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Borage Oil

Borage (Boragoofficinalis), also known as a starflower, it is native to the Mediterranean region. The leaves are edible and it has a high stem with an oval shaped big green leafs pointed upwards. Its flowers are small, bright blue or pink, with five triangular petals, arranged in the shape of a star. The plant is commercially cultivated for borage seed oilextracted from its seeds.

Borage oil is a type of essential fatty acid that contains one of the highest amounts of gamma-linolenic acid, (GLA, also known as omega-6). Borage oil contains 20% to 24% GLA. Omega 6is necessary to human health. In combination with omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function, as well as normal growth and development. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), they help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system.

 

BLOOMNG G (Borage Oil)For the skin

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an OMEGA-6 fatty acid is crucial in the development of healthy skin cells.1 Used for a number of key functions throughout the body, GLA is a building block in the formation of cell membranes. Without it, skin cell membranes are unable to retain adequate moisture levels, resulting in dry skin.

Gamma-linolenic acid is a “good” OMEGA-6 fat that the human body is fully capable of producing for itself, under normal circumstances. The creation of GLA within the body begins with linoleic acid (LA), an essential fatty acid that we ingest in our daily diets. Generally, the body has a plentiful supply of linoleic acid since it is commonly found in almost all edible vegetable oils. Once inside the body, linoleic acid is acted upon by a key enzyme called delta-6-desaturase (D6D), which biochemically converts LA into GLA Without D6D, the body would not be able to manufacture GLA, regardless of how much linoleic acid was present. From that point, GLA is further converted, via a sequence of biochemical steps, into an extremely important compound called prostaglandin E1 (PGE1). This molecule acts as a potent anti-inflammatory on the skin, is key in regulating water loss, and protects skin cells from injury and damage.2

The D6D enzyme, which catalyzes the conversion of LA into GLA, is often referred to as a “lazy” enzyme. That is to say, it can be slow in doing its job, and under some conditions may actually be impaired. The evidence strongly suggests a reduction in the activity of the D6D enzyme, without which the chain reaction of GLA and PGE1 manufacture is impossible. The resulting decrease in the synthesis of PGE1 may be responsible for the characteristic dry skin and trans-epidermal water loss that is routinely observed

Although the body is unable to manufacture GLA without D6D, there are other ways of providing the body with the steady supply of GLA that it needs – oral supplements and topical application being the two main ones. Studies have shown that topically applied GLA has a positive impact on chronic dry skin and other skin conditions.

References
1. Horrobin, DF. 1997. “Essential Fatty Acids in the Management of Impaired Nerve Function in Diabetes”. . Diabetes. 46(2S):S90.
2. Ziboh, V and Miller, C. 1990. “Essential fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids: Significance in .Cutaneous Biology”.Annu. Rev. Nutr. 10:433.
3. Borage Diabeticare