What is Evening Primrose Oil - Uses, Health Benefits, Side Effects, Other Information

Are you wondering - what is evening primrose oil?

Evening primrose is a plant that is native to North America. The flowers are light yellow in color and they bloom at night. The plant itself grows to be quite large and you may have seen it and not even realized it.

Since it contains valuable properties which are useful to the human body, it is now commonly grown and harvested for the seeds which are used to make evening primrose oil. The gamma linolenic acid that this plant contains is an essential fatty acid that has been found to be useful in treating all kinds of ailments.

For years, many people didn't think much of the value of this plant, but with the resurgence in popularity of natural healing and health, evening primrose oil is getting noticed once more.

What is evening primrose oil used for?

Common uses for this supplement include treating symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) as well as inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and eczema.

Before you decide that you are lacking this particular herbal supplement in your body, however, there are some important factors to consider.

Uses and Health Benefits of Evening Primrose Oil

Here is more information on what is evening primrose oil used for.

Evening primrose oil is being used more and more to help stabilize the mood during rough hormonal patches for women, such as when they suffer from PMS or menopause. The essential fatty acids which are found in this herb cannot be made by the body, but have been found to offer mood support by helping to ease anxiety and overall crabbiness that many women will experience due to hormonal changes.

Some research is beginning to suggest that evening primrose oil can be helpful in treating diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. The gamma linolenic acids found in this herb are thought to be helpful in balancing out the body's insulin production, while the anti-inflammatory properties are proving to be helpful with problems such as arthritis which commonly affects the joints.

In learning about what is evening primrose oil beneficial for, you might also be surprised to find that this supplement is being commonly used to help lower cholesterol in many patients, to reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition, it has been found to lower the risk of blood clots for many people.

How about topical benefits? What is evening primrose oil used for externally?

You might be interested to find that many people now use this supplement topically to aid in conditions such as eczema and acne. It has been found to soften the skin and, since it is an anti-inflammatory, it can also help to relieve redness, itching and swelling often found to accompany these conditions.

Side effects, Adverse reactions, Contraindications

In terms of side effects and adverse reactions, what is evening primrose oil associated with?

Even though evening primrose oil is considered to be well tolerated by many people, it's still a good idea to talk to your health care provider to make sure that you are not allergic to this herb and that it won't affect any medications you might be taking. Also, if you take other supplements, you should make sure that adding this one won't cause any negative reactions.

Potential side effects generally include stomach upset and headaches, but they have been found to be mild and are not a problem in most cases. You should make sure to consider the source of this oral supplement, however, as some of the additives can be potentially harmful.

Also, you shouldn't take evening primrose oil if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, as it could be harmful to you or your baby.

To learn more about what is evening primrose oil, you may wish to read the other related evening primrose oil articles and pages on this website.

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Some Related Evening Primrose Oil Pages

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What is Evening Primrose Oil - Uses, Health Benefits, Side Effects, Other Information

Evening Primrose Oil Side Effects, Adverse Reactions and Contraindications



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