The effects of gamma-linolenic acid
Neil Goffart
Neil Goffart
We hear far more about omega-3 fatty acids than about omega-6. Yet it is the latter that we actually consume the most. Gamma-linolenic acid is the most widespread of them and is essential to our body, all the more so because the body does not synthesise it on its own. Where can you find this fatty acid? Is it safe? Today, discover the positive effects of omega-6, and of GLA in particular.
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is, along with linoleic acid, the most widespread essential fatty acid of the omega-6 family in plant-based products. It cannot be synthesised directly by our body, but is made from linoleic acid.
The omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential to the proper working of our body, since they take part upstream in the synthesis of certain molecules, such as prostaglandin, which enables cell and neuron activity, blood circulation, contraction of the uterus and gastric secretions. However, to have enough of them in the body, large quantities of linoleic acid must be consumed.
Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) helps maintain healthy, supple, flexible and mobile joints. GLA provides an adequate intake of PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) which helps maintain a healthy attitude and temperament during the menstrual cycle. Supplementing with evening primrose and borage oils rich in gamma-linolenic acid, for example:
Every fatty acid has a precise function from a nutritional point of view. That is why omega 3 and omega 6 each have their own role, which requires a specific balance[4]. In particular, omega-3 EPA inhibits the action of arachidonic acid from the omega-6 family[5]. Unfortunately, in our everyday diet, that ratio is often not respected.
The World Health Organization (WHO) tells us that, for a healthy lifestyle, we should consume five doses of omega-6 for one of omega-3. Yet in Europe we consume, on average, fifteen times more. Omega-3 and omega-6 alike are essential fatty acids for our cells.
For decades, the plants we consume most in our diet, human or animal, have been sunflower, maize and soya, which are found in our meat, eggs and dairy products, but above all in processed fatty products, and they are rich in omega-6 fatty acids. Only very recently have rapeseed, linseed and alfalfa, rich in omega-3, been introduced into farm animal feed.
Omega-6 fatty acids are found in processed fatty foods (crisps, charcuterie, etc.) and in our meat, particularly pork and poultry fed on maize and soya, but also in walnut, hemp and safflower oils. GLA is found mainly in borage, evening primrose, blackcurrant seed, argan and hemp oils. The recommended nutritional intake (RNI) of omega-6 fatty acids is between 8g and 11g per day in adults. Yet one tablespoon of walnut oil provides around 9g.
Borage oil is made up of nearly one third GLA, another third linoleic acid, and the rest is a mixture of oleic or palmitic acids, phytosterols and vitamin E.
The positive effects of borage oil:
Just like borage oil, whose properties are very similar, evening primrose oil:
It is the second richest oil in omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GLA is a polyunsaturated fatty acid of the omega-6 family, but it is not considered essential in the same way as linoleic acid. The human body can in fact make GLA from linoleic acid, thanks to an enzyme called delta-6-desaturase. It is therefore linoleic acid that must be supplied by the diet. GLA can also be consumed directly through certain plant oils, notably evening primrose and borage oils.
GLA is far less widespread in the diet than linoleic acid. Borage and evening primrose seed oils are among its most widely used plant sources, alongside blackcurrant seed oil in particular. The concentration varies according to the species and the preparation. By way of example, the current Onagre & Bourrache LEPIVITS formula uses an evening primrose oil standardised to 10% GLA and a borage oil standardised to 20%, together providing 225 mg of GLA per three capsules.
There is currently no European recommendation imposing an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 5:1. In its opinion on dietary reference values for fats, the EFSA explicitly chose not to set a value for the n-6/n-3 ratio. It does, however, set an adequate intake for linoleic acid corresponding to 4% of energy intake. Current WHO recommendations place more emphasis on the overall quality of fats and on replacing saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats.
Plant oils must be used in accordance with their dosage and with particular attention to their quality and analytical testing. Borage belongs to a family of plants that can produce pyrrolizidine alkaloids, some of which have genotoxic and carcinogenic potential; their presence in foodstuffs is therefore regulated. For the current LEPIVITS formula, the recommended use is three capsules per day and the product page advises informing your doctor or pharmacist in the event of concurrent medication use.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26270516/
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23633319/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11710548/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12442909/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27083549/
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