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Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use in Rheumatic Disease
Published in Jason Liebowitz, Philip Seo, David Hellmann, Michael Zeide, Clinical Innovation in Rheumatology, 2023
Gamma-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid found in plant seed oils, including borage, black currant seed, and evening primrose. It is metabolized to dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, which is the immediate precursor of prostaglandin E1, with potential for autoinflammatory and immunoregulatory properties.61
Macronutrients
Published in Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy, Food and Lifestyle in Health and Disease, 2022
Chuong Pham-Huy, Bruno Pham Huy
The major natural source of omega-6 fatty acids is vegetable oils such palm, rapeseed, soybean, and sunflower oils which are richer in omega-6 linoleic acid (LA) than in omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) (73, 92–94). Other sources of omega-6s include soybeans, corn, cereals, poultry, eggs, nuts, whole bread, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and cashews. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is found in several plant-based oils, including evening primrose oil, borage oil, and black currant seed oil. The average diet provides plenty of omega-6 acids, so supplements are usually not necessary, contrary to EPA and DHA omega-3 acids (73, 92). People with ailments such as eczema, psoriasis, arthritis, diabetes, breast cancer, and mastalgia may have to ask their doctors before taking omega-6 supplements (92).
Prelude: Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries
Published in John K. Crellin, A Social History of Medicines in the Twentieth Century, 2020
That cod-liver oil's local and international medicinal/health food reputation was stronger than, say, that of spruce beer reflected a much broader base of explanations through which it was validated by the public. Perhaps, too, effectiveness was an issue. Another milestone in the cod-liver oil story is discovery of the presence of gamma linolenic acid in the last years of the twentieth century, along with clinical trials validating the value of the oil for rheumatoid arthritis.82 This is a far cry from the pre-1950s, when cod-liver oil was, in part, validated by the widespread belief that weakness was a fundamental medical problem, as discussed in the next chapter.
Efficacy of vitamin and antioxidant supplements for treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2023
Jinghong Huo, Yanzhong Xue, Xiaoying Dong, Jinming Lv, Lingyu Wu, Hua Gao, Xiuqin Yang, Huanhuan Liu, Qinghan Gao
Specific vitamin and antioxidant supplements have different effects in DPN patients. Gamma-linolenic acid is beneficial for neurophysiological parameters, and clinical sensory symptoms in patients [33]. Two trials including 133 participants suggested γ-linolenic acid positively affects MNCV of the median nerve and peroneal nerve. Our findings are similar to those of previous randomized controlled trials. CoQ10 as an antioxidant can reduce oxidative stress and benefit the treatment of chronic diseases, particularly neurodegenerative diseases [34]. A systematic review showed that CoQ10 supplementation increased SOD and CAT, and decreased MDA levels among patients with coronary artery disease [35]. Our studies showed that CoQ10 might have beneficial effects on the MNCV of the peroneal nerve in patients with DPN. A systematic review showed that ALC appears to be effective in improving electromyographic parameters in patients with DPN [36]. ALC has been proposed for treating other neurological and psychiatric diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other mood disorders [37–39]. Our studies suggested that acetyl-l-carnitine (200 mg/d) might have beneficial effects on the MNCV of the peroneal nerve in patients with DPN.
The effect of evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis) on the level of adiponectin and some biochemical parameters in rats with fructose induced metabolic syndrome
Published in Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, 2022
Handan Mert, Kıvanç İrak, Salih Çibuk, Serkan Yıldırım, Nihat Mert
Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) is a wild medicinal plant, and the oil extracted from its seed is very rich in gamma-linolenic acid. It is traditionally used in the treatment of some diseases in different parts of the world. Recently, oils containing γ-linolenic acid (GLA), such as primrose oil, have become increasingly popular and are sold as capsule supplements. GLA, an 18-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid of the omega 6 series, is a metabolite of linoleic acid and prostaglandin E1 and 15-OH dihomo gamma-linolenic acid is synthesised from GLA (Taweechaisupapong et al.2005). Prostaglandin E1 is known as an anti-inflammatory agent. There are studies reporting that evening primrose oil positively changes the lipid profile (Singer et al.1986, Villalobos et al.1998, Abo-Gresha et al.2014). Again, cytokine levels have been shown to decrease in rats fed with a diet containing GLA, and thus GLA can modulate some serum cytokine levels such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which may be a valuable treatment line in some human diseases (Dirks et al.1998). It is also reported that evening primrose oil reduces oxidative stress (de La Cruz et al.1999, El-Sayed et al.2014).
Efficacy and Safety of Nutraceutical on Menopausal Symptoms in Post-Menopausal Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Published in Journal of Dietary Supplements, 2022
Teerapong Rattanatantikul, Mart Maiprasert, Pansak Sugkraroek, Akkarach Bumrungpert
Evening primrose oil contains a high content of essential fatty acids, gamma-linolenic acid. In a recent double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, it was reported that supplementation with evening primrose oil significantly reduced the severity of hot flushes in menopausal women with additional improvements in quality-of-life indicators of social and sexual activity (Farzaneh et al. 2013). For premenstrual syndrome, there is some evidence that gamma-linolenic acid can regulate the severity of symptoms. This was demonstrated in one trial of an essential oil extract containing gamma linolenic acids in 120 PMS sufferers, aged in their 30’s. After 6 months of daily consumption, an approximately threefold reduction in self-reported indices of symptom severity was observed during both the follicular and luteal phases (Beer et al. 2013). The anti-inflammatory properties of gamma-linolenic acid are useful in supporting menopause symptoms, to help alleviate symptoms associated with vasomotor function and neurological stress responses. Gamma-linolenic acid is further broken down to form prostaglandins, which can mediate vascular inflammatory responses to enable control of vasomotor symptoms (Rocha Filho et al. 2011).