When it comes to home remedies, the Internet is full of misinformation that can cause great and serious consequences, such as baldness, burns, spots on the skin, conjunctivitis, etc. Something similar has happened with evening primrose oil, and it is that hundreds of web pages have come out of nowhere talking about the subject, so we want to put in order all the real information about this plant and also the contraindications.
To begin with, it is convenient to know what evening primrose is, where this plant comes from, how it is grown and where the famous evening primrose oil comes from. Later we will know what it is usually used for, its benefits and the contraindications to its use.
A few paragraphs that will give us many solutions to all the doubts that arise around the evening primrose plant that is being talked about so much today. It is that we must be informed before using it on our skin or ingesting something. Above all, when there are cases like these, where there are very few scientific studies that support the benefits of this plant.
What is evening primrose?
As curious as it may seem, evening primrose is a wild flower that grows without major problems almost anywhere, in fact, it is common to see it on some roadsides in areas far from civilization.
Its origins date back to North America and it is believed that the first to use this medicinal plant were Native Americans. It was introduced to Europe in the 17th century and served as food in times of scarcity. For centuries, this plant has been a natural remedy to heal wounds on the skin and skin problems, apart from being ingested to cure a number of other problems and ailments.
Evening primrose is a more or less beautiful plant, but its potential is not really in the flower, but in its fruit, which is capsule-shaped and the oil is obtained by cold pressing. Very few scientific studies support its benefits. In fact, in the section on contraindications, we will clarify that people or groups should not consume this oil or anything from this plant.
What’s more, researchers do not recommend consuming evening primrose for a long time , so it is better to try it on time to see if it helps us with our problem. Although, as we always say, you have to go to a health professional, and put aside home remedies and all kinds of alternative treatments and natural medicines if we have a serious problem such as a broken bone, acute pain, an infection, etc. .
Composition of evening primrose oil
Our protagonist today has a curious composition and it is the one that allows him to later offer the benefits that we will tell in the next section.
Evening primrose oil is very rich in fatty acids, especially linoleic and gammalinoleic acid, which, in other words, belong to the Omega 6 group . It is an essential fatty acid and must be included in our daily diet, along with Omega 3.
We also have saturated fatty acids such as palmitic and stearic. Returning to gammalinoleic acid, it is an acid that is very difficult to find in nature, hence part of the fame of this curious plant. Borage also has this acid, as well as black currant.
A varied diet must provide a sufficient amount of vitamins, proteins, minerals, fatty acids, fats, hydrates, water, etc. that a body needs on a daily basis. We should not resort to supplementation while we have a poor diet, since the problem will extend over time. What we have to do is improve our daily diet and only take a supplement if the doctor tells us.
Benefits of evening primrose oil
Let’s now go to the main topic, and it is that evening primrose oil has a lot of fame, although few know what exactly this oil does in our body. As we say, it is better not to self-medicate or take supplements, unless a medical specialist recommends it.
Lowers high cholesterol
It must be said that taking evening primrose oil will not lower our cholesterol from 220 to 190 in a single day, but it is a long process, and it is simply an aid that we can support ourselves while making important changes in our diet and in our life habits.
In addition, this oil is vegetable type and does not make you fat, since its fatty acids are healthy. What’s more, it regulates the synthesis of cholesterol and fats that are in the blood . It could also have a certain satiating power, so it would help us not to peck between meals and not consume more calories.
Decreases joint pain
This plant has calming properties and is a natural antioxidant, apart from having anti-inflammatory action. These 3 axes create systematic relief from diseases such as rheumatism, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis.
If we have a chronic inflammatory process, we could use evening primrose, but remember that it is not a 100% proven effective medical treatment, it is a natural remedy and has side effects. Also, evening primrose treatment cannot exceed 12 months in the worst case, when it comes to problems such as arthritis.
Relieves menstrual cramps
Although the scientific evidence is contradictory, there are those who claim that it is a remedy closely linked to women, as it helps to relieve menstrual pain, as well as premenstrual syndrome. It is also usually effective in menopause. The duration of treatment must not exceed 6 months.
In case of painful periods, excessive bleeding, irregular menstruation, very disabling symptoms of menopause, it is best to consult a specialist and not leave our health in the hands of a natural or home remedy.
Against acne and psoriasis
Here science contradicts itself again. Evening primrose oil treatment for dermatitis, acne and skin conditions should be prescribed by a specialist and should not exceed 12 weeks.
In this case, it is usually administered orally and even in body oil or cream format. Specifically, natural evening primrose oil contains vitamin E and F , which are two important vitamins for the skin and promote elasticity, hydrate the skin while regulating bait secretion and help rejuvenation of skin cells.
Main contraindications
Contraindications are like the fine print of things we buy and nobody reads, but they are very important. One of the main contraindications is that it is not recommended to take more than 400 mg of evening primrose oil in capsules, nor to exceed the duration of the treatments.
Evening primrose oil is not recommended for children, babies, or pregnant women. Nor for those who take anticoagulants or hypertensive people, since it increases the risk of bleeding.
The worst thing about evening primrose oil, apart from everything we have already said, is that it makes us more prone to seizure diseases. This medicinal resource has another series of adverse effects for the mere fact of consuming them and they are stomach pain, nausea, indigestion, mild diarrhea, headaches, among others.
