Alternative medicine practitioners utilize evening primrose oil, often shortened to EPO, as a fertility aid. The oil, obtained from the seeds of the wildflower, has been used medicinally by a number of cultures. The Internet abounds with anecdotal uses for EPO in infertility, often to improve the quality of cervical mucus. Do not take this supplement without discussing its use with your doctor first.
Definition
Evening primrose oil contains two essential omega-6 fatty acids, linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA. While most Americans consume too many omega-6 fatty acids and too few omega-3 fatty acids, some omega-6 fatty acids, like GLA, are more beneficial than those found in the typical American diet, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports.
Uses
One of the main uses advocated for EPO in fertility is to increase and improve cervical mucus. The cervix leads from the vagina to the uterus. Cervical mucus is normally thick and sticky, to act as a barrier to infection into the uterus. Around the time of ovulation each month, cervical mucus becomes thin, watery and stretchy, which facilitates the passage of sperm from vagina to uterus. Proponents of EPO claim the oil assists the thinning process and also restores hormone balance and decreases stress.
Efficacy
The results of using of EPO to treat fertility is mostly anecdotal. Studies into the benefits of herbs are, however, often difficult to find because the pharmaceutical industry, which sponsors many drug studies, has no monetary incentive to do studies on natural treatments because they can't patent their use.
Studies on the use of EPO in menopause and premenstrual syndrome, two female hormone-related conditions, have not found a predictable benefit for EPO in those hormonal conditions, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Evening primrose oil has shown some benefit in treating breast pain, which may also be hormone-related, the UMMC reports.
Caveats
Evening primrose oil can cause uterine contractions; do not take this supplement without first discussing its use with your medical practitioner. Uterine contractions can interfere with implantation of an embryo after conception. If you're taking the supplement to improve cervical mucus, there is no benefit to taking it more than a day past ovulation, because the ovulated egg doesn't normally survive any longer than that.
Women taking antipsychotic medications or anti-seizure medications should not take EPO, since this drug has caused seizures in people taking anti-seizure medication. The drug may also increase bleeding in people with blood disorders or those taking blood thinners.
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