Arthritis is a painful condition that affects the lives of many Americans, potentially interfering with daily activities and, in some cases, becoming debilitating. The most common forms of arthritis are osteoarthritis, usually caused by wear and tear on joints, and rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of soft tissues in your joints. Borage oil contains natural compounds that may help relieve some of the discomfort caused by arthritis. Discuss its use with your doctor to decide if it is a good choice for you.
Symptoms and Risk Factors
Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis cause pain when you move your joints, especially after a period of time without any movement. Affected joints may also become swollen and red; you might also lose some range of motion. You may be at increased risk for osteoarthritis if you are older or have had previous injuries to a joint, or if you are obese. Women are at higher risk for rheumatoid arthritis and both forms of arthritis tend to run in families.
Borage Oil
Borage, or Borago officinalis, is also called bee plant or ox's tongue. The plant produces an oil that contains several natural chemicals, including one called gamma-linolenic acid, or GLA, which is an omega-6 fatty acid. These fats are called essential fatty acids because they are needed by your body and must be obtained from external sources. GLA has several medicinal properties, including an ability to block some of the steps leading to inflammation.
Properties and Evidence
GLA in borage oil suppresses production by your immune cells of several molecules that cause inflammation. One of these, called tumor-necrosis factor alpha, is associated with inflammation caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Some research supports use of borage oil for arthritis, including a study published in the "Annals of Internal Medicine" in 1993 in which subjects with rheumatoid arthritis who took borage oil for 24 weeks experienced significant pain relief compared to a placebo group. These results are very promising, although larger trials that also include patients with osteoarthritis are still needed.
Recommendations and Precautions
Borage oil is available in capsules from most health food stores. Choose a product labeled for its content of GLA, the active ingredient. The usual dose of GLA is 480 mg daily, in divided doses. Borage oil is generally considered safe, although some preparations contain small amounts of an alkaloid called amabiline that is toxic in large amounts. Choose only borage oil supplements certified free of this compound. Do not take borage oil if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Consult your doctor to discuss if borage oil might be helpful for you.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Arthritis
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Borage
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Gamma-Linolenic Acid
- Arthritis Foundation: What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
- "Annals of Internal Medicine"; Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Gammalinolenic Acid; L. Leventhal, et al.; November 1993
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