Dr Ron Roberts
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 Most vegetable oils contain linoleic acid, which the body has to convert into gla before use,- some people who are atopic may be unable to convert linoleic acid into gla. They are thought to be deficient in a particular enzyme that is needed for the conversion process.
GLA is used by the body to produce a hormone-like antiinflammatory substance—a prostaglandin—which is capable of stimulating particular cells in the immune system. It is believed that asthma sufferers have stressed immune responses, which may be helped by gla. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 Best of all, some of the omega-6 in hemp seed oil is gla (gamma-linolenic acid), an important omega-6 that we don't get nearly enough of. gla, the primary ingredient in evening primrose and borage oils, is very helpful for PMS and is a "good" omega-6; the body can make it, but doesn't always do so efficiently. Hemp seed oil is about 2 percent GLA—as far as I know, hemp is the only edible seed containing gla. |
Earl L. Mindell, RPh, PhD with Virginia Hopkins, MA
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| If you want to take gla (borage oil) and EPA (fish oil) supplements for a few months to get your prostaglandin pathways in good working order, you should be taking 50 to 100 times more EPA than gla. You only need 1 to 2 mg of gla and 50 to 100 mg of EPA. gla at a dose of 1 to 2 mg and EPA at a dose of 50 to 100 mg daily will do a lot to get your prostaglandin pathways in good working order.
There is an amazing amount of misinformation out there about fats and oils and what they do in the body. |
Robyn Landis
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 When you consume LA, the body converts it to gamma linolenic acid (GLA), the form it takes before conversion to prostaglandins. gla is found in no food other than human milk. Without gla, we can't make prostaglandins.
Various factors such as too much alcohol, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar, or processed oils may block the LA-to-GLA pathways. So can diabetes, cancer, infections, and deficiencies of zinc, magnesium, niacin, B6, or vitamin C. In such cases, supplements containing already formed GLA—such as borage oil, evening primrose oil, and black currant oil— may be used. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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| Best of all, some of the omega-6 in hemp seed oil is gla (gamma-linolenic acid), an important omega-6 that we don't get nearly enough of. gla, the primary ingredient in evening primrose and borage oils, is very helpful for PMS and is a "good" omega-6; the body can make it, but doesn't always do so efficiently. Hemp seed oil is about 2 percent GLA—as far as I know, hemp is the only edible seed containing gla. |
Mark Sircus
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 Mansmann makes a strong case for high doses of magnesium, it cannot be ignored that gla has also been recognized for its ability to stop and/or reverse peripheral neuropathy and is endorsed by Dr. Robert C. Atkins, of the famous Atkins diet, which many diabetics follow.
Dr. Atkins says, "Science has established rather conclusively that gla halts the otherwise inevitable advance of nerve damage caused by diabetes. gla helps the nerves to heal. As one study of 111 patients showed, people with either form of diabetes, Type I or Type II, can benefit, using a dose as small as 480 mg of gla per day. |
Gabriel Cousens
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 GLA has been found to enhance nerve conduction and blood flow in diabetic rats. gla and other essential fatty acids seem to improve circulation, improve nerve conduction, and increase prostaglandin PG-1, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps ameliorate neuropathy.
The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are the biological precursors to a group of highly reactive, short-lived, molecular, hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins (PGAs). The PGAs play a role in regulating the second-by-second functioning of every part of the body. |
| And by giving gla, an omega-6 fatty acid, researchers found that receivers of gla did better in all sixteen parameters evaluated in one study.77
GLA has been found to enhance nerve conduction and blood flow in diabetic rats. These essential fatty acids seem to improve circulation, improve nerve conduction, and increase prostaglandin PG-1, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps ameliorate neuropathy. Spirulina is also 95 percent digestible, higher than any food known. |
| GAMMA LINOLENIC ACID (GLA)
GLA reportedly can reverse nerve damage to peripheral nerves in patients with diabetic neuropathy. gla regulates insulin, and seems to protect against diabetic heart, eye, and kidney damage. gla has an insulin-sparing activity that allows insulin to be more effective. Diets that are relatively high in linoleic acid appear to decrease the progression of microangiopathy in diabetics.137 Excellent sources are evening primrose oil and flax seed oil. |
| And by giving gla, an omega-6 fatty acid, researchers found that receivers of gla did better in all sixteen parameters evaluated in one study.77
GLA has been found to enhance nerve conduction and blood flow in diabetic rats. These essential fatty acids seem to improve circulation, improve nerve conduction, and increase prostaglandin PG-1, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and helps ameliorate neuropathy. Spirulina is also 95 percent digestible, higher than any food known. |
Ann M. Coulston and Carol J. Boushey
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 Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, CI8-3 n-6) and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), the elongase-catalyzed product of gla, have also been shown to alter membrane lipids of inflammatory cells [40, 119]. These n-6 fatty acids have been evaluated in animals and in humans in the attenuation of inflammatory and proliferative disorders, but not to the same extent as n-3 fatty acids. Reports have shown reduced levels of proinflammatory cytokines, reduced leukotriene synthesis, and modulated autoimmune activity. Examples of the sources of the fatty acids include borage oil and evening primrose oil. |
Mark Sircus
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| As one study of 111 patients showed, people with either form of diabetes, Type I or Type II, can benefit, using a dose as small as 480 mg of gla per day.68 Other research suggests that the fatty acid may even prevent the nerve deterioration from starting up.69
Some kind of abnormality in fatty acid metabolism is very likely involved in the development of diabetic complications and maybe even the development of diabetes itself. People who have the disease seem unable to make gla from dietary fats and therefore may suffer from an insufficiency of PGE?(Prostaglandin E? |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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 These include the omega-3 fatty acids and various subcomponents of that, most notably gla or gamma linolenic acid. gla, which is present in human breast milk, is critical for not only the development of brain tissue but the ongoing support of it. You can get gla in superfoods like spirulina. You can also find gla in various fish oils, such as cod liver oil, which is another fantastic supplement to be taking on a regular basis. Also, you can get it from a variety of foods, most notably oily fish and many different nuts and seeds. |
Mark Sircus
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| People who have the disease seem unable to make gla from dietary fats and therefore may suffer from an insufficiency of PGE?(Prostaglandin E?a beneficial hormone-like compound). Coincidentally enough, this substance can potentiate the work of insulin and exerts insulin like actions of its own. Therefore diabetics need all the PGE, that gla can help them make."
References
1 v57, Better Nutrition for Today's Living, March '95, p34. http://www.mgwater. com/articles.shtml
2 Department of Internal Medicine, Overlook Hospital, Summit, NJ, USA. |
| Atkins says, "Science has established rather conclusively that gla halts the otherwise inevitable advance of nerve damage caused by diabetes. gla helps the nerves to heal. As one study of 111 patients showed, people with either form of diabetes, Type I or Type II, can benefit, using a dose as small as 480 mg of gla per day.68 Other research suggests that the fatty acid may even prevent the nerve deterioration from starting up. |
Jack Challem
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 GLA, help you to become less sensitive to stress. The mechanism is unclear. gla is an anti-inflammatory dietary fat, however, and stress triggers a heightened inflammatory reaction. Take 1 to 3 grams daily.
Melatonin. If your anxiety levels make it difficult to sleep, take melatonin one to two hours before bedtime. Be sure you are at home when you take it the first time because it may make you drowsy. Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, and supplements contain a synthetic version of it (so you don't have to worry about contracting a disease from animal-brain products). |
Mark Sircus
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| Atkins says, "Science has established rather conclusively that gla halts the otherwise inevitable advance of nerve damage caused by diabetes. gla helps the nerves to heal. As one study of 111 patients showed, people with either form of diabetes, Type I or Type II, can benefit, using a dose as small as 480 mg of gla per day.68 Other research suggests that the fatty acid may even prevent the nerve deterioration from starting up. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
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| These include the omega-3 fatty acids and various subcomponents of that, most notably gla or gamma linolenic acid. gla, which is present in human breast milk, is critical for not only the development of brain tissue but the ongoing support of it. You can get gla in superfoods like spirulina. You can also find gla in various fish oils, such as cod liver oil, which is another fantastic supplement to be taking on a regular basis. Also, you can get it from a variety of foods, most notably oily fish and many different nuts and seeds. |
Mike Adams
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 Human milk also contains types of fatty acids not found in any other species, animal or plant, such as gla (gamma-linolenic acid), one of the critical precursors of the anti-inflammatory prostaglandin 1 (PGE1) variety. One of these fats, called DGLA, or dihomogammalinolenic acid, is converted in the body to arachidonic acid, from which the prostaglandin 2 (PGE2) hormones and other brain structures are made.
- Carol Simontacchi, The Crazy Makers
To put it simply, cows' milk builds strong calves, but human breast milk builds strong brains. |
Jack Challem
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| For impulsive and distractible behavior in adults, start by taking 3 grams of omega-3 fish oils and 200 to 500 mg of gla. (The gla will be derived from borage, evening primrose, or black currant seed oils— the dosage is more important than the source.) You may increase the dosages to 6 grams of omega-3 fish oils and 1,000 mg (1 gram) of gla. Follow the other supplement recommendations in the order described.
GAB A. Gamma aminobutyric acid, both an amino acid and a neurotransmitter, helps the brain to filter out nonessential information—that is, distractions. |
Abram Hoffer, PhD, MD, FRCP(C) and Dr. Jonathan Prousjy, DPHE, DSC, ND, FRSH
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 The simplest way of getting gla is by taking evening primrose oil and other GLA-rich oils. The dose range varies from under 1 gram per day to 10 g for very serious conditions.
Prostaglandin Affected Conditions: Fats and Oils by Udo Erasmus is one of the best books describing the chemistry and biochemistry of the two series of essential fatty acids. In the body, EFAs are converted into prostaglandins, which help regulate the entire body. When there is a deficiency, digestion is compromised and healing is retarded. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 And gla has been shown to be highly beneficial in the treatment of eczema, leading many to believe that not having enough of it could aggravate eczema. The solution? Take it in supplement form.
(Little fun fact: gla is actually a member of a class of fatty acids called omega-6s, and generally speaking, omega-6s tend to increase the level of inflammatory compounds in the body, especially when they're not balanced with enough omega-3s. Not gla, however. |
Jack Challem
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| In a study of children with behavioral disorders, researchers found that a combination of omega-3 fish oils and gla (in a 4:1 ratio) led to significant reductions in impulsive and hyperactive behavior and better focus, reflected in improved reading and spelling. Considerable other research has confirmed that EPA, DHA, and gla help a wide range of impulsive behaviors. One researcher has suggested that DHA, because of its integral role in nerve tissue, can normalize "excitability" across the board. |
| The mechanism is unclear. gla is an anti-inflammatory dietary fat, however, and stress triggers a heightened inflammatory reaction. Take 1 to 3 grams daily.
Melatonin. If your anxiety levels make it difficult to sleep, take melatonin one to two hours before bedtime. Be sure you are at home when you take it the first time because it may make you drowsy. Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, and supplements contain a synthetic version of it (so you don't have to worry about contracting a disease from animal-brain products). |
Mary G. Enig
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 These include borage oil, which contains about 20 to 25 percent gla, black currant oil, which contains about 15 to 19 percent gla, and evening primrose oil, which contains about 7 to 10 percent gla. These oils have become popular for use as medicinal oils because of their content of gla, a fatty acid considered beneficial in certain disease states (see Chapter 1 and the General Glossary for discussion of the functions of gla).
Black currant oil comes from the seeds of the black currant berry bush (Ribes nigrum). |
Earl L. Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 If you want to take gla (borage oil) and EPA (fish oil) supplements for a few months to get your prostaglandin pathways in good working order, you should be taking 50 to 100 more EPA than gla. You only need 1 to 2 mg of gla and 50 to 100 mg of EPA.
There is an amazing amount of misinformation out there about fats and oils and what they do in the body. If you'd like a clearly written, well-researched book on prostaglandins and essential fatty acids, try Enter the Zone by Barry Sears (Regan Books, 1995). |
Mary G. Enig
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| These include borage oil, which contains about 20 to 25 percent gla, black currant oil, which contains about 15 to 19 percent gla, and evening primrose oil, which contains about 7 to 10 percent gla. These oils have become popular for use as medicinal oils because of their content of gla, a fatty acid considered beneficial in certain disease states (see Chapter 1 and the General Glossary for discussion of the functions of gla).
Black currant oil comes from the seeds of the black currant berry bush (Ribes nigrum). |
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