protective oils, this leads to a dysregulation of the immune system. This can cause increased inflammation and the immune system responds to the deficiency in the form of eczema. In some studies, a significant improvement in the skin barrier was seen after the subjects used up to 720 mg of GLA daily over a period of two months.

• Rheumatoid Arthritis: As a polyunsaturated fatty acid, the gamma-linolenic acid in evening primrose & borage oil can have a positive effect on inflammation by controlling the release of messengers such as prostaglandins, leukotrienes and cytokines, which are responsible for the body's inflammatory responses. Studies show that in some patients, joint pain, swelling and tenderness in the affected joints are reduced after just six weeks of use.
• Gamma-linolenic acid naturally lowers the blood pressure and can have a positive effect on a slightly increased cholesterolvalue in the blood.
• The oil is said to have a balancing effect on the hormone balance. That is why it is very popular for hormonal fluctuations during menstruation (ie PMS symptoms such as breast pain or tenderness, anxiety and skin reactions) and menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats.
• Evening primrose & borage oil is said to be like a natural antihistamine and relieve the symptoms of hay fever, among other things.

dosage

In most cases, the dose for healthy adults is between 500 mg and 3 g per day.

For users who want to use borage and evening primrose oil to relieve acute inflammation and pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis, higher doses of up to 3 grams are recommended in the literature. For rheumatoid arthritis, for example, ~7 grams daily.

Important: These are food products and not medicines. Instead of treating symptoms, the aim is to fill micronutrient stores until homeostasis is achieved. An effect is therefore usually only noticeable after several weeks or months. Some users report that the pain-relieving effect only becomes noticeable after around six months.

interactions and side effects

In general, evening primrose and borage oil are considered safe when used both internally and externally.

Some people report digestive upset, especially after taking large doses of borage oil. These symptoms include loose stools, diarrhea, belching, and flatulence.

Pregnant women should not take evening primrose and borage oil as it can induce premature labor.

If you are taking certain medications, you should consult your doctor before taking borage oil:

• Anticoagulants: blood thinners (e.g. warfarin), which can lead to an increased tendency to bleed
• Anticonvulsants: drugs against epilepsy

Sources:

Bühring, U.: Practical Textbook of Medicinal Plant Science, Georg Thieme Verlag, Edition, 2014

Federal Institute for Risk Assessment: "Questions and answers on pyrrolizidine alkaloids in food", www.bfr.bund.de (Accessed: March 25, 2022)

Kötter, E.: The great GU practice handbook of herbs, Gräfe und Unzer Verlag 2009, 1st edition

Mayer, JG et al.: Handbook of Monastic Medicine, Zabert Sandmann Verlag, 2006

Van Wyk, B.-E. et al.: Handbook of medicinal plants: An illustrated guide, Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft, 2nd edition, 2004

Werner, M.: Mind-Maps® Aromatherapy, Haug Verlag, 2nd edition, 2012

Brosche T., Platt D. (2000). Effect of borage oil consumption on fatty acid metabolism, transepidermal water loss and skin parameters in elderly people. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 30(2):139-150. doi:10.1016/s0167-4943(00)00046-7

Henz BM, Jablonska S, van de Kerkhof PC, et al. (1999) Double-blind, multicenter analysis of the efficacy of borage oil in patients with atopic eczema. Br J Dermatol. 140(4):685-688. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.1999.02771.x

Kapoor R, Huang YS(2006). Gamma linolenic acid: an anti-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 7(6):531-534. doi:10.2174/138920106779116874

Kast RE (2001). Boarge oil reduction of rheumatoid arthritis activity may be mediated by increased cAMP that suppresses tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Int Immunopharmacol.1:2197-9. View abstract.

Takahashi Y., Ide T., Fujita H. (2000). Dietary gamma-linolenic acid in the form of borage oil causes less body fat accumulation accompanying an increase in uncoupling protein 1 mRNA level in brown adipose tissue. Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 127(2):213-222. doi:10.1016/s0305-0491(00)00254-6

Takwale A, Tan E, Agarwal S, et al. (2003). Efficacy and tolerability of borage oil in adults and children with atopic eczema: randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group trial. BMJ. 2003;327(7428):1385. doi:10.1136/bmj.327.74.138528

Tasset-Cuevas I, Fernández-Bedmar Z, Lozano-Baena MD, Campos-Sánchez J, de Haro-Bailón A, et al. (2013) Protective Effect of Borage Seed Oil and Gamma Linolenic Acid on DNA: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies. PLOS ONE 8(2): e56986. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056986

Tso P, Caldwell J, Lee D, Boivin PG, DeMichele JS (2012). Comparison of growth, serum biochemistries and n–6 fatty acid metabolism in rats fed diets supplemented with high-gamma-linolenic acid safflower oil or borage oil for 90 days.Food Chem Toxicol. 2012 Jun; 50(6): 1911–1919.

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