* Please Note: This information is based partly on Traditional Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
Description
Name
Oenothera biennis L. (Onagraceae). In English it is called Evening Primrose, or Primrose.
Source
Evening primrose is a New World plant, but it is closely related to the European water dropwort (Oenanthe aquatica). The seeds of both plants contain an essential oil rich in gamma linolenic acid that is sold as a food supplement.
History
American Indians showed European settlers how to use the oil to treat stomach upsets and respiratory infections. Food supplement makers now promote evening primrose oil for conditions where sex hormones and prostoglandins are thought to be disordered such as premenstrual syndrome, benign breast disease, elevated cholesterol, atopic skin disease, and as a supplement capable of preventing abnormal blood clotting, obesity, and degenerative neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis and arthritis.
Traditional Claims
Expectorant and stomachic
Commission E Recommendations
Primrose is used to treat respiratory catarrh and upper respiratory tract catarrh.
Proven Effects
Evening primrose, like borage, blackcurrant, hemp oil, and oils derived from some fungi, contains a substance called gamma linolenic acid (GLA). Humans normally make GLA from linoleic acid in their diet. Patients with diabetes, however, do not convert linoleic acid to GLA very effectively. Since the protective coating that surrounds most nerves is made partly from GLA, it is believed that nerve disease in diabetics (diabetic neuropathy) is due to this GLA deficiency.
In experimental animals with diabetes, adding GLA to the diet corrects the nerve damage. Gamma linolenic acid is also important because it is converted into hormones called 'prostoglandins.' These hormones regulate multiple body functions and play a very important part in regulating the inflammatory response (such as the swelling of a joint seen in gout or rheumatoid arthritis, or even the swelling that occurs after an ankle sprain).
The process of converting GLA into prostoglandins starts with a reaction called "desaturation" of linoleic acid to form GLA. Many factors can interfere with this conversion, including aging, diabetes or stress (high levels of adrenalin), to name just a few. GLA formation is also blocked when the diet contains excessive amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (the kind found in semi-solid fats such as some kinds of margarine and cooking oil) in the diet.
No one knows for certain whether prostaglandin deficiencies are the cause of conditions such as premenstrual tension and breast discomfort, and clinical trials have failed to support claims that GLA supplementation would increase immunity or make platelets less sticky. However, GLA supplements clearly do improve some types of neurologic diseases, and clinical trials evaluating the other claims are ongoing.
Dosage
In clinical trials, patients have been given doses of 1 to 3 grams per day, but the safe and effective range, if there is one, is not known. Commission E recommends a daily dose of 2-4 grams of drug.
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Directions
Stir 1/4 of a teaspoon into a glass of water and consume 3 times daily, with meals.
Cautions
Concerns
Not all GLA-containing natural oils are equally effective, and results cannot be predicted on just the GLA content of the product being used. In animal studies, evening primrose was substantially better at reversing diabetic neuropathy than either blackcurrant or borage. Obviously, other components of the oils have something to do with the process. The same considerations almost apply to commercial supplements. They may contain a lot of GLA, but that does not mean that all of the GLA contained in the product will be absorbed, or that some other component added to the product may not prevent the GLA from working.
Warnings
None.
Drug Testing
There is no evidence that any of the components found in evening primrose oil can interfere with standard workplace urine screening tests.
Additional Information
TerraVita is an exclusive line of premium-quality, natural source products that use only the finest, purest and most potent ingredients found around the world. TerraVita is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. All of our products are prepared with the highest elements of quality control, from raw materials through the entire manufacturing process, up to and including the moment that the bottles or bags are sealed for freshness and shipped out to you. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
TerraVita exists to meet and ensure your family's health and wellness without the harmful effects or chemicals and prescription medications. We strive to make all of our products affordable and reliable and are constantly searching the market to maintain our affordability and to look for new ways to serve you and the ones you love. TerraVita has become a trusted household name for many families and can bring you and yours the very best herbal supplements, blends, teas and spices that are on the market today.
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ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
