This evening primrose monograph provides basic information about evening primrose oil—common names, usefulness and safety, and resources for more information.
Evening primrose is a plant native to North America, but it grows in Europe and parts of the Southern hemisphere as well. It has yellow flowers that bloom in the evening. Evening primrose oil contains the fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
Native Americans used the whole plant for bruises and its roots for hemorrhoids. The leaves were traditionally used for minor wounds, gastrointestinal complaints, and sore throats.
Today, people use evening primrose oil dietary supplements for eczema (a condition involving red, swollen, itchy skin, sometimes caused by allergies), rheumatoid arthritis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), breast pain, menopause symptoms, and other conditions.
Evening primrose oil is obtained from the seeds of the evening primrose and is usually sold in capsule form.
Evening Primrose in Health Research
Many studies in people have evaluated evening primrose oil for eczema, PMS, or breast pain. Smaller numbers of studies have evaluated it for other health conditions.
Evening Primrose Research Summary
There’s not enough evidence to support the use of evening primrose oil for any health condition.
According to a comprehensive 2013 evaluation of the evidence, evening primrose oil, taken orally (by mouth), is not helpful for relieving symptoms of eczema.
Most studies of evening primrose oil for PMS have not found it to be helpful.
Studies of evening primrose oil for breast pain have had conflicting results.
A small amount of evidence suggests that evening primrose oil might be helpful for diabetic neuropathy (nerve problems caused by diabetes).
Evening Primrose Oil Safety
Evening primrose oil is probably safe for most people when taken for short periods of time. There can be mild side effects, such as stomach upset and headache.
The safety of long-term use of evening primrose oil has not been established.
Evening primrose oil may increase the risk of some complications of pregnancy. Talk with your health care provider if you’re considering using evening primrose oil during pregnancy.
Evening primrose oil may increase bleeding in people who are taking the anticoagulant (blood thinning) medication warfarin (Coumadin).
Evening Primrose References
Bamford JTM, Ray S, Musekiwa A, et al. Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013;(4):CD004416. Accessed at https://www.thecochranelibrary.com(link is external) on April 9, 2015.
Evening Primrose Oil. Natural Medicines Web site. Accessed at naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com on April 6, 2015. [Database subscription].
Shahidi F, Miraliakbari H. Evening primrose. In: Coates PM, Betz JM, Blackman MR, et al., eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Informa Healthcare; 2010:256-266.
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Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; [1988] – [cited 2018 Apr 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with the progression of cognitive dysfunction. Physical activity benefits cognition, but no evidence from randomized clinical trials has shown whether tai chi chuan has better long-term benefits than fitness walking in cognitive function for patients with T2D and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
To conduct an ethnobotanical survey and document the traditional anticancer and antidiabetic plants used by the local tribes of Mizoram, Northeast India.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for >90% of the cases of diabetes in adults. Resistance to insulin action is the major cause that leads to chronic hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. T2DM is the consequence of activation of multiple pathways and factors involved in insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction. Also, the etiology of T2DM involves the complex interplay between genetics and environmental factors. This interplay can be governed efficiently by lifestyle modifications to achieve better management of diabetes. The present review aims at discussing the major factors involved in the development of T2DM that remain unfocussed during the anti-diabetic therapy. The review also focuses on lifestyle modifications that are warranted for the successful management of T2DM. In addition, it attempts to explain flaws in current strategies to combat diabetes. The employability of phytoconstituents as multitargeting molecules and their potential use as effective therapeutic adjuvants to first line hypoglycemic agents to prevent side effects caused by the synthetic drugs are also discussed.
Obesity and diabetes are closely related metabolic disorders that have become major public health concerns worldwide. Over the past few decades, numerous studies have explored the underlying mechanisms of these disorders and identified various risk factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and dietary habits. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been increasingly recognized for its potential to manage obesity and diabetes. Weight loss is difficult to sustain, and several diabetic therapies, such as sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, and insulin, might make it harder to lose weight. While lifestyle changes should be the primary approach for people interested in lowering weight, drugs are also worth investigating. Since some of the newer glucose-lowering medications that cause weight loss, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), are additionally utilized or are under consideration for use as anti-obesity drugs, the frontier between glucose-lowering medication and weight loss drugs appears to be shifting. This review provides an overview of the literature on the underlying mechanisms of obesity and diabetes and the prospect of TCM in their management. We discuss the various TCM interventions, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary therapy, and their effects on metabolic health. We also highlight the potential of TCM in regulating gut microbiota, reducing inflammation, and improving insulin sensitivity. The findings suggest that TCM may provide a promising approach to preventing and managing obesity and diabetes. However, further well-designed studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of TCM interventions and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms of action.
Plant-derived phytochemicals have been interested in as nutraceuticals for preventing the onset and progress of diabetes mellitus and its serious complications in recent years. Lam. is used in vegetables and in herbal medicine for its health-promoting properties against various diseases including diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to examine an effect of on diabetic hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia by meta-analyzing the current evidence of diabetic rodent models. Peer-reviewed studies written in English from two databases, PubMed and Embase, were searched to 30 April 2021. Studies reporting blood glucose or lipid levels in diabetic rodents with and without receiving extracts of were included. Forty-four studies enrolling 349 diabetic rodents treated with extracts of and 350 diabetic controls reported blood glucose levels. The pooled effect size was -3.92 (95% CI: -4.65 to -3.19) with a substantial heterogeneity. This effect was likely to be, at least in part, modified by the type of diabetic models. Moreover, diabetic hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia were also significantly improved in diabetic rodent models treated with .
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Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)[Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US), National Center for Biotechnology Information; [1988] – [cited 2018 Apr 5]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
