Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose · Oenothera biennis · EPO · GLA

Snapshot

Indications	Contraindications
Cyclical mastalgia^{1, 2} Mild atopic dermatitis³ Menopausal hot flashes^4–6 Painful diabetic neuropathy⁷	Labor induction or cervical ripening^8–10 Medications without provider review¹¹

Evening primrose oil, pressed from Oenothera biennis seeds, supplies the omega-6 fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid¹¹. It is taken where conversion from linoleic acid is thought to be impaired, as proposed in atopic dermatitis, and for the uses that follow: eczema, cyclical breast pain, menopausal symptoms, and premenstrual syndrome¹¹. Typical patients are premenopausal women with breast pain and menopausal women avoiding hormone therapy.

A meta-analysis of oral use in atopic dermatitis found no difference from placebo¹². The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health states there is not enough evidence to support use for any condition¹¹. In menopause, a meta-analysis found shorter hot flashes but no significant change in their frequency or intensity. A 2023 review of clinical and experimental studies in multiple sclerosis listed evening primrose seed oil among ten plant oils proposed to reduce inflammation and promote remyelination¹³. Products listing evening primrose oil number in the tens of thousands, mostly softgel capsules; see Form comparison.

Labor induction is flagged because a trial found no effect on gestational age at delivery or labor duration, and its authors advised confining use to experimental trials. Per the same fact sheet, people taking any medicine are asked to talk with their health care provider before use¹¹.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Read how we make monographs.

In the full monograph

72 sources, 57 studies

When to useThe situations practitioners use it for, each with the reason and the study behind it.
SafetyWho should avoid it, who needs extra care, and the side effects reported in studies.
InteractionsThe medicines and supplements it interacts with, the effect of each, and what labeling says to watch.
Protocol notesThe doses used in studies, how and when they were taken, and how the forms on the market compare.
How it worksWhat it is and how it works in the body, in plain terms.
Published studiesThe studies behind each use, popular claims checked against them, and trials still under way.
Word of mouthWhat patients and practitioners report online, kept separate from the clinical evidence.
Clinical perspectiveA closing read of where the evidence is solid, where it is thin, and what has not been studied.

Snapshot

In the full monograph

Sources