Supplement
Evening primrose oil, pressed from a wildflower's seeds, is rich in gamma-linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid the body uses in skin health and inflammation signaling. People mostly look at it for breast pain, where the evidence is moderate but mixed, and some women reported benefit. In pregnancy studies, cervix readiness went up, but HDL cholesterol and infant birth weight showed no clear difference.
- Updated
- How we grade
- 5 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade B
- Conditions studied
- 4
- Outcomes
- 9
- Graded outcomes
- 0102
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cervix Readiness (Pregnancy) Small Increase | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 652 people | |||
| Infant Birth Weight No effect | NoneNo effect | 179 people | ||||
| Labor Duration (Pregnancy) | Changes; see studies | 2 studies | 341 people | |||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-density lipoprotein (HDL) No effect | NoneNo effect | 201 people | ||||
| Total cholesterol | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 201 people | |||
Studies that measured total cholesterol | ||||||
| Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) | Improves (the measure goes down) | 155 people | ||||
| Triglycerides | Improves (the measure goes down) | 201 people | ||||
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
- Eczema Symptoms: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eczema Symptoms | Improves (the measure goes down) | 1 study | 176 people | |||
Studies that measured eczema symptoms | ||||||
Breast Pain
- Breast Tenderness
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Tenderness No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 1,752 people | |||
Studies that measured breast tenderness | ||||||
Key findings
- Cervix Readiness (Pregnancy)Improves (the measure goes up)
- Infant Birth Weight
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
Studies cited
5 studies from PubMed
- Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema.
- The effect of evening primrose oil on cervical ripening and birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Evening primrose oil for cervical ripening in term pregnancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Effect of evening primrose oil supplementation on lipid profile: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Efficacy of Evening Primrose Oil for Mastalgia Treatment.