Buying borage oil - What you should know

Borage oil has the highest gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) content of all plants. The body uses this essential fatty acid to make prostaglandins. These are important for vitality, health and beauty. Borage oil is recommended for beautiful skin and hair, for PMS, menopausal symptoms, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, dry skin and itching.

Borage oil comes from the seeds of the borage plant (Borago officinalis). This plant is also commonly called the cucumber herb, comfort flower, heart joy or blue sky star.

Borage belongs to the borage family. The medicinal and aromatic plant, up to 70 centimetres high, originally comes from the warm regions of the Mediterranean.

Today it is grown in many European countries and in North America, occasionally as an ornamental plant. Borage blooms from May to September. First, the flowers are pink, then the colour changes to bright blue.

Borage oil contains high-quality ingredients, in particular around 20 percent of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). This is one of the vital, essential fatty acids that the body can't produce itself.

What is borage oil?

• High-quality borage oil is made from the seeds of the borage plant through cold pressing.
• As a dietary supplement, borage oil outperforms evening primrose oil, which only contains around 9 percent of gamma-linolenic acid, in terms of the proportion of essential GLS fatty acids necessary for human health. Borage oil therefore has the highest content of valuable fatty acids in the plant world.
• In contrast to the essential omega 3 fatty acids, borage oil is one of the omega 6 fatty acids due to its chemical composition.

Borage oil effect

The gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) contained in borage oil is a precursor for various hormone-like substances - the prostaglandins. These are substances that are formed locally when required, act exactly there and then disintegrate again.

There are currently over 30 different prostaglandins. These affect various body functions such as the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, blood clotting, the immune system, the cholesterol level, the health of the skin and joints, the woman's cycle, the kidney function and the function of the gastrointestinal tract.

In addition to this, it ensures healthy skin with an improved protective and barrier function as well as an increased ability to bind moisture.

Borage oil is recommended for

• Rough, itchy and dry skin
• Acne, eczema or atopic dermatitis
• Burns to the skin
• Menopausal symptoms
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Inflammation, e.g. the joints
• Rheumatism
• Problems with the blood flow properties

In which foods do the omega 6 fatty acids, as in borage oil, occur?

Since the human organism can't produce the polyunsaturated fatty acids itself, they have to be taken with food to avoid any deficiency symptoms.

However, the gamma-linolenic acid contained in borage oil is rarely found in food. Small amounts can be found in animal products such as fish, meat and eggs. In the vegetable sector, barley, oats, nuts and seeds are also suppliers of gamma-linolenic acid.

How does a deficiency in gamma-linolenic acid manifest itself?

If unsaturated fatty acids are not regularly available to the body in sufficient quantities, this can lead to a premature ageing process and/or skin dehydration.

Borage oil intake and application

Anyone who consumes borage oil as a dietary supplement should stick to the recommended dosage. Special rules apply to people who take medication and to pregnant or breastfeeding women. In these cases, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

For whom is gamma-linolenic acid from borage oil particularly important?

The nutritionally important omega 6 fatty acids from borage oil can be particularly beneficial in the following life phases or situations:

• with certain skin diseases, including neurodermatitis
• with a predisposition to allergies
• in growth times
• in the case of inflammatory reactions or infections
• in menopause

What experts say about borage oil:

• Borage oil can help with atopic eczema

  Supplementing the diet with borage oil can be important for people with neurodermatitis. Due to the better supply of gamma-linolenic acid, itching can be reduced and the moisture content of the skin is regulated. In this way, eczematic changes in the skin can also be reduced.

• Borage oil can provide relief from rheumatoid arthritis

  Various studies have come to the conclusion that taking borage oil for several weeks can alleviate the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

• Borage oil ensures healthy skin

  If there is a deficiency in gamma-linolenic acid, the skin is no longer able to store sufficient moisture. The result can be that the skin becomes sensitive to irritation and wrinkled, dries out and itches. Taking borage oil as a dietary supplement can promote the elasticity and softness of the skin. The formation of new cells can also be stimulated.

• Borage oil side effects and interactions

  There are no known side effects or interactions with the natural product borage.