23. August 2014

月见草油

Evening primrose oil

Overview:

Evening primrose is a wildflower that grows throughout the U.S. Although Native Americans used the seeds for food and made poultices from the whole plant to heal bruises, evening primrose oil (EPO) has only recently been used as medicine. European settlers took the root back to England and Germany, where it was eaten as food.

Evening primrose oil is found in the plant's seeds and is high in the essential fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Essential fatty acids -- such as omega-6, found in EPO, and omega-3, found in fish oil -- are used as building blocks for a number of molecules in the body. Your body needs a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids for good health. In addition to evening primrose oil, GLA is found in borage oil and black currant oil.

Today, EPO is used to relieve PMS symptoms and some arthritis-related conditions, although there is not a lot of scientific evidence about using EPO for those conditions. The strongest evidence for EPO is for treating eczema.

Plant Description:

A circle of leaves grows close to the ground around evening primrose stems after the first year it is planted. Flowers bloom after sunset, June through September, or on overcast days during the second year. The leaves grow on both sides of the stem at alternating levels. This monograph focuses on the seed from which the oil is extracted.

What's It Made Of?:

Oil is extracted from the seeds and prepared as medicine using a chemical called hexane. The seeds have up to 25% essential fatty acids including linoleic acid (LA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Both LA and GLA belong to the omega-6 family of fatty acids. The body needs a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) to stay healthy. Most North Americans get too much omega-6 fatty acids in their diet. However, there are different types of omega-6 fatty acids. Some are more healthy, such as those found in evening primrose oil.

Other sources of GLA include spirulina (a blue-green algae), borage, hemp, and black currant oils.

Medicinal Uses and Indications:

EPO is used mostly to relieve the itchiness causes by certain skin conditions, such as eczema and dermatitis. It is also used to ease breast tenderness from premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or other causes. Some of the uses for EPO include:

Eczema 湿疹

Eczema symptoms include redness and scaling in addition to itching. More than 30 human studies report the benefits of EPO for eczema and dermatitis. A study of 1,207 patients found that EPO helped relieve symptoms from skin conditions, including itching, crusting, edema (fluid, swelling), and redness. EPO can be used in children and adults with skin conditions. 湿疹的症状包括皮肤发红和瘙痒。研究显示30人受益于EPO。 1,207例患者的研究发现，EPO有助于缓解症状的皮肤状况，包括发痒，结痂，水肿（液体，肿胀），和发红。 EPO可用于儿童和成人的皮肤状况。

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) 经前期综合征

Many women throughout the world take EPO to reduce symptoms of PMS, although there isn' t any real scientific evidence that it works. In one review of 10 studies that used EPO to treat PMS, only two were well designed. Both of those studies found that EPO had no effect on PMS symptoms. Better studies are needed to know for sure. 在世界各地的许多妇女服用EPO减少PMS的症状，但事实上还没有任何真正的科学证据显示有效。10个研究中只有两个是精心设计的，大多数都证明无效。最终的效果需要进一步的研究。

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) 类风湿关节炎

Although a few studies have found that people with RA who took EPO felt better, the studies were hampered by poor design and high drop-out rates. Also, there wasn' t any evidence that taking EPO actually helped slow down the joint damage that happens with RA. Rheumatoid arthritis should be treated with conventional medications, to slow down or stop permanent joint damage. 有些证据显示服用EPO的人员症状有缓解，但证据仍然不足，需进一步研究。

Raynaud' s phenomenon 雷诺氏现象

One small study suggests that taking EPO may help reduce symptoms in some people with Raynaud' s phenomenon. But the study found no difference in hand temperature between people who took EPO and those who took placebo. More studies are needed. 一些小的研究显示有助缓解症状。但仍需继续研究。

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy 糖尿病周围神经病变

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a nerve condition where people with diabetes have numbness, tingling, pain, burning, or lack of sensation in their feet and legs. Two studies have found that GLA may help reduce symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. 糖尿病周围神经病变是糖尿病人的神经状态：有麻木，刺痛，疼痛，烧灼感，或没有在他们的脚和腿的感觉。两项研究发现，GLA可能有助于减少糖尿病神经病变的症状。

Breast pain 乳房疼痛

Although there is not a lot of scientific evidence, EPO is widely used to treat breast pain (mastalgia) in a number of European countries. A few studies have found that EPO seemed to help, but they have not been well-designed studies. Other studies show no benefit. 虽然目前还没有大量的科学证据，EPO在一些欧洲国家被广泛地用于治疗乳房疼痛（乳腺痛）。一些研究发现，EPO似乎有帮助，但他们的设计并不完美。其他的研究则显示没有效果。

Menopausal symptoms 更年期症状

Although EPO has gotten popular for treating hot flashes, there is no scientific evidence that it actually helps. 虽然EPO被广泛应用于治疗，但实际上还没有科学证据。

Available Forms:

EPO is available as an oil or in capsules. EPO products should be kept in the refrigerator and out of direct sunlight to prevent the oil from becoming rancid. Generally, high-quality oil will be certified as organic by a reputable third party, packaged in light-resistant containers, refrigerated, and marked with a freshness date.

EPO should be standardized to contain 8% gamma-linolenic acid.

How to Take It:

The use of herbs is a time-honored approach to strengthening the body and treating disease. Herbs, however, contain components that can trigger side effects and that can interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, herbs should be taken with care, under the supervision of a health care provider qualified in the field of botanical medicine.

Pediatric

Ask your doctor before giving EPO to a child.

Adult

Take 2 - 8 grams of EPO daily, standardized to contain 8% GLA. Ask your health care provider to help you determine the right dose for you.

Precautions:

EPO is generally safe when used in recommended dosages. Reported side effects are rare and mild, and include nausea, stomach pain, and headache. Stomach pain and loose stools may mean that the dose is too high.

Don' t use omega-6 supplements, including GLA and EPO, if you have epilepsy or another seizure disorder because there have been reports of these supplements bringing on seizures.

Don' t take EPO if you have bleeding problems or a blood disorder.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women should ask their doctors before taking EPO.

Possible Interactions:

If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use EPO without first talking to your health care provider.

Blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants) -- EPO may raise the risk of bleeding, especially if you take blood-thinners such as aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin), and clopidogrel (Plavix).

Blood pressure medications -- EPO may lower blood pressure in some people, although researchers aren' t sure. If you take medications to treat high blood pressure, ask your doctor before taking EPO.

Phenothizines -- People who take a class of medications called phenothiazines to treat schizophrenia should not take EPO because it may increase the risk of seizures.

Medications to control seizures -- EPO may lower the threshold for seizures, so people who are prone to seizures should not take it.

Antidepressants -- It' s possible, although researchers aren' t sure, that EPO may interact with some antidepressants, including selective serotonin uptake inhibitors such as:

Citalopram (Celexa)
Escitalopram (Lexapro)
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Paroxetine (Paxil)
Sertraline (Zoloft)