search, is especially effusive these
days about the promise of prim-
rose.
"We have found women with
PMS (premenstrual syndrome)
get beneficial effects from evening
primrose oil that is extracted from
seeds and put into capsules," he
said. 'They seem to have less de-
pression, less water retention and
a better quality of life."
The beneficial results, which
also were found in women during
menopause, occurred when four
to eight capsules per day were tak-
en.
The key? Gamma-linoleic acid,
an essential polyunsaturate fatty
acid that occurs in ample amounts
in evening primrose oil. GLA is
a constituent of all cell mem-
branes, enabling different nutri-
ents to be transported into the
cells. "And it transports garbage
out — in the proper way," Dr. Ny-
lander said.
Dr. Nylander is a strong advo-
cate of ginger to address "morn-
ing sickness" and suggests
chamomile to soothe a nervous
stomach and promote calm. He
has also found therapeutic effects
from the obscure antioxidant co-
enzyme Q10 when used in con-
junction with vitamin E.

.""'brk'

"

7.zeor

_eve'

The cream of the
crop is referred to as
the king's cure-all.

The cream of the crop, though,
is evening primrose, a wildflower
sometimes referred to as the
"king's cure-all."
But why is something that has
been around for centuries being
looked at more closely today?
It has been greatly overlooked,
Dr. Nylander said, by scientists
who now are beginning to under-
stand its mechanism of action.
In 1982, researchers earned a
Nobel Prize for linking a type of
prostaglandin to the regulation of
menstrual discomfort. GLA,
evening primrose oil's star ingre-
dient, is converted into
prostaglandins, which may ac-
count for its therapeutic potential.
The starflower, a small wood-
land plant of the primrose fami-
ly, also contains GLA but has
some toxicity, Dr. Nylander not-
ed.
While herbal and plant reme-
dies are getting more attention
these days, as reflected in studies
showing a third of all Americans
have tried alternative healing, the
Food and Drug Administration
puts up a caution flag.
Among the substances the FDA
says raise safety concerns: com-
frey, geranium, jim bu huan (a
Chinese herbal product) and ma
huang (another Chinese herb,
from the evergreen plant).
As a competitive triathlete and
skier who provides nutritional
PRIMROSE page 72

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