Evening Primrose Oil for Mood Stabilization
No credible trial evidence supports evening primrose oil for mood.
Overview
Verdict
How It Works
Dosing & Protocol
Typical dose
- Recommended dose
- Not established for mood; trials used 1-4 g evening primrose oil daily (about 80-360 mg GLA) without demonstrated benefit
- Expected timeframe
- Not established
Protocol
- form
- Not applicable
- duration
- Not applicable
- co factor
- Evidence is insufficient. Evening primrose oil supplies gamma-linolenic acid, and the historical interest in fatty acids and mood came from the observation that omega-3 status is lower in depression - but that evidence concerns EPA and DHA, not GLA. Trials of evening primrose oil at 1-4 g/day have not shown improvement in depression, bipolar mood stability or premenstrual mood, and there is no randomised evidence supporting it as a mood stabiliser. Omega-3 with a high EPA fraction has considerably more support for depressive symptoms.
- titration
- Not applicable
- starting dose
- Not applicable as an established treatment
Evidence
What the studies say
No studies are yet linked to both Evening Primrose Oil and Mood Stabilization.
Safety
Caveats
Mood instability, particularly with periods of elevated energy, reduced sleep need or impulsivity, may indicate bipolar disorder, which needs psychiatric assessment and prescribed mood-stabilising treatment - never substitute a supplement, and never stop lithium, valproate, lamotrigine or an antipsychotic, since relapse and suicide risk are real. Any thoughts of self-harm need urgent help. Safety: evening primrose oil inhibits platelet aggregation, so avoid with warfarin, direct oral anticoagulants, aspirin or clopidogrel, and stop two weeks before surgery. It has been associated with lowering the seizure threshold, so avoid in epilepsy and with phenothiazine antipsychotics. Common side effects are nausea, loose stools and headache. Not recommended in pregnancy - it has been used to ripen the cervix at term and its safety earlier in pregnancy is not established. Valproate in particular is severely teratogenic, so anyone of childbearing potential on mood medication needs specialist contraception advice.
Less likely to help if
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Individual results may vary. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.