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The Question
08/21/09 10:57 PM

"Is it possible that long term over use of evening primrose oil could cause diabetes? "
Asked By: sagecanoe  
Category: Type 1

Background Info Hide
I am a 38 year old woman who was diagnosed just last year with type 1 diabetes. I had been taking 4000 mg of evening primrose oil per day for approx 10 years. Originally I started taking it for pms and then when I noticed it's weight reducing properties, I began to take it after every meal or snack. I think it is an insulin mimicker? Now I see what a terrible STUPID thing I was doing. About one year before becoming really sick, I added CLA to my EP cocktail and began to lose more weight. But it wasn't soon after this (about 6 months) that I got VERY sick and was diagnosed with diabetes. I have no risk factors for the disease and my age and low weight made no sense to my doctor. I am too embarrased to tell them what a stupid thing I'd been doing with the herbs. The reason why I am so concerned is that other women could do this and end up injecting insulin for the rest of their lives like me.

Expert Answers (1)

08/26/09 11:01 AM

Hi sagecanoe. I first want to acknowledge your surprise and fear about being diagnosed with a chronic disease that requires day to day and meal to meal management. There are still a lot of things we don't know about diabetes. If you've been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 38 it is often referred to as Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Unlike Type 2, where there are actual risk factors associated with developing the disease. I did my research and found no literature that stated that use or overuse of evening primrose could cause diabetes. Evening Primrose is a plant that is native to North America. The oil contains gamma-linoleic acid (GLA) which is an essential fatty acid needed for growth and development. (Essential means that the fatty acid must be obtained through the diet). Scientists say that there is some good evidence to show that using Evening Primrose may help with eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and breast pain. EP is often used for other conditions such as PMS, menopause, cancer and diabetes although there is no evidence that it is effective. There are many medications that EP may interact with including those used for mental illness, blood pressure, anticoagulants, and anesthesia. Anyone planning to use EP should do their research and be sure their physician knows everything they are taking. Chances are you would have developed diabetes with or without the EP. Please stop blaming yourself. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are chronic diseases that could happen to anyone, even without a family history. The best way to handle this is to take charge of the disease management and don't let it beat you. DLife has great information to help you with this. A personalized visit with a diabetes educator can help you feel more in control of your situation. I admire you for asking this question so that other people can be warned. However, I found nothing that confirms your fear about EP or CLA.
Answered By: Jodi Limacher
Accreditations: MS, RD, CDE
Sources Show

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