“Evening Primrose oil?”Here!
Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.
As a supplement
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.
An oil pressed from the seeds of the evening primrose plant, notable for its content of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid.
Why it’s used
Taken for claims related to skin conditions such as eczema, premenstrual symptoms, and menopausal hot flashes.
What the evidence says
Per NIH NCCIH, rigorous clinical trials of evening primrose oil for eczema, PMS, and menopausal symptoms have generally found no meaningful benefit over placebo, despite its long history of traditional use for these purposes.
Dose studied
2–4 g — common daily doses used in trials for skin and premenstrual symptom outcomes.
Context
Trials in this area have commonly used oil supplying roughly 2 to 4 grams of GLA-containing oil per day over several weeks to months, without consistent benefit being demonstrated.
Rumors
Evening primrose oil supplements reduce PMS pain and menopause symptoms.
Unresolvedhealth and safety evidence
Studied in: women with PMS or menopausal hot flashes.
Measured as an outcome.
- Evening Primrose Oil (Regulatory) · Funding not checked
- Is evening primrose oil of value in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome? (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
- Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) Oil in Management of Female Ailments (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked · No conflicts declared
Who’s saying this
- draxe.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Taking evening primrose oil treats eczema, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis.
Does not support — establishedhealth and safety evidence
Studied in: people with atopic eczema/dermatitis.
Measured as an outcome.
- Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
- Evening Primrose Oil (Regulatory) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- draxe.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Evening primrose oil has hormone-mimicking effects and is unsafe for people with hormone-sensitive cancers.
Sources cited — check not cleared.
Studied in: patients with hormone-sensitive cancers.
What was measured is not yet noted.
- Evening Primrose Oil (Database) · Funding not checked
- Evening Primrose Oil Enhances Tamoxifen’s Anticancer Activity against Breast Cancer Cells by Inducing Apoptosis, Inhibiting Angiogenesis, and Arresting the Cell Cycle (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- draxe.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Evening primrose oil relieves breast pain and premenstrual (PMS) discomfort.
Does not support — establishedhealth and safety evidence
Studied in: women with mastalgia/breast pain (reproductive-age women).
Measured as an outcome.
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Evening Primrose Oil for Mastalgia Treatment (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not clearly stated · No conflicts declared
- Evening Primrose Oil (Regulatory) · Funding not checked
- Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) Oil in Management of Female Ailments (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked · No conflicts declared
Who’s saying this
- Pink Lotus — a brand: sells women's health and breast cancer products; runs a breast health and cancer center
How we know who this is
- “Pink Lotus ~ Your #1 Destination for Breast Cancer Your #1 Breast Cancer Resource, Community and Destination North America United States Canada Europe English Français Deutsch Español Italiano Oceania & Pacific Australia New Zealand Singapore Other Asia Pacific POWER UP Empowerment through community, events, podcasts, blogs, recipes, crowdfunding & more.” (their page)
- “ELEMENTS STORE A wide selection of unique, functional and top rated women’s health and breast cancer products.” (their page)
Evening primrose oil can increase the risk of seizures.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- draxe.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it