Evening primrose oil is a well-established supplement whose properties have been known for many years. It might be regarded as one of the first commercial supplement oils to be encapsulated. The oil comes from the evening primrose plant Oenothera biennis L., which is in the Onagraceae plant family. Nowadays, a number of benefits are attributed to it which revolve around treatments for joint conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and eczema. There may be some benefits with weight management which have yet to be fully confirmed.
Less defined but interesting findings have seen an association with osteoporosis, heart disease including blood pressure. More tenuously, cancer and multiple sclerosis. Generally, research is still ongoing to establish a firm association between many conditions and its use.
The main component in evening primrose oil as it is in its commercial rival, borage oil, is gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which is a C18 3n-6 fatty acid. EFSA evaluated a series of claims for the oil at the time and did not have sufficient evidence for a number of aspects associated with the oil. The unfavourable findings amongst other reported issues relate to:-
- maintenance of normal blood LDL-cholesterol metabolism
- joint mobility
- improve bone density or its strength
- maintenance of normal blood pressure
- reduction of menstrual discomfort
- contribution to normal cognitive function
- maintenance of the barrier function of the skin and for producing normal, healthy skin
- healthy functioning for the hormonal system
- a non-specific claim relating to functioning of the cell membrane (integrity and fluidity)
- maintenance of normal structure, elasticity and appearance of the skin
- an oil with ascribed anti-inflammatory properties.
Traditionally, the oil was used to reduce breast pain linked to the menstrual cycle but there is no scientific evidence whatsoever to support this finding. However, the placebo effect to which it has been compared also produces favourable benefits and on that basis some medical practitioners recommend it which does almost sound counter-intuitive !
Where does evening primrose oil go from here ?
Well, it is still a highly popular commercially valuable supplement. As well as gamma-linoleic acid (9 percent), it contains linoleic acid (74 percent) and vitamin E which in themselves have nutritional benefits. Linoleic acid is converted in the body to gamma-linolenic acid which is then further metabolised to generate hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. Human breast milk is a very rich source of GLA. Alternative sources of linoleic acid include hemp seed oil, safflower and sunflower oils.
Possibilities of Omega-6 Fatty Acids
The GLA is the main active in the oil and being an omega-6 fatty acid has been associated with inflammatory conditions as opposed to reducing them. It’s worth checking however the recent evidence regarding omega-6 fatty acids and the reduction in diabetes (type-2). This was uncovered in a 2017 article reviewing a number of well-controlled studies on omega-6 fatty acid consumption and the association with diabetes reduction – a claim of at least 33 percent compared to a norm.
The Evidence Relating to Alleviating Joint Problems
The research on this topic where supplementation with evening primrose oil and indeed gamma-linoleic acid on reducing joint inflammation is extensive but not conclusive. The main issue has been to reduce rheumatoid arthritis (RA) which afflicts many especially the elderly. This type of inflammation is characterised by chronic joint pain due to inflammation. The inflammation itself is a product of excess production of compounds in the body which promote inflammation and loss of various immune and cellular based systems for reducing oxidation (Zurier, 1998; El-Sayed et al., 2014). It is feasible that omega-6 fatty acids may interact with inflammatory markers by other mechanisms that have yet to be shown.
Arthritis Research UK state that polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acids could help in the management of pain and inflammation.
Diabetes
Evening primrose oil and vitamin D have been examined in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A number of markers for insulin resistance along with measures on lipid concentrations were analysed. This was a well controlled prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 60 participants (Jamilian et al., 2016). They were divided into two groups who took either 1000 IU vitamin D3 and 1000 mg EPO or placebo for 6 weeks. The group taking the combination showed statistically significant reductions in a number of diabetes measures. For example, fasting blood glucose levels and insulin levels all dropped slightly. This evidence for a benefit of omega-6 fatty acids in reducing diabetes will no doubt be of greater interest in the next few years.
Acne
There is a small amount of evidence suggesting acne is relieved by supplementation with evening primrose oil because it reduces sebum production that blocks skin pores.
Cholesterol Lowering With Evening Primrose Oil
There is no firm evidence that serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels are improved by supplementation even in combination of EPO with vitamin D (Jamilian et al., 2016).
Precautions using Evening Primrose Oil
It is not recommended for women trying to become pregnant, who are breastfeeding or for those with epilepsy.
Products
Some supplements combine EPO with vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) as a means of improving fatty acid metabolism.
If you are interested in it as a supplement, please see the following product offerings:-
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References
EFSA (2011) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2059/epdf
El-Sayed, R.M., Moustafa, Y.M. and El-Azab, M.F., 2014. Evening primrose oil and celecoxib inhibited pathological angiogenesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in adjuvant-induced arthritis: novel role of angiopoietin-1. Inflammopharmacology, 22(5), pp.305-317.
Jamilian, M., Karamali, M., Taghizadeh, M. et al. (2016) Lipids 51 pp. 349. (Article)
Kleijnen, J., 1994. Evening Primrose oil. Br. Med. J. 309, pp. 824–825
Zurier, R.B., 1998. Gammalinolenic acid treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In: Medicinal Fatty Acids In Inflammation. Birkhäuser Basel. pp. 29-43
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