Menopause: Every woman goes through it . It usually occurs between the age of 45 – 55 years of age. Menopause typically begins many years before it actually sets in, where the ovaries gradually reduce estrogen production. This stage is usually referred to as Perimenopause.
During this stage, a woman may experience many common to uncommon symptoms like menstrual irregularities, hot flashes and night sweats, mood swings or severe headache. The uncommon symptoms would include heavy bleeding, high blood pressure or heart palpitations.
One of the most common and well-known remedies for menopausal symptoms would be Evening Primrose Oil.
WHAT IS EVENING PRIMROSE?
Evening primrose is a unique plant whose flowers only bloom one time just before dusk, then wither by the morning. This unusual characteristic gives the flower its nickname, the evening star. The seed of this extraordinary plant produces an oil that has been used for hundreds of years, but only recently began making its way into scientific studies. The oil of the flower’s seed is rich in an essential omega 6 fatty acid.
FATTY ACIDS & THE EVENING STAR
Evening primrose is a fairly unique plant. The oil found in its seeds is rich in the essential fatty acid GLA, or gamma-linolenic acid. Typically this kind of acid is found in meat and fish. GLA is an essential omega 6 fatty acid, which means the body does not produce it and it needs to be obtained from food or supplements.
This fatty acid acts as a precursor to prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that help to regulate body processes, including hormonal balance. Prostaglandins regulate several essential functions in the cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems. GLA provides dietary support for normal, healthy skin, joint and cardiovascular system function as well.
Evening primrose is believed to offer relief from a number of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, etc.
In 2013, a small study published in Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, where women aged 45 to 59 years who were experiencing menopause-related changes took either an evening primrose oil supplement or a placebo for six weeks. It was observed that there was an improvement in the severity of hot flashes, but not hot flash frequency or duration.
Evening Primrose is also responsible for treating nerve pain associated with diabetes. This was confirmed by a study published in Diabetic Medicines. There was a significant improvement in their neuropathy scores as compared to the placebo.
If you wish to enter menopause healthy way, make sure to improve your lifestyle now by giving appropriate time to exercise, eat healthily and be stress-free. Evening Primrose will support your lifestyle by preventing menopausal symptoms.
GNC brings to you a natural source of GLA which supports hormonal balance and helps maintain smooth, healthy-looking skin. Each capsule provides 1,300mg of Evening Primrose Oil.
