By: Vaishnavi Raju | Date: September 10, 2020

Evening Primrose Oil: Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects And Limitations

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Have you always believed that getting pregnant is as easy as having sex without protection? Well, not always.
For many women, the path to pregnancy is a challenging journey. It involves preparing their body with medical treatments, lifestyle changes, and nutritional supplements. In recent times, many have hailed Evening Primrose oil as a wonder supplement. Its anti-inflammatory properties are believed to treat PCOS and infertility.

But does Evening Primrose oil really boost fertility? And how should you take it? Read on to find out about Primrose Oil and fertility.

What Is Evening Primrose Oil?

Primrose oil or Evening Primrose Oil is a natural plant-based supplement. It comes from a night-blooming plant named Oenothera Biennis, famous for its vibrant yellow flowers. The plant is native to North America. It also grows in Europe and parts of the Southern hemisphere.
Native Americans used the whole plant for bruises, its leaves for minor wounds and its roots for hemorrhoids.
Today, Primrose oil is extracted from the seeds of the plant. We usually consume it in a capsule form.

How Does Primrose Oil Work?

Primrose oil is a powerhouse of Omega-6 fatty acids and Vitamin E. But its real claim to fame is its high concentration of polyunsaturated acids – gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) (8- 10 %) and linolenic acid (70 – 75 %) which gets converted into GLA in your body. [1] In fact, Primrose Oil is one of the richest plant sources of GLA

This GLA is the precursor to creating prostaglandins – chemicals similar to hormones. [2]

Evening Primrose Oil And Fertility

A key benefit of Primrose Oil is that it may increase the quality of cervical mucus. But how does cervical mucus contribute to fertility? Let’s understand

What Is Cervical Mucus?

Cervical mucus is the fluid secreted by your cervix. Its purpose is to help the sperm travel through the uterus, into the fallopian tube, and to the egg for fertilization. Sometimes women do not produce enough cervical mucus, or her cervical mucus is too thick. This hinders conception as the sperm do not have a fertile environment to transport themselves. [3]

How Does Primrose Oil Help?

A slippery cervical mucus needs fatty acids and Primrose Oil with its high levels of GLA helps improve the quality and quantity of cervical mucus. It is believed that fertile cervical mucus keeps sperm alive beyond ovulation days, thus increasing the chances of getting pregnant.

While research has yet to prove this, many medical practitioners recommend Primrose Oil for improving the quality of cervical mucus due to the presence of fatty acids.

Evening Primrose Oil Benefits

If you are looking to add primrose oil supplements to your daily regime, here are some more benefits for you

Relieves PMS Symptoms

Evening primrose oil helps relieve Mastalgia or breast pain including pain associated with PMS[4]

Relieves Menopause Symptoms

Evening primrose oil is a popular treatment among menopausal women as it may help ease hot flashes caused by Menopause[4]

Gestational Diabetes

Women with gestational diabetes can benefit from the antioxidant properties of evening primrose oil. [4]

Preeclampsia

Evening primrose oil is suitable for pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnant women) without any adverse effects. [4]

For Dilation During Labour

Using intra-vaginal evening primrose oil has cervical ripening effects in women and can be used before hysteroscopy or childbirth. [4]

Nerve Damage Caused By Diabetes

Research shows that taking evening primrose oil improves symptoms of nerve damage caused by diabetes.

Eczema, Acne and Other Skin Conditions

Primrose has been used for eczema, acne, psoriasis, and other skin conditions.

Osteoporosis

Primrose oil with fish oil and calcium seems to decrease bone loss and increase bone density in elderly women with osteoporosis. [6]

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Evening primrose oil has been shown to show mild improvement in including rheumatoid arthritis. [7]

Reduces Inflammation in eyes

Primrose Oil reduces the inflammatory reaction It eases eye problems such as burning, dryness, and light sensitivity [1]

What is PCOS?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome also called PCOS is a very common hormonal imbalance. Women with PCOS produce high levels of Androgen and Testosterone – the male hormones and not enough female hormones. This imbalance results in many physical symptoms such as
– Acne
– Excessive hair loss from the head
– Hair on the face and body
– Weight gain

The most common symptom of PCOS is that the ovaries do not regularly release eggs. This means delayed periods, irregular periods and for some women it means they stop having their periods. This makes it difficult for women to conceive. [8]

Primrose Oil and PCOS

There is no definite cure for PCOS, but there are many ways to manage and decrease the symptoms. [8]

There is no scientific study, but anecdotal evidence shows that Primrose Oil can treat PCOS. The Omega-6 fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) present in Primrose oil helps restore the hormonal balance, missing in PCOS

Evening Primrose Oil Dosage Recommendations

There is no fixed dosage for Primrose oil and the dosage can vary based on the recommendations by the doctor. Also, studies show that evening primrose is are safe for most people to take a short term of 6 months or less. The safety of long-term use hasn’t been determined[9]

How To Use Primrose Oil?

Capsules –

Evening primrose oil capsules can be consumed orally or inserted into the vagina to thin and soften the cervix during the last weeks of pregnancy [10]

Topical Oil –

The topical form of primrose oil can be applied directly to their blemishes or mix it in with a moisturizer

Word of caution:

“Always do a patch test before applying any oils on your skin”.

When using Primrose oil for fertility, many women are known to take a daily capsule of between 1500mg to 3000mg for 14 days – starting from the last day of the period until the day of ovulation.

Limitations Of Primrose Oil

● Pregnant women may avoid Primrose oil as it may cause delivery complications [10]

● Primrose oil may lower blood pressure and increase bleeding. It is recommended that you don’t take it if you take medications that lower blood pressure or blood thinners. [11]

● This means that if you are going to have surgery, you should stop taking primrose oil at least 2 weeks before to avoid excessive bleeding.

● People with schizophrenia epilepsy, or other seizure related conditions are also advised to avoid taking primrose oil as it may cause a seizure[11]

Evening Primrose Oil Side Effects

The side effects of primrose oil are usually mild and may include [11]

▪ Upset Stomach
▪ Stomach Pain
▪ Bloating
▪ Nausea
▪ Flatulence
▪ Headache
▪ Soft Stools

Very rarely, Evening primrose oil may cause an allergic reaction which may cause

▪ Inflammation of the hands and feet and rash
▪ Difficulty breathing

Bottom line

The scientific research on the benefits and uses of Primrose oil limited but many women around the world recommend Primrose oil. It has been hailed as the ‘wonder supplement’ that has helped many women, struggling with PCOS and fertility.

While we may not yet know the true potential of this oil, we know that primrose oil’s GLA is anti-inflammatory and inflammation is to blame for many symptoms and ailment.Until the verdict is clear, we suggest that you reach out for your favorite bottle of primrose oil after consultation with your doctor.