Evening Primrose
Evening Primrose LATIN NAME: Oenothera biennis
FAMILY NAME: Onagraceae
During a recent trip to Costa Rica, I overheard two women, both pharmacists, discussing the effectiveness of evening primrose oil for premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
One said she faithfully took one capsule of evening primrose oil (EPO) daily for about two weeks every month and then upped the dosage to four capsules daily a week before menstruation. She stayed on the quadruple dose until her period was over. Her herbal regimen worked so well that she'd passed it along to five female co-workers.
"We've been working together so long that our periods are almost synchronized," she said. "I hate to imagine what would happen without evening primrose oil. Think of all of us with PMS at the same time each month!"
Women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome endure varying degrees of monthly misery. They report such symptoms as water retention, breast soreness, cramping, diarrhea, irritability, chronic headaches, and tension.
Up to 50 percent of menstruating women experience some symptoms of PMS, sometimes severe enough to be temporarily debilitating. Experts think the cause is linked to hormonal fluctuations and the body's inability to properly metabolize fatty acids.
As a botanist who's done a lot of research on evening primrose, I'm convinced it's an effective, natural premenstrual syndrome reliever. At my lectures, I frequently encourage women to try it, and I've shown many of them--including my own daughter--how to gather and chew evening primrose seeds just as Native American women once did.
Doctors in Great Britain, where evening primrose is approved for treating PMS and other health conditions, agree with me. There, the firm Scotia Pharmaceuticals has invested $80 million in researching evening primrose.
But here in the United States, a surprising number of women still don't know that this highly effective herbal remedy is within reach, even though it's readily available in health food stores. I blame the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which prohibits labeling evening primrose as a natural PMS helper because it's still not an approved remedy in this country.
Instead of discounting British research studies supporting evening primrose, the FDA should take steps to recognize what many herb experts already know: Evening primrose works, and it's at least as safe as coffee.
In the meantime, I'm doing my part to get the word out. Even if you're not a PMS sufferer, evening primrose can be helpful for conditions that affect men and women alike. It's rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a substance useful in treating a number of conditions including endometriosis, autoimmune disorders, benign prostatic hypertrophy, eczema, diabetes, and migraines.
| DR. DUKE'S NOTES Back as far as the 1960s, we grew more than 1,000 acres of evening primrose here in the United States, primarily in Oregon and North Carolina. Most of the seeds were exported to Europe, where the oil was extracted, encapsulated, and shipped back to the United States for domestic consumption. The patriot in me thinks it would be better to extract the oils here at home. I sure hate to see another native herb get more respect in Europe than in the good ol' USA. |
What Evening Primrose Is and What It Can Do
Sweet-smelling evening primrose is no relation to the primrose that bedecks your border garden. That garden primrose hails from the Primula family, a different botanical clan altogether. The herb variety is a biennial plant that grows from three to nine feet tall. It sometimes has woody stems. Its willow-shaped leaves may taste a bit peppery, and the root much more so. At twilight between June and October, the evening primrose unfolds its lovely lemon-colored (but short-lived) flowers, whose scintillating sweetness encourages pollination. By dawn, the blossoms start wilting, and new ones flower toward the following dusk.
This night bloomer is a native to North America, growing in meadows, fields, and along roadsides. Evening primrose flourishes in virtually all 48 states, maybe all 50. While it is generally considered a weed in the United States, evening primrose is planted as an ornamental flower in Europe.
Evening primrose oil is extracted from the seeds of the plant. Both the seeds and oil contain gamma-linolenic acid, but most people take this herb as an oil, generally in capsule form.
I place a lot of stock in the British research supporting evening primrose, but not everyone does. While I have great respect for the German Commission E (a panel of experts roughly equivalent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., Sc.D., professor emeritus of pharmacognosy at Purdue University, neither ranks evening primrose or its cousins, borage and black currant, as highly as I do. Nor, sadly, does the FDA. I consider it the drug of choice for PMS.
How Evening Primrose Can Help
Evening primrose can ease a variety of conditions, especially those resulting from an imbalance of essential fatty acids, inflammation of the skin, or an immune deficiency.
Alcoholism. Studies suggest that EPO can help recovering alcoholics cope with withdrawal symptoms experienced during the first three weeks they stop drinking. Patients who take EPO may require fewer tranquilizers, and their livers may begin proper functioning more quickly. Research also shows, however, that the oil has no effect on preventing relapse.
Arteriosclerosis. When cholesterol, lipid, and calcium deposits line the arteries, causing them to harden, arteriosclerosis is the dangerous result. When combined with a low-cholesterol diet, EPO shows promise in reducing the risk of arteriosclerosis, probably because it contains anticlotting compounds.
Asthma. This disease causes wheezing and tightness in the bronchial airways. It's often triggered by an allergic reaction. People with asthma can breathe easier thanks to evening primrose leaves. They contain quercetin, a good remedy for asthma and hay fever sufferers alike.
Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Evening primrose works for men as well as women. When the prostate gland becomes inflamed and grows larger in aging men, it can cause numerous side effects including urinary difficulties and impotence. This condition, BPH, is also called noncancerous prostate enlargement. Research indicates that 50 percent of men have some degree of prostate enlargement by age 50. Further, at least 90 percent of all men 70 to 90 years old, by some estimates, must contend with BPH and its symptoms. Thirty zpercent of them undergo surgery. Doctors take matters of the prostate very seriously because prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death in men of all ages.
I bet my own prostate that herbs work better than prescribed medications or surgery to control prostate growth. (I really did. See chapter 14.) Science is showing I might be right. EPO was reported in the Journal of Urology to help prevent prostate problems because it acts as a powerful 5-alpha-reductase type II inhibitor, which helps reduce enlarged prostates. For my part, I'll continue taking EPO and saw palmetto to maintain my good prostate health. I'll also keep on adding the gritty, ground-up evening primrose seeds to my cornbread recipe as I've done for the last 15 years, off and on.
Depression. Tryptophan, a chemical compound found in evening primrose seed, may help to alleviate depression, perhaps as well as--and surely as safely as--the synthetic alternatives, including Prozac. Tryptophan is a precursor of brain serotonin, known for its mood-boosting effects.
Evening primroses are happy flowers. Just cultivating them tends to reduce stress and lift your spirits, and spending time outdoors in the sunshine also does wonders for your mental well-being.
Diabetes. People with diabetes may experience a condition called diabetic neuropathy, which can cause loss of feeling in their extremities. Naturopaths often prescribe evening primrose oil because it's rich in tryptophan, which helps stimulate the central nervous system. Much of EPO's tryptophan is lost during the oil-extraction process, though, so I'd recommend powdered seeds instead.
Eczema. Skin-soothing evening primrose oil is approved in the United Kingdom to treat eczema, a skin condition that causes inflammation, redness, itchiness, burning, and scabbing. Studies on laboratory animals have shown that the seed oil can reduce swelling. Research shows the oil's GLA can be effective when applied to other skin irritations such as dermatitis. I wouldn't hesitate to put a little EPO on a bug bite or rash, either.
For eczema, take the herb orally. borage and black currant are also chock-full of GLA. They're available in capsule form and should be taken as directed by the manufacturer's instructions.
| HERB LORE AND MORE The evening primrose has a rich history as a folklore remedy amongst Native Americans. Dr. Daniel Moerman, Ph.D., a highly respected authority on the subject, says that Cherokee tribes often applied the hot root onto hemorrhoids and drank the tea to counteract obesity, which he terms "overfatness." Today, evening primrose oil is still occasionally used as a folk remedy for the same purpose. Iroquois tribes are said to have used evening primrose as a dermatological salve for boils and skin eruptions, and naturopaths still prescribe the herbal oil to treat a variety of skin irritations. |
Endometriosis. When the membrane that lines the uterus becomes inflamed, low back and abdominal pain, constipation, and vaginal discharge may occur. The natural remedies guides I respect the most mention EPO as a treatment for this condition. One clinical trial shows that 90 percent of women treated with gamma-linolenic acid experienced improvement. While it's true that EPO's compounds promote good health in women, I still think of evening primrose oil more as an herbal medicine to address PMS than for treating endometriosis because there is much more research to support it.
High blood pressure. When blood pressure is higher than normal, the heart's workload is increased. My colleague David Horrobin, Ph.D., editor of the British journal Medical Hypotheses, who has written extensively about the nutritional and medical importance of GLA, reports that it is effective in lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure.
High cholesterol. Elevated blood cholesterol levels can increase your risk for heart disease. The GLA in evening primrose is reported to lower cholesterol levels. If I had high cholesterol, I'd eat a low-fat diet, quit smoking, and add EPO to my heart-healthy regimen.
HIV. The life expectancy of HIV patients more than doubled when GLA and omega-3 fatty acids were included in their diets, according to studies done by researchers in Tanzania. Both GLA and omega-3 fatty acids are essential to maintaining cell structure membranes and making hormonelike substances known as eicosanoids, which help regulate blood pressure, blood clot formation, blood lipids, and the immune response to injury and infection. The body can make all other fatty acids except for these two, which must come from the diet. After reviewing the medical literature, I wholeheartedly believe that GLA can be a potent treatment for autoimmune disorders, including HIV. If I had it, I'd take EPO for its GLA and add fish oil or flax seed oil (the vegetarian option) to my diet. Both are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. I'd take EPO for another autoimmune disorder, Sjögren's syndrome, too.
Multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system, causing nerve damage, vision problems, and muscle weakness. British herbalist David L. Hoffmann, Ph.D. author of The Herbal Handbook, recommends EPO for MS.
PMS. Discomforts such as irritability, bloating, breast soreness, and depression occur before and during menstruation in many women. Clinical studies show that the GLA found in evening primrose oil contains essential fatty acids that seem to alleviate symptoms. A good friend of mine, Steven Morris, N.D., a naturopathic physician who practices near Seattle, Washington, prescribes evening primrose for PMS to good effect.
Raynaud's disease. Raynaud's disease is a condition that causes a loss of blood flow to the fingers, toes, nose, or ears. The affected areas turn white from the lack of circulation, then blue and cold, and finally numb. When the attack subsides, the affected parts may turn red and may throb, tingle, or swell. Research on GLA suggests that it can help relieve these symptoms. In one study, researchers massaged EPO into the fingers of people with the disease, and about half improved. I can't give EPO all the credit, though. I suspect that the massage helped to stimulate circulation, too.
Rheumatoid arthritis. Patients with this condition complain of chronic inflammation, pain, and tightness in the muscles or joints. When given evening primrose oil in one clinical trial, patients showed significant improvement and experienced less pain and stiffness in the morning. If I had arthritis, I'd take EPO capsules and apply the evening primrose oil topically, too. I wouldn't hesitate to take it daily, either, since there's not much to fear from a food "farmaceutical" like this.
How to Take It and How Much
You can take evening primrose in two forms: as seeds, or preferably, as standardized EPO supplements. Both contain GLA.
Seeds. If you use the seeds of the evening primrose, grind them first with a mortar and pestle, which I do when making my cornbread. I suspect that unmashed seeds pass straight through the digestive system undigested, which means you may eliminate--quite literally--the health benefits.
In the autumn, I'll often pass a patch of evening primroses on one of my nature walks through my Green Farmacy Garden. Since I don't have my mortar and pestle handy, I'll just shake the seeds from the plant into my palm and chew the unmashed seeds for a quick GLA fix, using my molars as mortars and pestles.
Supplements. For most people, I recommend taking standardized evening primrose oil preparations with specified levels of GLA. You have to eat an awful lot of seeds to get the equivalent of a standardized supplement, and buying the herb in capsules, or in bottle form as an extract, at your health food store is a far more practical alternative. Suggested dosages are usually two 1,300-milligram capsules per day or up to four to eight grams of evening primrose oil daily.
| FROM MY SCIENCE NOTEBOOK Evening primrose is good for you in three ways. First, its oil (EPO) is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a fatty acid essential to human health. GLAs help make prostaglandins, compounds that perform such important bodily tasks as regulating brain function, blood flow, gastrointestinal activity, fluid balance, and fat decomposition. You'd have to search far and wide to find a better GLA source, as there are only a few other food sources that contain large quantities: borage, black currant, hemp seed oil, and mother's milk. Second, evening primrose leaves are our best source of the bioflavonoid quercetin. Bioflavonoids are not produced by the human body but are found in many leaves, bark, seeds, and flowers, and they're important to good health. They protect blood vessels, aid in circulation, stimulate bile production, and lower cholesterol levels. While evening primrose leaves are a good place to get your quercetin, they're not particularly tasty. If it's quercetin you're after, you might try mixing the young, tender, evening primrose leaves with onion, the second best source of quercetin, to make it more palatable. Better, perhaps, is a standardized supplement. The third major active ingredient in evening primrose is tryptophan, an amino acid. The evening primrose seed (though not the oil) is one of the better sources of tryptophan. Your body converts some of it into serotonin, a brain chemical, which acts as a natural mood enhancer and antidepressant. |
Useful Combinations
Taking evening primrose in conjunction with other herbs and foods can boost its healthful effects.
Borage and black currant oils. borage and black currant, like evening primose, are rich in GLA and effective when taken in combination. While neither has been researched as thoroughly as evening primrose, studies suggest both may be effective in treating a variety of health complaints. In one study done at the University of California, San Francisco, borage oil lowered blood pressure in rats with hypertension. One caution: Unlike evening primrose oil, borage, the herb, is not safe for long-term use and should not be taken by pregnant or lactating women. The borage plant contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
Pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Like evening primrose seeds, these contain tryptophan, which boosts serotonin levels in the brain and acts as an herbal mood enhancer. Try eating all three types together as a kind of happy trail mix. Since many people tend to eat more when they're feeling blue, it's good to know that nibbling on these seeds can also curb the appetite. It's a chain reaction: Tryptophan raises your serotonin levels, and they turn around and tell your satiety centers you're not hungry anymore.
Saw palmetto. If you--like me--are concerned about prostate health, take saw palmetto before you go with EPO. Saw palmetto has earned a rightful place in Duke's Dozen because it shows remarkable promise for keeping the prostate in good working order. (For more information on saw palmetto, see chapter 14.)
St. John's wort is another weapon in my herbal arsenal, covered in detail in chapter 13. Both St. John's wort and evening primrose calm skin irritations. To treat dermatitis, insect bites, or scabies (an itch caused by parasites under the skin), steep flowering shoots of St. John's wort for a few days in enough EPO to cover them, then dab the infused oil onto affected areas. If you don't have access to the fresh herb, you can use a tincture of St. John's wort.
The same herbal mixture may also provide relief for rheumatoid arthritis. Try smoothing it onto achy joints once a day.
Stinging nettle. Along with evening primrose, stinging nettle is rich in quercetin, a bioflavonoid important to good health. Noted author Andy Weil, M.D., says he watched a hay-fever-suffering naturopathic experimenter swallow capsules of freeze-dried stinging nettle at an alternative medicines lecture at Columbia University in New York City. Her hay fever symptoms dried up in no time. People plagued by seasonal pollen allergies have learned that stinging nettle lets them to do away with antihistamines, drugs with significant toxicity and, often, undesirable side effects. Its efficacy in treating hay fever symptoms has been confirmed in one controlled clinical trial.
Friends who visit my nettle patch every spring take the herb and eat the greens as a food farmaceutical approach to hay fever. I also recommend my Sniffler's Soup, made by adding a handful of evening primrose leaves, two handfuls of stinging nettle , and one large diced onion to a favorite soup recipe.
Caution: Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects
Research on evening primrose looks clean. Like most food farmaceuticals, it's generally safe and causes far fewer side effects than most of its pharmaceutical alternatives. Still, keep an eye out for the following.
Headaches. Some scientific findings have shown that headaches and even nausea can occur in some people who take EPO. I heard one report from a friend who said she got migraines if she took large dosages of evening primrose seed for her PMS. She's not sure, I'm not sure, and the jury's still out until definitive studies are done.
Pharmaceutical alert. Schizophrenic patients on phenothiazines (Thorazine) may experience mild breathing difficulties or even increased risk of epilepsy, according to some research studies on such patients who took EPO.
Pregnancy and lactation. EPO is generally given the go-ahead for breastfeeding mothers, since GLA is found in breast milk. However, it's probably smart to stay on the safe side if you are pregnant or lactating. Consult your physician.
