Using Evening Primrose Oil to Regulate Hormones

Using Evening Primrose Oil to Regulate Hormones

  • Evening Primrose Oil is one of those natural remedies you often hear about, but still might not know exactly what it does, or any of its health benefits. The truth is that evening primrose oil can be beneficial in a number of health areas, including that of helping to regulate hormones


Evening primrose is a native plant in North America that has been used for centuries by Native Americans in different ways to treat health problems. In modern days, the oil contained in the seeds of the evening primrose is extracted and standardized for use as a dietary supplement with certain medicinal properties.

The primary active ingredient in evening primrose oil is the omega-6 fatty acid, GLA. GLA is an essential fatty acid that is not produced by the body. This means that it must be consumed in food or taken as a supplement to get it into the body. GLA is required for the body to produce certain prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are precursors to many of the hormones produced by the body. The amount of GLA in the body has a direct effect on the prostaglandins available to the endocrine glands to use in making hormones.

Regulating the dosage of evening primrose oil to higher or lower levels can regulate the production of hormones in the body. Because evening primrose oil is the best source of GLA, the amount of oil taken as a dietary supplement will have a direct influence on the production of certain hormones.

Hormones work with many different systems in the body to regulate the functions of the body. By modifying the production of estrogen, evening primrose oil can work to regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle. It also works to control the symptoms of PMS, which provides substantial relief to many women around the world.

GLA works to regulate the production of the prostaglandin identified as E1. E1 is a precursor to hormones that reduce inflammation in the body. Increasing the production of these hormones works to ease bloating associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle. It also provides substantial relief for patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Increasing this hormone to reduce inflammation also reduces the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.

Insulin is another hormone that is regulated by taking evening primrose oil. This means that evening primrose oil is beneficial to people with diabetes. The oil helps maintain level quantities of insulin in the blood, thus improving the way that cells take up blood glucose and lowering the amount of glucose circulating in the blood. In addition, evening primrose oil works with the central nervous system to reduce diabetic neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy, two secondary effects of diabetes.

Evening primrose oil has been shown to have many positive health effects on the human body. This oil is one of the best sources of the omega-6 fatty acid, GLA. The body uses GLA in several different ways, including controlling the production of certain prostaglandins that the body uses to make some of the hormones. Regulating the amount of GLA in the body is key to regulating hormones. Keeping the levels of hormones regulated can provide relief from many difficulties experienced by different people. Production of estrogen is one of the hormones regulated by GLA. This helps regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle and ease the symptoms of PMS.