Primrose Oil

New Research confirms that the right fats can help loosen the joints of people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. A recently completed report on the therapeutic value of gamma - linolenic acid (GLA) confirms that this essential fatty acid might be an important addition to the diets of rheumatoid arthritis patients. An essential omega 6 fatty acid found in the seeds of plants such as borage and evening primrose, this quiet cousin to popular fish and flaxseed oils has yielded positive results in a number of studies, including rheumatoid arthritis, skin conditions such as eczema, diabetic neuropathy and coronary heart disease.

The review was completed by the medical research firm, Metaworks, Inc., Medford MA . Lead researcher Dr. Marya Zilberg reports that GLA is not only safe but also an effective natural therapy. In her review of close to 40 clinical papers on GLA, Zilberberg noted that it consistently reduces inflammation and joint stiffness without any of the serious side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs.

“GLA certainly appears to have a much more favorable side effect profile then any of the drugs on the market (for rheumatoid arthritis). You are not seeing any of the problems that those other drugs seem to cause.” Says Zilberberg.

Zilberberg found that GLA is particularly useful for reducing morning stiffness. “We saw about a 60-65 percent reduction in morning stiffness for these patients,” says Zilberberg. “In other words if you have two hours of morning stiffness, that goes down to about a half hour. It is an extremely striking difference.”

This is good news for rheumatoid arthritis patients who often see morning stiffness as the most debilitating effect of their disease.

“ If you were to ask a rheumatoid arthritis patient about morning stiffness you would find that it is an extremely important indicator of how their disease is doing.” Says Zilberberg.

Severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis can lead to weight loss and permanently disfigured joints. Other complications include night pain and dependence on non -steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and others. These drugs provide pain relief, but can cause side effects in thousands of patients who use them long-term. Common sude effects include abdominal pain, diarrhea, bloating, heart-burn and upset stomach. Close to 30 percent of patients on long-term NSAID treatment developed ulcers of the stomach. Studies show that GLA also provides an anti-ulcer effect by protecting the stomach lining from gastric acid.

Observations published in the Annals of Rheumatoid Disease indicate that patients can reduce their dependence on NSAIDs by adding GLA to their treatment regimens. Treatment with evening primrose oil leads to production of the 1 series of prostaglandins such as PGE1, which have less inflammatory effects. Also production of various proinflammatory leuko-trienes is inhibited. In this study, 16 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were given 540 mg GLA per day and 18 patients an inert oil (placebo). The aim of this study was to determine if evening primrose oil could replace NSAID treatment in rheumatoid arthritis. Results at 12 months showed a significant subjective improvement. In addition, by 12 months the patients receiving evening primrose “had significantly reduced their NSAIDs.”

Dr. Ronald Lawrence, an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angeles, is currently working to find a safe treatment for degenerative arthritis. He has begun to use GLA on some of his arthritis patients. “My patients say they move freer and easier and seem to be more relaxed, sort of lubricated if you will. That's nice to hear because stiffness is a big problem with all types of arthritis, but particularly with rheumatoid arthritis.”

IN ADDITION TO AIDING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS…
Dr. J.P. Polsson of the University de Bourgogne in France has found that dietary GLA might be a useful nutritional intervention for the treatment of high blood pressure. In his work with animals he found that GLA is a very potent blood pressure reducing nutrient. “Usually in pharmaceutical therapies we see about a 10 percent reduction.” He says, “in our case we saw blood pressure drop 6-16 percent.”

And Dr. Robert Chapkin, of Texas A & M University , reports GLA can slow down the effects of atherosclerosis. “We have found that GLA can suppress the growth of a specific cell type known as the smooth muscle cell, which is intimately involved in the progression of the disease,” said Chapkin. “And by suppressing the growth of this cell type, the disease is reduced and severity is reduced. It is not blocked, so this is not a cure, but it suppresses the onset of the disease.”

Evening Primrose Oil

• Normalizes inflammatory levels, thereby reducing risk of heart attack, stroke and cancer.
• Supports healing of the gastrointestinal lining, especially in cases of ulcers.
• Aids normalization of autoimmune conditions.
• Has been shown to help women with fibrocystic breast disease or premenstrual syndrome symptoms.
• Might possibly help in cases of multiple sclerosis.
• Definitely aids arthritis symptoms.
• Supports health in cases of diabetic neuropathy.
• Definitely helps in skin conditions, such as acne or eczema.
• Can help prevent liver damage.
• Enhances the body's production and utilization of insulin.