Most women experience breast pain and tenderness from time to time. It can be a sharp pain, a dull ache or simply extreme tenderness. Breast pain is typically associated with the premenstrual period, but other factors can contribute its cause, including anatomy of the breast and ribcage, breast trauma and an imbalance of fatty acids. Fortunately, breast pain is most often associated with a benign condition. Evening primrose oil and vitamin E are both dietary supplements that may be helpful in alleviating some types of breast pain, but ask for your doctor's advice before taking either one.
Evening Primrose Benefits
Evening primrose is a biennial plant that produces little white flowers that bloom after dusk, giving it part of its name. In years past, the entire plant was harvested and used for stomach and respiratory ailments. It was highly valued by some Native American tribes who used evening primrose to disinfect cuts and scrapes. Currently, the oil extracted from the seeds of the plant is used medicinally. Evening primrose oil is used to treat eczema and other skin irritations, diabetic neuropathy, allergies, dry eyes and hangovers. Additionally, evening primrose oil is often used to treat benign breast pain.
Evening Primrose Oil for Breast Pain
Evening primrose contains a high concentration of GLA, or gamma-linoleic acid, along with linoleic acid. GLA and linoleic acid are both omega-6 fatty acids, which together with omega-3 fatty acids, perform many important functions in the body. According to AltMD, the American diet often lacks sources of these omega-6 fatty acids, which creates an imbalance that affects the production of prostaglandins. The result of an imbalance of fatty acids can be the cause of breast pain. Evening primrose oil is often the treatment of choice for this type of breast pain.
Vitamin E Benefits
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that is loaded with antioxidants. There are eight forms, or isomers, of vitamin E, and alpha-tocopherol is the active form found in your body tissues. As an antioxidant, vitamin E can interfere with free radicals that can cause damage to the cells in your body. Unless your diet is poor, you most likely get enough vitamin E through the foods you eat. Vitamin E deficiency is rare, and most people don't require a vitamin E supplement in their diet. However, MayoClinic.com states that results of ongoing studies suggest vitamin E may be beneficial in treating some medical conditions, including atherosclerosis, cataracts, allergies and breast pain.
Vitamin E for Breast Pain
Along with evening primrose oil, vitamin E may provide some benefit in alleviating breast pain associated with the menstrual cycle. The medical journal "Alternative Medicine Review" reports that premenstrual women given 1,200 IU of vitamin E and 3,000 mg of evening primrose oil daily experienced a decrease in breast pain after a six-month treatment course. Discuss taking vitamin E and evening primrose oil supplements for breast pain with your doctor first. Vitamin E may increase bleeding risks and cannot be taken if you are on blood-thinner medications, and evening primrose oil cannot be taken with seizure medications.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Breast Pain
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Evening Primrose Oil; Steven D. Erlich, N.M.D.; October 2008
- AltMD: Evening Primrose Oil
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin E
- Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin E; Jane Higdon, PhD; November 2004
- "Alternative Medicine Review": Vitamin E and Evening Primrose Oil for Management of Cyclical Mastalgia; S. Pruthi et al; April 2010
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