Evening Primrose Oil - a rich source of GLA

What is the history of the Evening Primrose plant?

The Evening Primrose plant (Oenothera spp) originated in Central America some 70,000 years ago. It reached Europe in the eighteenth century via the soil used as ballast in ships carrying light cargo such as cotton. The seeds germinated readily, colonising waste areas around ports and railway lines where the ballast was discarded. Even today Evening Primrose is most commonly found growing wild along roadsides and in bloom is an attractive yellow flower.

The Efamol Difference

Think that all Evening Primrose Oil products are the same? Think again. Wild varieties of Evening Primrose vary greatly in quantity and quality of GLA. In pursuit of superior quality, Efamol has become world's leading authority on the cultivation of new breeds of Evening Primrose, and over the last 20 years our breeding programme has focused on delivering the best possible plant varieties. Because of this, we feel justified in saying that our products are of superior quality and purity compared to others.

So what makes our Evening Primrose Oil so special?

The fact that it contains 33% more GLA than most other commercially available strains - but to understand the significance of this, you have to first understand the significance of Evening Primrose Oil.

Unlike vegetable oils like sunflower, olive and safflower, Evening Primrose Oil is a rich source of Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), a nutrient that is just as important to the body as vitamins, minerals and proteins. The body takes GLA and converts it to hormone-like substances called prostaglandins. These are particularly important as they play a role in many bodily functions such as the beating of the heart and the communications within the brain. You can learn more about the role of GLA in the section of this site called 'The Importance of Fatty Acids'.

After twenty years' of research, our scientists have developed strains of Evening Primrose plant that produce the finest quality oil, with a consistent percentage of vital GLA. Indeed, we have been granted the equivalent of plant 'patents' for 6 varieties of our plants, the most recent of these being for the variety 'Rigel'. Rigel Evening Primrose Oil is unique to Efamol and contains 33% more GLA than many other commercial strains - which makes it one of the most potent Evening Primrose Oils currently available.It takes 5,000 seeds from Rigel Evening Primrose plants to make one Efamol 500mg capsule. That is the equivalent of about one and a half plants to make one capsule.