Giant evening primrose oil (evening primrose oil)

Sometimes simply called evening primrose oil, giant evening primrose oil is extracted from the seeds of the giant evening primrose plant (Oenothera biennis).

Although there is no scientific evidence that giant evening primrose oil can be used to treat disease, it has long been used as an herbal remedy for a wide range of diseases and ailments.

In this article, you'll get an overview of how giant evening primrose oil affects our health and what it can be used for. You can also read about the precautions, side effects and interactions associated with the oil.

The effect of giant atlysol

GLA (gamma linolenic acid) is the fatty acid that makes giant evening primrose oil interesting for human health. The first plant from which GLA was extracted was giant evening primrose oil.

Undocumented properties

Although giant evening primrose oil has been used as a natural medicine for a multitude of diseases throughout history, the vast majority of its properties have never been recognized by medical science.

There is no scientific evidence that giant evening primrose oil can help the following diseases:

Some women also use evening primrose oil during childbirth to prevent high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia) and to induce and shorten labor. However, this is not recognized practice in medical circles; on the contrary, all use among pregnant women is discouraged due to the risk of complications during childbirth.

Properties studied with lack of evidence

Although the following diseases may be treatable with giant evening primrose oil, the studies on the link between the oil and the diseases are not yet conclusive enough for medical science to recognize it in practice:

• Chest pain: The theory behind the oil's effect on chest pain (mastalgia) is that women with the pain may be missing some of the fatty acids (GLA) that giant evening primrose oil contains very high concentrations of. In the UK, giant evening primrose oil was also previously approved as a prescription drug for the treatment of chest pain, but the approval was withdrawn due to doubts about its actual effect on pain

• Osteoporosis: When evening primrose oil is taken in combination with calcium and fish oils, it may have a positive effect on osteoporosis

• Rheumatoid arthritis: Some studies show that evening primrose oil may reduce the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. However, the results of the studies are contradictory

• Chronic fatigue syndrome: There are a few studies that have indicated that giant evening primrose oil in combination with fish oil may reduce the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) – but the results are not consistent

It should be emphasized that there is no scientific evidence that giant evening primrose oil can be used to treat the above diseases and disorders.

Eczema

Although eczema should be on the list of Investigated properties with missing evidence above, it gets its own section.

Eczema is an itchy skin condition that can occur on any part of the body and affects all age groups of the population. Eczema also includes atopic eczema (also known as childhood eczema, asthma eczema or atopic dermatitis), which particularly affects children.

There are many studies on the effects of giant atlysol on eczema. At least 30 have concluded that giant evening primrose oil can be used to treat eczema. Conversely, at least 19 other studies have concluded that evening primrose oil has no effect on eczema.

Based on the lack of medical consensus, the recommendation is that all treatment of eczema with evening primrose oil should be done in consultation with a general practitioner.

Incidentally, evening primrose oil was previously an approved eczema drug in the UK, but the approval was withdrawn as there was insufficient evidence to support its claimed effect on eczema (as with chest pain mentioned above).

Fatty acid profile

Below is the fatty acid profile of giant evening primrose oil:

NOTE: Flip your phone horizontally to expand the chart

Fatty acids	Fatty acid type	Range	Typical content
Arachidic acid (C20:0)	Saturated	Max 1% saturated	0,2%
Stearic acid	Saturated	1,5-2,5%	1,7%
Palmitic acid	Monounsaturated	5,5-7,0%	5,9%
Oleic acid	Monounsaturated omega-9	5,0-11,0%	5,8%
Alpha linolenic acid (ω-3)	Polyunsaturated omega-3	Max 1% max.	0,4%
Linoleic acid (ω-6)	Polyunsaturated omega-6	70,0-77,0%	75,1%
Gamma linolenic acid	Polyunsaturated omega-6	9,0-10,9%	10,6%

 

Giant evening primrose oil in capsules

As a dietary supplement, evening primrose oil is typically sold in capsules. Most capsules are combined supplements that typically contain flaxseed or fish oil in addition to giant evening primrose oil.

Giant evening primrose oil uses

Skin

Although primarily used as a dietary supplement and natural medicine, evening primrose oil can also be used on the skin. However, as with many oils, it should always be diluted with a base oil – e.g. in a 1:1 ratio (trial and error).

Cosmetics

Giant evening primrose oil is used in soaps, lotions, sprays, make-up, etc. Although many companies in the cosmetic industry attribute various beneficial properties to the oil for human skin, these should be taken with a grain of salt.

Aromatherapy

Even though evening primrose oil can be used for massage (including facial massage), it should be diluted with a base oil such as grapefruit oil as it is quite sticky. Also, because giant evening primrose oil has a relatively short shelf life, it can be beneficial to mix it with wheat germ oil (which increases shelf life).

Precautions to take

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers are not recommended to use giant evening primrose oil. In pregnant women, the oil is known to increase the likelihood of complications during childbirth in some cases. For breastfeeding mothers, it is known that giant evening primrose oil is passed from mother to child via breast milk and is unlikely to harm the baby – but the effect of the oil on mother and infant is unknown. To be on the safe side, it is recommended that you avoid using the oil during periods when you are breastfeeding.

• Bleeding disorders: Giant evening primrose oil is suspected of increasing the risk of bleeding and bruising. Therefore, people with bleeding disorders are advised against all use of giant evening primrose oil.

• Seizures: It is suspected that evening primrose oil may increase the risk of seizures, which can be a problem for people with epilepsy, for example, but also for people with other diseases that cause seizures.

• Schizophrenia: There have been cases linking certain medications and GLA (found in evening primrose oil) to seizures in people with schizophrenia. Therefore, you should not use evening primrose oil if you suffer from schizophrenia.

• Surgery: Evening primrose oil may increase the risk of bleeding during or after surgery. Therefore, it is recommended to stop using evening primrose oil at least 2 weeks before the day of surgery.

Side effects of giant evening primrose oil

Although most people can use evening primrose oil without any problems, in some cases it may cause the following side effects:

See a doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Rash
• Itching or swelling (especially on the face, neck or tongue)
• Dizziness
• Difficulty breathing

Interactions

Evening primrose oil must not be taken together with agents that reduce the blood's ability to clot (stiffen) because evening primrose oil has a similar effect and therefore increases the risk of bleeding, bruising etc.

Evening primrose oil interacts with the following:

• Anti-coagulants/anticoagulants (drugs specifically designed to reduce the blood's ability to clot)

• NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory painkillers – e.g. aspirin and ibuprofen)

• Anesthetics (drugs used for anesthesia during surgery)

• Phenothiazines (drugs primarily found in antipsychotics – i.e. drugs used to treat psychosis)

• Certain natural medicines (e.g. garlic or ginger – especially in high concentrations such as in extracts or oils)

If in doubt, you should always consult your pharmacist – or better yet, your doctor.