Evening primrose oil - PMS

Evening primrose oil (EPO), is a member of the willow herb family, whose yellow flowers open during the evening and resemble the primrose plant, hence its name.

Accidentally brought to Europe from North America in the 1600's, the plant quickly became known as 'King's cure all' because of the wide range of medicinal powers the herb offered.

EPO actually comes from the seeds of the plant, and contains a compound called gamma linoleic acid (GLA), which was discovered in the last century to have profound effects on cell generation and cholesterol levels.

Commonly taken to help allay the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), it can reduce irritability, depression, breast tenderness and abdominal swelling. It also appears to help eczema, psoriasis and some other skin disorders; this may be because GLA exerts important effects on prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), which modulates the action of many natural body hormones. It is for this reason that it may also help lower high serum cholesterol, blood pressure and certain kinds of arthritis.

EPO should not be used by anyone taking blood-thinning treatment like warfarin or aspirin, and should be avoided by people with temporal lobe epilepsy. It is also best avoided by pregnant mothers due to the effects on hormones.

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