Gout vitamins – here's why Evening Primrose Oil can deliver relief from gout pain and inflammation

You may wish to include evening primrose oil among your gout vitamins, because it's a good source of gamma linolenic acid (GLA).

Evening primrose oil is actually extracted from the seeds of the evening primrose flower, so perhaps we should call it a herb, but it's definitely a dietary supplement.

Among its nutrients is a special omega -6 fat – gamma linolenic acid – abbreviated to GLA. There are very few sources of sufficient GLA. It's in mother's breast milk, borage oil and in foods only in oats. The fact that it's in mother's breast milk tells us that it's important. Why is it one of the significant gout vitamins, and why should gout sufferers use it for relief for gout pain and swelling?

Linoleic acid, (LA) which is abundant in foods, evening primrose oil and many cooking oils is converted in the body to GLA. But only some will be converted, and the conversion depends on other factors. Read our omega -6 page to find out more about this conversion, especially the section entitled “The Role of Arachidonic Acid.”

Because you can't know the amount of your conversion from LA to GLA – but you can read on the omega -6 page about ways of boosting it – it's best to get GLA by taking it in its own form. That's why you take evening primrose oil for gout, or borage oil or eat oatmeal (porridge oats).

There is another healthy fat in evening primrose oil, oleic acid, but it, as well as linoleic acid is really not close to the importance of GLA. It is easy to get linoleic acid from food sources but it is not easy to get GLA in its own form from food. Only mothers’ breast milk and oats contain it, as noted above. But evening primrose oil is a better source of linoleic acid than the cooking oils mentioned on the omega -6 page.

GLA is one of the star nutrients – the other stars are EPA and DHA, (from fish oils or certain fish). The rest of the cast are the body enzymes D6D and D5D, linoleic acid (LA) and alpha linolenic acid (ALA). Together they perform the production in the body of "good" and "bad" eicosanoid prostaglandins. These are hormones, produced in the cells in their case, not in the glands. The balance of them affects many health factors. Obviously you want more "good" than "bad." The words “good” and “bad” are in this medical context. i.e. relief from gout. In others, “bad” can be good.

For gout sufferers the significance of a better eicosanoid balance is that by improving it you can achieve relief for gout pain and reduce your need for pain medications such as NSAIDs or corticosteroids such as prednisone.

The complete theory can be read in “The Omega RX Zone” and “The Anti-Inflammation Zone” both written by Barry Sears PhD, a fats chemist by training, and author of the “Enter The Zone” diet book.

The change of balance of eicosanoids is also featured in “Dr.Atkins' Vita-Nutrient Solution” by the famous diet doctor Robert Atkins. Dr.Atkins also used balance improvement against inflammation. His doses were different to Dr. Sears's, especially the amount of GLA required. Sears's theory is we think the most comprehensive one for dealing with pain and swelling with these oils plus his Zone Diet, but the Atkins amounts, explained in his book mentioned above, may work for you. There is more detail about these approaches on the omega -6 page.

Are these only a well substantiated relief from gout attacks theories?

If you read our omega -6 page you can read testimonials where pain relief for gout, at the least, has been achieved. You will also need to read the omega -3 page. For information about oats and their GLA read the oats page Evening primrose oil supplements also contain linoleic acid, oleic acid (also in olive oil) and palmitic acid.

How much GLA for your gout pain campaign?

In Sears's theory you can you can get sufficient GLA by simply eating three to five bowls of slow cooked oatmeal (whole grain porridge oats) a week. If you attempt this treatment high quality fish oils and the control/reduction of insulin levels by carbohydrate restriction (but not down to the amounts in the Atkins diet) are the other

Read why borage oil may be better choice for GLA than evening primrose oil.

RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS

If you live in the United States we recommend these Evening Primrose Oil products from www.MotherNature.com. Clicking the images does not commit you. It takes you to these products's pages at www.MotherNature.com. The first two provide high amounts of GLA. Use these if you have decided to try the high GLA approach, as explained on the omega -6 page.

A three drops serving gives you 1850 mg of Linoleic Acid and 250 mg of Gamma Linolenic Acid. Very good if you decide you need high amounts of GLA. The oleic acid in this product is the useful fat in olive oil.

These are soft gels of evening primrose oil. Natures Way Evening Primrose Oil, high potency 1300 mg soft gels.

This product, Health From The Sun EP oil, has a smaller amount of GLA.

If you decide on the high omega -3/low GLA approach, as described on the omega -6 page, then click on the Zone Diet banner advertisement below, and view the EicoRx range of fish oils which also contain added amounts of GLA. To do this, when the Zone Diet's home page arrives, click on the Omega -3 tab at the top.

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