What is evening primrose oil good for

The FDA does not monitor supplements and care should be given to choosing a brand that is know for purity, accuracy of dose, and quality.

There is a blood-thinning effect with evening primrose oil, so there is a higher risk of bleeding for people taking the blood thinner warfarin. Therefore, these patients should not use the oil. Other drugs that thin the blood may also be a problem taken alongside the oil, including clopidogrel and aspirin. People with epilepsy or other seizure disorder should avoid taking evening primrose oil as it may increase the chances of having a seizure. Also, people with schizophrenia treated with certain drugs may be at risk of seizure, so medical advice should be sought.

Evening primrose oil should not be taken within 2 weeks of going for a general anesthetic because of the increased seizure risk. Evening primrose oil products are available for purchase in health stores and online.

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Share on Pinterest Evening primrose oil has many therapeutic uses. Share on Pinterest Eczema is sometimes treated with evening primrose oil. How can you tell if primrose oil has gone bad? Any product rich in unsaturated oil can go rancid, including bottled primrose oil and primrose oil gel caps. Because primrose oil only has a faint scent, it can often be difficult to tell if it has gone bad. It may darken or smell funny, but not always.

As such, you should always play it safe and discard any supplement after its use-by date. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life.

National Toxicology Program. Evening Primrose Oil Oenothera biennis L. Published November Mahboubi M. Evening primrose oil in management of female ailments. J Menopausal Med. A comparative study on the effect of "black cohosh" and "evening primrose oil" on menopausal hot flashes. J Educ Health Promot. Associations of polyunsaturated fatty acid intake with bone mineral density in postmenopausal women.

J Osteoporos. Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis with Dietary Interventions. Front Nutr. Calcium, gamma-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid supplementation in senile osteoporosis.

Aging Milano. The effects of evening primrose oil on nerve function and capillarization in streptozotocin-diabetic rats: modulation by the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor flurbiprofen. Br J Pharmacol. Bamford, J. Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. DOI: Cameron, M. Herbal therapy for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Farzaneh, F. The effect of oral evening primrose oil on menopausal hot flashes: a randomized clinical trial.

Arch Gynecol Obstet. Ogbera, A. Treatment of diabetes mellitus-associated neuropathy with vitamin E and Eve primrose. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. Your Privacy Rights.

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We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. Evening Primrose Oil. Common Names: evening primrose oil, EPO. Latin Names: Oenothera biennis. 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. Evening primrose oil may also be included in products that are applied to the skin. How Much Do We Know?

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. What Have We Learned? Evening primrose oil, taken orally by mouth , has not been shown to be helpful for relieving symptoms of atopic dermatitis.