Starflower Info
You may have heard of Evening Primrose oil (EPO) - and more people have - but you may not have heard of Starflower oil.
Starflower oil is a better, more concentrated, source of GLA (gamma-linolenic acid), which is the active ingredient in both.
Starflower contains up to 24% GLA, whereas EPO contains only up to 9% GLA. Starflower is therefore nearly three times more effective than EPO.
What is GLA?
GLA is the compound produced in the body's first biochemical step in transforming the main essential fatty acid (EFA) into the PG1 family of prostaglandins.
Confused?
I know, there's an awful lot of confusing words, names, chemicals, and different things going on here! So just bear with me, and I will try to explain it all to you!!
What are essential fatty acids (EFAs)?
Essential fatty acids are certain types of fats that you must have in your diet. The body needs them for essential body functions, and they cannot be manufactured in the body - they must come from the diet.
There are two main types - divided into Omega-3 and Omega-6 - so named because of their chemical structures.
GLA is an Omega-6 type essential fatty acid.
What do essential fatty acids do?
Essential fatty acids play many important roles in the body. For example, the brain is 60% fat, one-third of which has to come from EFA (1).
EFAs are involved in many body functions, including the following (2):
- energy production
- oxygen transfer
- cell membrane components
- recovery from fatigue
- prostaglandin production - involved in many important body functions, including regulating the cardiovascular system and inflammation
- growth
- cell division
- and many others
Whilst the Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs have slightly different functions, they work very closely together, and are often taken together as supplements. However, some people only need Omega-6 or GLA.
What does GLA do?
Studies have shown that GLA may (2):
- lower blood pressure, cholesterol and the risk of stroke and heart disease
- normalise fat metabolism in diabetes and reduce the amount of insulin needed by diabetics
- cause weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate - GLA has been shown to be effective at reactivating brown fat and increasing thermogenesis (3), and can help to control appetite (4)
- relieve PMS (pre-mentsrual syndrome), breast tenderness or pain - GLA can lead to improvement in as many as 90% of sufferers when combined with vitamins and minerals
- prevent arthritis
- improve the condition of the hair, nails and skin
- improve eczema
- slow down or stop deterioration in MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
- kill cancer cells in tissue culture
So how do you know if you might be lacking in GLA?
Signs of GLA deficiency
If your body is lacking in GLA, you may experience the following (2): dry skin, eczema, dry hair / dandruff, excessive thirst, excessive sweating, PMS or breast pain, water retention.
Read HealthNotes
Borage oil is derived from the seeds of the borage (Borago officinalis) plant, a large plant with blue, star-shaped flowers found throughout Europe and North Africa and naturalized to North America.1 Borage oil, evening primrose oil, and black currant seed oil contain gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a fatty acid that the body converts to a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). PGE1 has anti-inflammatory properties and may also act as a blood thinner and blood vessel dilator...
What it says on Wikipedia ...
Borage, also known as starflower is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of 60–100 cm (2.0–3.3 ft), and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are alternate, simple, and 5–15 cm (2.0–5.9 in) long. The flowers are complete, perfect with five narrow, triangular-pointed petals...