Evening Primrose Oil

What is evening primrose oil? Evening primrose oil alludes to the oil of a number of plant types which number in their hundreds. They are essentially flowering plants that are only found in the America's (North and South). The genus of the evening primrose family is Onagraceae. They also go by a variety of different names including sundrops and suncups.

They are usually sold in capsule, gel tab or tablet form to consumers. The various species within the genus has great variance in height. The shortest can be as short as ten centimeters while the tallest can top ten feet. Where does the term evening primrose get its name from? It is named after the fact that flowers of the evening primrose family only open up in the evening. The flowers themselves also vary in color depending on the species.

Traditionally, they are shown as yellow and that is the most common color but they also come in pink, red and even white and purple. They are considered a herbal supplement and are easy to find in most health departments. While there are many species of evening primrose, those that are harvested usually come from North America. So what are some of the evening primrose benefits to be had?

There are many benefits (some claimed) to evening primrose oil. They are thought to be able to help people who suffer from heart disease . They are also claimed to be able to improve the general mood, regulating blood sugar levels and even as a treatment for eczema which is a type of skin condition. Many quarters have strongly linked evening primrose oil with the prevention of cancer (Breast cancer mainly).

The myriad of benefits that are thought to be true include improving hair growth, weight loss and even a treatment as multiple sclerosis. However, in light of all these claims, you should be aware that not all of them are scientifically verified. In fact, the many benefits of evening primrose oil are often the topic of lively debate among the various online health forums.

And thus far, scientific evidence confirms only a few benefits. It is a possible treatment for eczema and other forms of dermatitis. Blood sugar regulation is also confirmed by scientific tests. Almost all other claims have not been rigorously tested by the scientific community. Those that do not stand up to the face of science include weight loss and use as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis .

But why is evening primrose oil linked to so many benefits? It has to do with the ingredients that make up evening primrose oil. Firstly, evening primrose oil is very high in Omega-6 fatty acids. These types of fatty acids are considered much more beneficial than saturated fats. However, high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids is linked to a number of diseases. These include heart disease, obesity , cancer as well as depression . So be sure that you do not go overboard in foods or supplements high in Omega-6 fatty acids.

That said, our bodies cannot produce it on its own, we get all of it from consumption. And Omega-6 fatty acids is essential to our bodies development and growth. There some other things you should know about evening primrose oil pregnancy . Claims surrounding the topic point to how it may be able to induce labor. However, there is no scientific evidence for this. Other proponents of their use during pregnancies point to the high omega-6 fatty acids which is though to help the developing fetus. Some even use evening primrose oil as a means of increasing fertility. It is also linked to evening primrose oil pms.

Claims include the ability to reduce menstrual pains. Homeopathy uses it for treating eczema (proven) and high cholesterol (Not proven). There are main thoughts surrounding the supposed benefit of inducing labor. One camp claims that it induces labor simply by taking it. Another camp believes that this is only possible if the body is actually ready for labor. Either way, evening primrose oil is not a necessary supplement to induce labor, as proven by the vast majority of new births everyday around the world. Another highly linked benefit is Evening primrose oil acne.

The proponents of evening primrose oil as a treatment for acne are mostly made up of experts in the skin care industry. Touted as a natural method of treatment, it has strong medical evidence to suggest that it is effective against eczema. How is it used for treating acne? It can be applied directly to the affected areas or consumed. The oil of the evening primrose is a very non toxic liquid, which means users experience very few side effects when applied directly to the acne. Secondly, evening primrose oil is much cheaper than off the shelf treatments that get rid of acne. To begin treatment, it is advised to start slow then increase application over time. This means that you should only apply evening primrose oil on the affected areas once every two days at first. The time frame for such a treatment is around three months or so. So it is quite a long treatment. Alternatively, jojoba oil is also a great method of treating acne.