Borage Oil 100 mL

Borage Oil (borage seed oil) is derived from the seeds of the Borago officinalis.  Borage seed oil has one of the highest amounts of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) of seed oils — higher than blackcurrant seed oil or evening primrose oil, to which it is considered similar. GLA typically comprises about 24% of the oil.

Borage is a plant. Its flowers and leaves, as well as the oil from its seeds are used as medicine.  Borage seed oil is used for skin disorders including eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, and neurodermatitis. It is also used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), stress, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), diabetes, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), alcoholism, pain and swelling (inflammation), and for preventing heart disease and stroke.

Borage oil is an herb found in Syria and parts of the Middle East and Mediterranean. The oil is high in GLA, which is an essential fatty acid that must be obtained from foods and is required for normal growth and development.  The flowers and leaves are edible and the seeds are used to produce oils that are high in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).

Properties

A golden-yellow oil (a pale-green color if you look closer) with a faintly pleasant odor, borage oil is derived from borage (borago officinalis) or “starflower,” a wildflower from the Boraginaceae family.

Borage is packed with macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fats), vitamins (A, C, niacin, choline, thiamine, and riboflavin), minerals, and other plant compounds. Meanwhile, borage oil is loaded with healthful fatty acids, which sets it apart from other herbal oils.

Borage oil is the richest natural source of gamma-linoleic acid or GLA (17 to 25 percent), followed by black currant oil (15 to 20 percent) and evening primrose oil (seven to 10 percent).  GLA is an important polyunsaturated omega-3 fat that helps keep your skin and joints healthy. It is converted by your body into prostaglandins, which regulate your immune system and help fight inflammation. GLA can also suppress inflammatory responses by directly influencing inflammatory cells.

Another essential fatty acid found in borage oil is linoleic acid, which is converted into GLA in your body. This herbal oil is also rich in oleic, icosenoic, docosenoic, stearic, and palmitic fatty acid chains.

Borage is an annual herb that’s native to Syria but now grows throughout North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, South America, and many Mediterranean regions. It’s identified by its bright blue, star-shaped flowers, ferny leaves covered in prickly white hair, and cucumber-like fruit. Borage is also called the “bee plant” and “bee bread,” because its bright flowers attract bees all summer long.

There are many speculations on where the name “borage” came from. Some say its Latin name “borago” comes from words “cor” or “heart” and “ago” or “I bring,” meaning “one that brings a cordial or pleasant effect.” In some Mediterranean countries, it’s spelled “borrago,” derived from the Italian “borra” and French “bourra,” meaning “hair” or “flock of wool,” pertaining to its prickly white hair.

Borage oil’s benefits have been well-known in medieval Syria and Turkish Asia (Asia Minor) for quite some time. The Moorish Arabs brought borage and borage oil to Spain, where they became more popular. Borage even became a source of inspiration for the poem “An Epistle Containing the Strange Medical Experience of Karshish, the Arab Physician” written by 19th-century English writer Robert Browning. In this poem, he described borage as “very nitrous.”

Health Benefits

Borage flower and leaves are used for fever, cough, and depression.  Borage is also used for a hormone problem called adrenal insufficiency, for “blood purification,” to increase urine flow, to prevent inflammation of the lungs, as a sedative, and to promote sweating. Borage is also used to increase breast milk production and to treat bronchitis and colds.

Borage is applied to the skin for infantile seborrheic dermatitis and is also used in a dressing to soften the skin.

In foods, borage is eaten in salads and soups.

In manufacturing, borage is used in skin care products.

Borage oil has been used for different purposes, including:

maintaining overall good health
rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
eczema
atopic dermatitis
infantile seborrheic dermatitis
neurodermatitis
stress
premenstrual syndrome
diabetes
attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
acute respiratory distress syndrome
alcoholism
inflammation
prevention heart disease and stroke

Benefits of Borage Oil

Along with evening primrose and black currant, borage oil is one of the natural anti-inflammatories I highly recommend. The essential fatty acids in this herbal oil are useful for healthy metabolic functions, and can help support optimum brain function and maintain bone, skin, and hair health.

Here are other inflammation-related health conditions that borage oil may help alleviate:

• Rheumatoid arthritis – A study from the University of Pennsylvania found that rheumatoid arthritis patients given 1.4 grams of borage oil daily experienced reduced pain and swelling in their joints.
• Skin conditions – This herbal oil can help treat acne, eczema, or psoriasis. Animal studies found that skin disorders caused by fatty acid imbalances may be treated with borage oil. A 2009 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition also found that women who had skin conditions that caused irritation and reddening experienced relief after taking flaxseed or borage oil.
• Periodontitis – A study published in Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids found that people who took borage oil supplements had improved gum health and reduced periodontitis-related gingivitis.
• Multiple sclerosis (MS) – It may help minimize symptoms such as muscle spasms and numbness that are associated with this nerve disorder. Borage oil also helps combat nerve damage and contribute to healthy nerve development over time.
• Alzheimer’s disease – Borage oil can boost the transmission of nerve impulses, which may be valuable in treating this debilitating disease.

Borage oil is also cited as effective for helping treat rosacea, gout, female infertility, impotence, and even diabetic neuropathy.

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