The essential fatty acid called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is a strong anti-inflammatory found in certain plant foods. It can be ingested but also used beneficially as a topical product. Absolutely Natural uses Borage Oil, which has one of the highest levels of GLA, in a variety of our products.

Usually you can find substances in food groups or the body will make it, but this is not the case with GLA.

Borage Oil Uses

As a common herbal treatment in traditional medicine for hundreds of years, borage oil has numerous uses — ranging from treating skin flare-ups to lowering pain. The most beneficial aspect of using borage oil topically on the skin is it has strong anti-inflammatory effects.

Borage oil is becoming increasingly popular as a natural anti-inflammatory because it has one of the highest amounts of GLA of all seed oils. GLA is one type of omega-6 “essential” fatty acid that the body cannot make on its own, so we must get it from outside sources.

 

While other plants, including black currant or evening primrose oil, also offer GLA and have similar benefits, the roughly 23 percent GLA content in borage oil makes it the most effective option. As a comparison, evening primrose oil has about 9 percent GLA. This means that regular use of borage oil supplies higher dose of linolenic acid than any other plant oils.

 

How Does Borage Oil Work?

Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, borage oil, used topically, can be helpful for treating a wide range of both short- and long-term illnesses, including:

  • PMS symptoms(including breast pain or tenderness and skin breakouts)
  • Skin disorders, including eczema or dermatitis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis pain
  • Inflammation causing pain and swelling

Reducing Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis

Eczema is an inflammatory skin condition characterized by dryness and flaking of the upper skin layers, with redness, itching, and often pain of the skin beneath. Most people have mild cases but severe eczema sufferers experience symptoms that can be debilitating, and that may respond only to fairly large doses of steroids, which can produce dangerous side effects. Many people with eczema also suffer from asthma and other conditions related to allergic responses—together these conditions are referred to as atopic conditions, which involve an immune response within the body. As with asthma, the global incidence of atopic eczema is rising at an alarming rate. Our own Todd Anderson suffered from Atopic Dermatitis for years and Absolutely Natural products literally turned around his life.

Studies from 20 years ago first showed that people with eczema may have a defect in their bodies that inhibits their ability to form GLA naturally from the dietary source linoleic acid.

Supplementation with topical products that had GLA were immediately successful. Studies in both children and adults revealed less inflammation, dryness, scaling, and overall eczema severity compared to control subjects.

 

Please check our ingredient decks for which Absolutely Natural products have Borage Oil.

 

Best regards

Charley