Evening Primrose an Excellent Dietary Supplement
December 1, 2008
In the present health savvy society, dietary supplements are gaining a lot of prominence for their health benefits. Amongst various herbal dietary supplements, evening primrose has its own important position and stature. In the present article we would like to understand the utility, healthy effects and benefits of evening primrose oil.
What are the important components present in evening primrose?
Evening primrose seeds contain up to 25 percent oil. Evening primrose oil contains two types of omega-6 fatty acids, the firts one is linoleic acid which is nearly 20-40% and gamma-linolenic acid which is present in an appreciable quantity as well i.e. 8 to 14 percent. Linolenic acids are considered essential fatty acids because they are required for health and are not synthesized by the body. Linolenic acid deficiency produces visible signs in the skin, including eczema, impetigo, and erythema. Evening primrose oil is used in the formulation of cosmetic products and also as a dietary supplement.
Health benefits of evening primrose oil
Essential fatty acids, including linolenic acid found in evening primrose oil, cannot be manufactured in the human body, and their supply is dependent on adequate dietary intake. Inadequate intake or compromised conversion to active metabolites can result in symptoms such as hair loss, eczema, disorders in connective tissue, poor wound healing, poor immune and reproductive function, and degeneration of organs, including the liver and kidney.
Clinical studies and animal trials have been conducted wherein, evening primrose oil preparations were tested on patients with with eczema, arthritis, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, diabetic neuropathy, premenstrual syndrome and obesity. Although the herb has been found to potent in reducing the atopic eczema, there is still a need to validate the use on a regular scale.
Evening primrose oil and obesity
A lot of research has been conducted on animal models of obesity and a positive efficacy trends have been observed so far. Research on clinical level is still preliminary to provide a hardened evidence still one thing that can be surely mentioned with the available evidence is that the evening primrose oil can have lot of health benefits in future.
Comments
Got something to say? Join the conversation and leave a comment below.