Evening primrose is a popular plant, native to North America. It has derived its name from the fact that it flowers late in the day and into the evening.
The plant can be identified with bright yellow flowers, which last for one to two days.
What makes this plant really well-known are its seeds, the extract of which is used to treat multiple health problems.
The extract of evening primrose is called evening primrose oil (EPO).
The healing potential of this oil can be attributed to the presence of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) in it.
GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid substance. This fatty acid is found in many other plant seed oils and is known for its medicinal properties.
Evening primrose is a good source of this seed oil, which people in all parts of the world have been using for generations.
In the market and stores, evening primrose oil has wide availability in supplement form.
Uses of evening primrose oil
There are many health conditions that using evening primrose oil can help heal. Here are some of them.
Get Rid of Acne Problems
Evening primrose oil can help you get rid of acne problems.
The GLA content in this plant seed oil reduces skin inflammation and growth of cells that cause lesions.
Plus, it is blessed with moisturizing properties.
This means using evening primrose oil can help you clear your skin of acne as well as help your skin retain moisture, resulting in healthy skin.
Cure Eczema
Eczema is a type of skin disease, which is caused due to a number of factors like abnormality in immune system, environmental changes, defective skin barrier and genetic problems.
Whether you’re an adult or a child suffering from eczema, you should definitely try using evening primrose oil as it carries the properties to correct the irregularities in the fatty acids found in eczema.
While you have many other conventional medicines that will treat eczema, evening primrose oil is an excellent complementary alternative to go for.
It’s a good treatment for people who want to stay away from side-effects that prolonged use of many traditional eczema medicines may result in.
Reduce Breast Pain
Do you suffer from breast pain during your menstrual cycle? This happens because the breast tissue undergoes changes due to different types of hormones.
While this pain is a common problem, its severity can easily have an impact on your work and life.
If your breast pain is wicked or unbearable, using evening primrose oil can prove to be of great help.
The presence of gamma-linolenic acid in evening primrose oil doesn’t only reduce inflammation, but it also inhibits prostaglandins, which affects smooth muscle activity.
Therefore, use of this plant seed oil reduces the severity of cyclical breast pain.
For best results, take EPO capsules once everyday for a period of six months, along with vitamin E supplements.
Treat Nerve Pain
Have you tried conventional medicines and still have got no relief from nerve pain, particularly the one linked with diabetes?
If yes, use of evening primrose oil can be the answer to your prayers.
In the beginning, diabetic nerve pain is mild. But if you leave it untreated, it can get worse and spread from your fingers to other parts of the body.
If you have tried conventional medicines and have seen no benefits, you should definitely give evening primrose oil a try.
Take evening primrose oil for 6-12 months for substantial relief from nerve pain.
Increase Bone Density
Many older adults suffer from a health condition called osteoporosis, which refers to decreased bone density.
People with fragile bones have a high risk of fracture, even when the injury is not severe.
Evening primrose oil, taken along with fish oil and calcium, can show good results in people who suffer from osteoporosis.
Lower Blood Pressure
According to a study published by the NCBI, taking evening primrose oil can also lower high blood pressure.
It’s important to keep a close watch on your blood pressure.
If you see your blood pressure is reaching unhealthy levels, you should immediately seek medical consultation.
Alternatively, you can also try taking EPO and monitor the results.
If you take 500 mg of EPO twice everyday, you can keep your blood pressure under control. But do let your doctor know about it.
Get Relief from Bone Pain
People get rheumatoid arthritis due to a troubled immune system.
In this health condition, the immune system starts to assault your own body’s tissues. The result is swollen, painful joints.
If you suffer from this chronic bone pain, you should start using evening primrose oil instead of taking over-the-counter medicine or turning to different kinds of pain killers which have far-reaching side-effects.
The GLA content in evening primrose oil has proven to be quite effective in rheumatoid arthritis.
When using EPO, you don’t have to worry about unwanted side-effects either. Start with 560 mg of EPO everyday and increase the strength later.
Other Health Conditions that EPO can Treat
Using evening primrose oil is a proven, natural way of treating a number of health conditions.
Apart from the ones mentioned above, you can also try EPO to get relief from many other ailments like asthma, obesity, hepatitis B, high cholesterol, liver cancer, psoriasis etc.
However, more research is awaited as these lack any any solid supporting evidence.
Conclusion
There are studies and researches that testify the usefulness of evening primrose oil.
For people who are scared of side-effects, using primrose oil is a nice alternative for a number of health conditions.
Think of it as a complementary therapy, not a replacement of your doctor’s treatment plan.
As more evidences emerge, it remains to be seen what other aliments EPO can treat.
Before you start to use this plant seed oil, it’s advisable to consult your doctor or seek advice from a trained natural health practitioner.
Also, whichever health conditions you want to use it for, start with the lowest dose.
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