Borage Oil Health Article

Description

Borage, whose botanical name is Borago officinalis, is an annual herb in the Boraginaceae family. There are as many as 2,500 species in this family of plants. The specific designation officinalis indicates the herb's inclusion in official listings of medicinal plants. Borage is a wild-growing, hardy native of the Mediterranean region, cultivated and naturalized throughout Great Britain and North America. Traditionally associated with courage, borage was used to flavor the wine for soldiers preparing for battle. The English word "borage" may be derived from the word borrach, a Celtic word meaning "a person of courage." In folk tradition throughout its long history of recorded use, borage was believed to dispel melancholy and ease grief and sadness. According to the ancient Greek physician Dioscorides, borage can "cheer the heart and lift the depressed spirits." Common names for the herb include burrage, common bugloss, star flower, tailwort, or beebread. Borage self-seeds freely and flourishes in rich, well-drained soil in full sun. It is a good companion herb in the cottage garden, attracting honey bees and imparting strength and insect resistance to nearby plants, particularly strawberry and tomato.

Borage's silvery-green, oblong to ovate, textured leaves form a basal rosette, then grow alternately up a succulent hollow round stem containing a clear mucilage. The leaves and sprawling branches are covered in bristly white hairs that impart a silvery sheen to the herb and are irritating to the skin on contact. Borage can reach a height of 2 ft (0.6 m), with leaves as long as 5 in (13 cm). The five-petaled star-shaped blue flowers, each with five black anthers, grow in loose, downward-turning clusters at the apex of the stems. Borage may bloom continuously from early spring until frost. The large, brownish-black seeds are three-sided. They may be viable for as long as eight years. The roots are shallow and spreading.

Borage seed oil

In contrast to borage's centuries of use as a herb, borage seed oil has been used only for the last 10 years. Borage oil, extracted from the seeds by cold pressing, contains omega-6 essential fatty acids, with as much as a 25–30% concentration of gamma linolenic acid (GLA). GLA is a derivative of the omega-6 fatty acids. It is an essential fatty acid used by the body to produce prostaglandins, the hormone-like substances in the body that may be out of balance in premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or during menopause. GLA also appears to reduce the adherence of plaque (abnormal patches of hardened deposits) to artery walls, thus lowering the risk of coronary heart disease. GLA helps to relieve PMS, regulate the menstrual cycle, and ease the hot flashes and mood swings of menopause.

At present, borage seed oil is best known for its antiinflammatory properties. The oil has been shown in clinical studies with human subjects to be useful in treating the following conditions:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• atopic eczema
• infantile seborrheic dermatitis
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Sjögren's syndrome
• juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA)

In addition, the GLA in borage seed oil prevents the formation of blood clots, helps to keep cell membranes flexible, and supports the body's immune function.

Other claims for borage seed oil that have not been tested in clinical studies include its use as a remedy for hangovers, as an anti-aging preparation, and as a wrinkle reducer. Various borage oil products that make these claims, however, are readily available over the Internet.

Culinary and medicinal uses

Borage's culinary and medicinal uses have been known for at least 2000 years. Borage is a cooling, cleansing, and refreshing herb with adaptogenic, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, and anti-inflammatory properties. The entire plant contains mucilage, tannin, essential oil, potassium, calcium, pyrrolizioline alkaloids, saponins, and vitamin C, as well as a high amount of mineral salts. The leaves have been used as an adrenal tonic to balance and restore the health of the adrenal glands following periods of stress. A tea made from the leaves and blossoms will also promote lactation, relieve fevers, and promote sweating, The soothing mucilage in borage makes it a beneficial treatment for dry cough and throat irritation. Borage tea is also a good remedy to use with such digestive disturbances as gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome. European herbalists use borage tea to restore strength during convalescence. It may be of particular benefit during recovery from surgery or following steroid treatment. Borage tea is also helpful in clearing up such skin problems as boils and rashes, and has been used as an eyewash.

About a dozen clinical tests of the medicinal applications of borage in human subjects have been conducted since 1989. In addition, some researchers are now testing the effects of borage on skin cells in animal studies.