Borage seed oil facts for kids
Borage seed oil comes from the seeds of the borage plant. Its scientific name is Borago officinalis.
This oil has a lot of a special fat called gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). In fact, it has one of the highest amounts of GLA among seed oils. About 24% of borage seed oil is GLA.
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What Borage Seed Oil Does
How it Works
GLA from borage seed oil can change into other helpful substances in your body. These substances can help reduce swelling and inflammation. Because of this, borage seed oil might help with conditions that cause inflammation. Scientists have studied it for problems like arthritis and skin issues.
Traditional Uses
For a long time, people have used borage seed oil in herbal medicine. They used it for skin problems like eczema. It was also used for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and to help with general swelling. Some people even used it for things like stress or to help prevent heart disease. However, there is not enough scientific proof for most of these uses.
Some studies have shown that borage seed oil did not help much with atopic eczema. When people took it by mouth, it worked no better than a placebo (a fake treatment).
Safety Information
Possible Side Effects
Borage oil can sometimes contain natural chemicals called pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Some of these PAs can be harmful to the liver. It is important to use borage oil that is certified to be free of these harmful PAs.
There have been rare reports of seizures in people taking large amounts of borage oil. Also, borage seed oil might make it harder for blood to clot. This could increase the risk of bruising or bleeding, especially before or after surgery.
Interactions with Medicines
If someone takes borage oil with certain pain medicines, like NSAIDs, it might make the borage oil less effective. This is because NSAIDs can interfere with how the body uses GLA.
