Borage oil
A Cochrane review pooled gamma-linolenic acid from borage, evening primrose and blackcurrant seed oils and found less rheumatoid arthritis pain and disability, from small trials. In eczema, borage oil did not differ from placebo in a Cochrane review or a 151-person trial. Side effects were mild and mostly digestive. One case report describes status epilepticus.
- Status
- Dietary supplement in the US.
- Also called
- borage seed oil, Borago officinalis, starflower oil, gamma-linolenic acid, GLA, gamolenic acid
- Taken for
- rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, inflammation, eczema, atopic dermatitis, skin health
Strong several reviews agree · Moderate one review or consistent trials · Limited one or a few small studies · Untested no study in people, listed with what it rests on
Shown to help1
Reported risks1
What people take it for, and what was found
Shown to help1
Rheumatoid arthritis pain and disability
Shown to lower rheumatoid arthritis pain by about 33 points on a 100-point scale for GLA from borage and other seed oils, in small trials.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In a Cochrane review, 7 studies of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) from evening primrose, borage or blackcurrant seed oil found lower pain intensity (MD -32.83 points on a 100-point scale, 95% CI -56.25 to -9.42) and less disability (MD -15.75%, 95% CI -27.06 to -4.44) than placebo [1]. In 37 patients, 1.4 g a day of GLA in borage seed oil for 24 weeks reduced tender joint count by 36% and swollen joint count by 28%, while placebo showed no improvement [2]. In 56 patients, 2.8 g a day of GLA for 6 months gave a meaningful response in 14 of 22 against 4 of 19 on placebo (P 0.015) [3].
- Population
- Adults with active rheumatoid arthritis [1][2][3].
- Sources
- [1], [2], [3]
- Caveats
- The review pooled three seed oils, so the borage result is not separate [1]. The trials were small. The 56-patient abstract does not name the source oil [3].
Not shown to help2
Eczema
Not shown to improve eczema symptoms more than placebo in children and adults, across 8 borage oil trials in a Cochrane review.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- A Cochrane review of 27 studies (1,596 participants) included 8 of borage oil. Borage oil did not improve global eczema symptoms more than placebo, as rated by participants or doctors. The studies reported results in different ways, so they were not pooled [4]. In 140 evaluable adults and children over 12 weeks, the eczema sign score (SASSAD) fell from 30 to 27 on borage oil and from 28 to 23 on placebo, a difference of 1.4 points in favor of placebo (95% CI -2.2 to 5.0, P 0.45) [5].
- Population
- Children and adults with atopic eczema [4]. 151 patients at one English hospital, 69 of those evaluated were children [5].
- Sources
- [4], [5]
- Caveats
- A separate review of 12 borage oil trials found results that varied, with 5 significant, 5 not significant and 2 mixed [6].
Preventing eczema in infants
One trial found borage oil did not change eczema rates at 1 year in 118 high-risk formula-fed infants.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In 118 formula-fed infants with a mother with atopic disease, borage oil with 100 mg GLA a day for the first 6 months did not change the incidence of atopic dermatitis or total IgE at 1 year. Severity scores were 6.32 against 8.28 on placebo (P 0.09) [7].
- Population
- 118 infants at high familial risk, Netherlands [7].
- Sources
- [7]
- Caveats
- One trial. The severity difference did not reach significance [7].
Doses studied
The borage seed oil rheumatoid arthritis trial gave 1.4 g of GLA a day for 24 weeks [2], and a second trial gave 2.8 g of GLA a day [3]. The eczema trial gave adults capsules with 920 mg of GLA a day and children half that number of capsules, for 12 weeks [5]. The infant trial gave 100 mg of GLA a day for 6 months [7].
Risks
Reported risks1
Status epilepticus
Case reports: one patient developed status epilepticus after a week of borage oil.
Checked, no increase found1
Side effects in trials
Side effects were mild, short-lived and about as common as on placebo in eczema trials, mainly digestive.
The numbers and sources
- Effect
- In eczema trials, borage oil, evening primrose oil and their placebos had the same fairly common, mild, short-lived adverse effects, mainly digestive [4]. In rheumatoid arthritis trials of GLA, adverse events occurred in 20% against 3% on placebo, a difference that was not significant (RR 4.24, 95% CI 0.78 to 22.99) [1]. No patient left the 37-patient borage oil trial because of adverse reactions [2].
- Population
- Eczema trial participants [4]. Rheumatoid arthritis trial participants [1][2].
- Sources
- [4], [1], [2]
- Caveats
- The trials were short and did not examine long-term use [4].
Claims tested and not found
Sources
- Cameron M, Gagnier JJ, Chrubasik S. Herbal therapy for treating rheumatoid arthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD002948.pub2
- Leventhal LJ, Boyce EG, Zurier RB. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with gammalinolenic acid. Annals of Internal Medicine. 1993. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-119-9-199311010-00001
- Zurier RB, Rossetti RG, Jacobson EW, et al. gamma-Linolenic acid treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 1996. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.1780391106
- Bamford JT, Ray S, Musekiwa A, et al. Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2013. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD004416.pub2
- Takwale A, Tan E, Agarwal S, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of borage oil in adults and children with atopic eczema: randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group trial. BMJ. 2003. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7428.1385
- Foster RH, Hardy G, Alany RG. Borage oil in the treatment of atopic dermatitis. Nutrition. 2010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2009.10.014
- van Gool CJ, Thijs C, Henquet CJ, et al. Gamma-linolenic acid supplementation for prophylaxis of atopic dermatitis: a randomized controlled trial in infants at high familial risk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/77.4.943
- Al-Khamees WA, Schwartz MD, Alrashdi S, et al. Status epilepticus associated with borage oil ingestion. Journal of Medical Toxicology. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13181-011-0135-9