For some time now, more and more women have been learning about the benefits of evening primrose oil, a translucent golden liquid obtained by pressing the seeds of a plant also known as primrose. This plant is native to England and North America, and belongs to the family of the Oenotherae family of onagers.
Different studies have shown that the use of evening primrose oil is extremely interesting for treating certain disorders and diseases related to women’s health, hence it is commonly and popularly considered as the woman’s plant.
What is evening primrose oil?
Although today it stands out for being an extremely popular and well-known oil, the truth is that it was not until a few years ago that it began to be used for its different qualities and properties, especially for women’s health.
Basically it consists of an oil that is extracted from the cold extrusion of the seeds that we find in the flowers of the evening primrose, a plant known scientifically as Oenathera biennis, originally from North America and that today we can also find in other continents such as Asia and Europe.
It is an oil that is particularly rich – from a nutritional point of view – in polyunsaturated essential oils, with the presence of omega 6 being particularly noteworthy. It also provides oleic, aspartic, palmitic and stearic acid.
The most important properties of evening primrose oil for women’s health
Relieves symptoms of menopause
Menopause is a time when a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs and her body produces fewer hormones (mainly estrogen and progesterone). As a consequence of these hormonal changes, a series of typical symptoms tend to appear, such as: water retention, dryness of the mucous membranes, hot flushes, irritability and bad moods?)
Evening primrose oil is very useful for relieving the symptoms of menopause, because it is rich in phytoestrogens which act naturally in the body of women by calming the discomfort caused by menopause.
Useful for Premenstrual Syndrome
PMS is the name given to the various physical and emotional changes that occur before menstruation, and which usually tend to disappear with it. In other words, it basically consists of the set of both physical and emotional symptoms that appear in a woman before the arrival of menstruation and that finally disappear with it.
In this sense, evening primrose oil can be useful to calm the symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome, such as irritation, migraines, pain and swelling, thanks to its richness in prostaglandins and its anti-inflammatory action. In other words, it is suitable for relieving both physical symptoms and emotional discomfort.
To regulate menstruation and ease your pain
When evening primrose oil is consumed regularly it becomes a very interesting natural traditional remedy when there is irregular menstruation, as it helps to regulate it naturally. On the other hand, as we indicated in the previous section, it is also useful to relieve the pain caused by menstruation.
However, it is not recommended during pregnancy because it can cause uterine contractions.
Reduces high cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Whether it is high cholesterol or triglycerides, especially when the increase in blood fats is mainly related to menopause, evening primrose oil is useful for reducing high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It is a natural option for reducing the progression of arteriosclerosis.
Very useful in case of high blood pressure
In the case of high blood pressure, evening primrose oil is traditionally used for its vasodilatory action, preventing not only the formation of thrombi or clots by preventing the aggregation or adhesion of platelets that form them, but also being useful in reducing high blood pressure. However, due to this quality, its consumption is not recommended in case of coagulation disorders or problems.
Your beauty benefits: hair, skin and nails
Although evening primrose oil is most commonly associated with menopause and menstruation, did you know that when consumed internally on a regular basis it becomes an extremely interesting traditional remedy for enjoying a much more natural beauty? Its most important benefits in this sense are the following:
For hair: it helps reduce the presence of dandruff on the scalp. For the skin: it helps to improve acne, reducing the presence of those annoying pimples. It also prevents skin aging and moisturizes the skin. For the nails: it becomes an excellent natural option in case of brittle nails.
How to take evening primrose oil to enjoy its benefits
Although its dose depends on each patient and it should always be the nutritionist or doctor who recommends the appropriate dose according to each case, it is generally presented in the form of capsules or pearls with 500 or 1000 mg. of evening primrose oil.
The most common is to take 1 pearl of evening primrose oil with meals, which makes a maximum of 3 capsules per day.
This article is published for information purposes only. It cannot and should not substitute for consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist.