Borage (Borago officinalis) was first found in Europe and North Africa, but nowadays it also grows in America. Its color is blue and its flowers look like star. One can derive an oil from its seeds which is very good for our health.
Borage oil contains gamma linolenic acid (GLA). GLA is a fatty acid that the body converts to prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) which then has got anti-inflammatory properties and can thin the blood. People who have rheumatoid arthritis can ease their problems with borage oil. It is advisable to use it (1.1-2.8 grams per day) for minimum three months. Further on, borage oil helps relieve hearts response to stress. People tend to feel more focused and can improve performance of their tasks after using supplements with it. It can also decrease high blood pressure. Borage oil has anti inflammatory properties. If one has got problems with lungs, this great oil can solve this. It will improve lung adherence to a treatment and will improve oxygenation of lungs. Borage oil proved great for curing skin problems such as eczema. It reduces symptoms like itching, dryness etc. Researches show that the regular usage of borage oil may ease even more serious skin inflammations, for example, it can treat cutaneous inflammatory skin disorders. Borage oil may also prevent cancer. Scientists proved that gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) from borage oil has beneficial effect on prostate cancer. It is proved that GLA can stop growing of tumor cells. Borage oil can also regulate cholesterol in blood that is it can lower the bad cholesterol (LDL). It is important for a person to have balanced diet too to lower the cholesterol. Borage oil is an excellent option since it is rich in both n-6 fatty acid and n-3 fatty acids which are important nutrience in human diet. The most important fatty acids from it are gamma-linolenic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.
With the patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, borage oil showed very mild side effects. Children and adults suffering from atopic eczema showed no side effects when using borage oil. Scientists found out that there are no side effects of borage oil in treatment of patients that have asthma whether they are young or elderly. However, some symptoms can occur when using borage oil. These are bloating, nausea, indigestion and headache in its lowest forms. Dietary gamma- linolenic acid from it may change platelet membrane functioning. Therefore, people who have blood-clotting, bleeding, low blood pressure and also pregnant women should avoid using borage oil supplements. The safest is to consult one’s physician before starting using borage oil supplements.
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