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Cholesterol Levels

Read on for detailed information about how various oils may help lower cholesterol.

Evening Primrose Oil
In human trials, EPO treatment at doses of 2-6g/day for durations between 6 weeks and 4 months generally led to reductions in serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, but to absence of change in serum triglycerides or VLDL-cholesterol(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Research studies have reported varying effects of EPO on HDL-cholesterol, with some trials reporting increases and others reporting no change (4, 5, 6).

Borage Oil
The effect of borage oil on serum lipids has not been thoroughly investigated. One study 14 administered multiple doses of concentrated borage oil (GLA = 0, 1, 2 and 4g/day) in combination with a constant dose of fish oil (4g/day) to healthy adult women, and noted significant reductions in LDL and non-HDL-cholesterol, at a daily dose of 2g GLA and 4g fish oil, compared with fish oil alone; however, the serum lipid responses to the variations in GLA dose were neither linear nor consistent and GLA had no discernable effect on HDL-cholesterol or serum triglycerides. In a rodent study, normal rats fed borage oil exhibited increased serum total cholesterol, while hypertensive rats fed the same dose showed no change in total cholesterol 9 (7). More studies would need to be done before conclusions can be drawn.

The information presented here is for educational purposes only and is not intended as curative or prescriptive advice.

Bibliography
1.Ishikawa T, Fujiyama Y, Igarashi O, Morino M, Tada N, Kagami A et al. Effects of gammalinolenic acid on plasma lipoproteins and apolipoproteins. Atherosclerosis 1989; 75(2-3):95-104.
2. Chaintreuil J, Monnier L, Colette C, Crastes de Paulet P, Orsetti A, Spielmann D et al. Effects of dietary gamma-linolenate supplementation on serum lipids and platelet function in insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Hum Nutr Clin Nutr 1984;38(2):121-30.
3. Guivernau M, Meza N, Barja P, Roman O. Clinical and experimental study on the long-term effect of dietary gamma-linolenic acid on plasma lipids, platelet aggregation, thromboxane formation, and prostacyclin production. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 1994;51(5):311-6.
4. Horrobin DF, Manku M.S. How do polyunsaturated fatty acids lower plasma cholesterol levels? Lipids 1983;18(8):558-62.
5.Abraham RD, Riemersma RA, Elton RA, Macintyre C, Oliver MF. Effects of safflower oil and evening primrose oil in men with a low dihomo-gamma-linolenic level. Atherosclerosis 1990;81(3):199-208.
6. Viikari J, Lehtonen A. Effect of primrose oil on serum lipids and blood pressure in hyperlipidemic subjects. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol 1986;24(12):668-70.
7. Engler MM, Engler MB, Erickson SK, Paul SM. Dietary gamma-linolenic acid lowers blood pressure and alters aortic reactivity and cholesterol metabolism in hypertension. J Hypertens 1992;10(10):1197-204.

 
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