Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis

The Basics

What is Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis?

Evening primrose seed oil is traditionally used for treatment of eczema, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, premenstrual and menopausal syndrome, and other inflammation-related disorders.

Brand names for Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis

N/A

How Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis is classified

Complementary Therapies, Oils, Phytotherapy, Plants, Medicinal

Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis During Pregnancy

Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis pregnancy category

Category N/ANote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis while pregnant

N/A

Taking Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis?

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) seed oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Evening primrose oil (EPO) has no specific lactation-related uses. It is most often used for premenstrual syndrome, cyclical mastalgia, and atopic dermatitis. Supplementation of nursing mothers with EPO for 8 months increased the breastmilk content of linoleic acid and total GLA plus its metabolite, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, and caused no adverse reactions in the breastfed infants.[1] Supplementation of mothers with GLA had no effect on the development of atopic dermatitis in their breastfed infants.[2] Evening primrose oil is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Heating breastmilk to 63.5 degrees C reduces the concentration of linolenic acid by about 22%. Freezing milk at -20 degrees C and thawing more than once decreases linolenic acid concentration by an average of 63%.[3] Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products.

Maternal / infant drug levels

Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) seed oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Evening primrose oil (EPO) has no specific lactation-related uses. It is most often used for premenstrual syndrome, cyclical mastalgia, and atopic dermatitis. Supplementation of nursing mothers with EPO for 8 months increased the breastmilk content of linoleic acid and total GLA plus its metabolite, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, and caused no adverse reactions in the breastfed infants.[1] Supplementation of mothers with GLA had no effect on the development of atopic dermatitis in their breastfed infants.[2] Evening primrose oil is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) as a food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Heating breastmilk to 63.5 degrees C reduces the concentration of linolenic acid by about 22%. Freezing milk at -20 degrees C and thawing more than once decreases linolenic acid concentration by an average of 63%.[3] Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products.

Possible effects of Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Possible alternatives to Evening Primrose / Oenothera biennis

None listed