The Benefits of Gamma-linolenic Acid for Rheumatoid Arthritis
New hope may be on the horizon for those suffering the aches and pains of rheumatoid arthritis.
Several studies show GLA is an effective treatment for reducing inflammation, joint stiffness, swelling, and overall discomfort in rheumatoid arthritis patients with few side effects.
What is Gamma-linolenic acid?
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is an omega-6 fatty acid that is found mostly in plant-based oils. GLA is found in Borage (also known as Starflower) Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, and Black Currant Oil. Omega-6 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids. They are necessary for human health but the body can’t make them — you have to get them through food. Along with omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), they help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system.
Taken internally, the body converts GLA into prostaglandins. These hormonelike compounds help regulate various body functions, controlling inflammation in some cases and promoting it in others. The prostaglandins produced from GLA fall into the anti-inflammatory category. Cell membranes also rely on the presence of GLA.
Because these oils are not found in foods you normally eat, you have to get them from supplements.
Supplementation with evening primrose oil and other sources of GLA has been shown to lessen the joint pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis. A six-month study reported fewer signs of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis sufferers taking capsules containing GLA than in those taking a placebo. In another trial, the number of tender joints and swollen joints dropped significantly with GLA but not with a placebo.
While long-term supplementation with GLA has proven effective against the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, it has none of the dangerous side effects.
What are the best sources of Gamma-linolenic acid?
The best sources of Gamma-linolenic acid are:
1. Evening primrose oil
Preliminary evidence suggests evening primrose oil may reduce pain, swelling, and morning stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Rheumatoid arthritis sufferers are missing the GLA that lubricates your joints, Evening Primrose is a GLA – gamma linolenic acid that lubricates the joints.
The remarkably rich stores of GLA in evening primrose oil are what make it so valuable in healing. Evening primrose oil offers an unusually concentrated source of GLA, with 7% to 10% of its fatty acids available in the form of GLA.
Our body requires certain fats and oils for proper functioning. Evening primrose oil contains a couple of very important essential fatty acids, including gamma-linolenic acid. These help our body produce natural anti-inflammatory substances called prostaglandins.
Evening primrose oil has been praised for centuries for its healing powers in a wide range of ailments. The secret of the evening primrose is in the seed, which contains the essential fatty acid GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid). Most of the health benefits of evening primrose oil come from this powerful substance.
Evening primrose oil has been extensively studied for rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes patients have found their symptoms improved after two to three months. Some of these patients felt worse for a week or two and then felt better for a long time. In many other patients, especially if they have been receiving corticosteroids or other anti-inflammatory drugs, evening primrose oil has not been dramatically effective.
Much of the research on evening primrose oil has been done by Dr. David Horrobin in Nova Scotia, Canada. If you are a gardener, you know that varieties of plants differ. Dr Horrobin helped develop a particular variety of the evening primrose that has been found to produce more beneficial effects.
Evening primrose oil and rheumatoid arthritis studies
A study from the University of Pennsylvania was reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine (1993;119:867). Thirty capsules evening primrose oil were given twice a day over a period of six months to patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis. In comparison to placebo, the gamma-linolenic acid reduced the number of tender joints by a third; other measures of rheumatoid arthritis were improved as well. Relief occurred as early as six weeks in some of the patients. Of the seventeen patients getting the gamma linolenic acid, five of them were on steroids.
In a study in Arthritis and Rheumatism (1989; 32:1273), cells from a human joint capsule were artificially stimulated in the laboratory to become inflamed as they would in a person with rheumatoid arthritis. These cells were then treated with fatty acids derived either from evening primrose oil or from meat. Compared to the fatty acids from meat, the fatty acids from evening primrose oil reduced the inflammation by a factor of five. Indomethacin, a pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory agent, interfered somewhat with this beneficial effect.
One of the most promising studies was a placebo-controlled trial of 56 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis who received 2.8 g GLA for six months. Participants showed significant improvements related to joint pain, stiffness and grip strength. GLA doses at this level were found to be safe and effective for RA. A 2005 study showed that people with Jorgen’s syndrome who took GLA and linoleic acid had significant improvement in eye discomfort and tear production.
Conclusion:
If you suffer with RA /sore and inflamed joints then take at least 1000 mg of Evening primrose oil daily!
Note: When using GLA for arthritis symptoms, it may take 1 – 3 months to see any benefit. It is unlikely that evening primrose oil would help stop progression of the disease, so joint damage could still occur.
A highly recommended evening primrose supplement product is Jarrow Formulas Primrose 1300.
Extra Strength Jarrow Formulas Primrose 1300 consists of 100% pure, cold pressed oil of Evening Primrose (Oenothera lamarchiana), a potent source of Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), an omega 6 fatty acid produced in human metabolism.
2. Borage Oil
Borage Oil is a rich source of the nutritionally important omega-6 fatty acid Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA).
Borage Oil is a more concentrated source of GLA than Evening Primrose Oil. One Borage Oil capsule is equivalent to about 5 standard Evening primrose capsules in GLA content.
Borage seed oil is the richest source of GLA, containing 20 to 26%. While GLA from evening primrose oil has been widely researched, scientific evidence supporting the use of borage oil has been limited. Nonetheless, one preliminary trial and two double-blind trials have shown that borage oil, 1.1-2.8 grams per day for at least three months, reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Thirty-seven patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 1.4 g/day of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) from borage seed oil or a placebo (cotton seed oil) for 24 weeks. GLA reduced the number of tender joints by 36%, compared with a 30% increase in the placebo group (p = 0.02 for difference between groups); reduced (improved) the tender-joint score by 45%, compared with a 55% increase in the placebo group (p = 0.003); reduced the swollen-joint count by 28%, compared with a 48% increase in the placebo group.
For the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the amounts of GLA from borage used in successful double-blind trials were 1.4–2.8 grams daily for at least two months.
3. Black currant seed oil
Black currant seed oil is rich in essential fatty acids, which promote and maintain the body’s vital functions.
Due to the inflammation modulating benefits of black currant seed oil, it may be helpful for inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Approximately 17% of black currant seed oil consists of the omega-6 fatty acid, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Another 13% consists of an omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. Evening primrose oil is primarily used for its essential fatty acid content, but it contains only about 8% gamma-linolenic acid, half of what is found in black currant seed oil. Because both omega-6 and omega-3 acids are needed in our diets, a supplement of black currant seed oil is beneficial. These essential fatty acids are broken down by the body into prostaglandins, the body’s regulating substances that block pain and govern many other physical functions, especially in proper functioning of the circulatory system
The British Journal of Rheumatology has noted that black currant seed oil may be so effective in rheumatoid arthritis patients because of a reduction in the secretion of the inflammatory cytokines and TNF-alpha. Cytokines are a source of inflammation. By preventing their production, black currant seed oil offers some relief.
Another benefit it may provide is a reduction in the amount of pain medication rheumatoid arthritis sufferers must take.
General guidelines for Use
Take your GLA supplement together with food. By taking evening primrose oil (or other GLA sources) with food, you will not only help ensure good absorption of GLA but possibly minimize any unpleasant side effects.
GLA only works if taken orally; there is no evidence that these oils applied topically are effective. It also may regulate the immune system.
Be sure to buy Gamma-linolenic acid supplements from a reliable manufacturer; cheap substitutes such as soy and safflower oils have been found in some commercial products.
