Great Skin For Summer With Evening Primrose Oil

TUESDAY, MAY 09, 2006

Studies have subsequently found that for certain individuals there is reduced conversion in the body of the common fatty acid linoleic acid to the essential fatty acid Gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a necessary nutrient for healthy skin. This lack of conversion may be due to a minor inherited abnormality of EFA metabolism.

One study from Sweden of children with eczema showed they had elevated levels of linoleic acid and very low levels of GLA, indicating a lack of conversion. It appeared that the greater the impairment of linoleic acid conversion, the greater the risk of eczema occurring.

Most trials since this have indicated that administration of GLA, found in high quantities in evening primrose oil, improves inflammatory skin conditions with the following symptoms – dryness, scaliness, redness, and weeping. The effectiveness of GLA also appears to be greater when only non-steroid emollients are used on the skin.

Diets deficient in essential fatty acids due to low intakes of unsaturated fats or fat malabsorption problems, also produce the same symptoms.