| Evening primrose oil contains a concentrated source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a beneficial omega-6 fatty acid that is difficult to obtain from the diet. GLA can be converted in the body into prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), a hormone-like substance that helps regulate inflammatory mechanisms, supports platelet aggregation, and assists blood vessel dilation. Under normal circumstances, the body can convert linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in nuts and seeds and most vegetable oils, into GLA and then to PGE1. However, many things can interfere with this conversion, including excess consumption of saturated fat or hydrogenated oils and inadequate intake of vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins. Certain disease conditions, blood sugar imbalance, and the aging process can also interfere with proper conversion. Many diabetics, individuals with inflammatory skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis, and women with PMS have been found to have low levels of GLA, often due to an inferior ability to convert linoleic acid to GLA. GLA is not found in significant quantities in food. Supplying preformed GLA in supplemental form can circumvent the metabolic conversion steps, resulting in more reliable formation of PGE1. Dietary supplements of evening primrose oil, black current seed oil, and borage oil are commonly used as supplemental sources. While each supplies GLA, there may be somewhat different benefits as determined by the overall composition of the specific plant source. Each softgel contains 124 mg of biologically active GLA that has been cold-pressed and is free of hexane or other solvents. This product was made in a GMP and ISO 9001:2000 registered facility. |
