You’ll Go Gaga Over GLA
Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) from cold pressed black currant seed oil is a must have for any and all women. This small, round, juicy berry found on the Ribers nigrum, otherwise known as the black currant plant, is a familiar ingredient in herbal teas and jams.
However, the tiny seeds inside the berries are what you should have your eyes on as they’re a rich source of essential fats. Oil produced from the black currant seed contains 10 to 12 percent alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and 15 to 17 percent GLA.
GLA is a precursor for several potent body chemicals known as prostaglandins, including the highly beneficial prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), which plays an important role in multiple physiological functions.
Adding a rich source of GLA from black currant seed oil to your daily regimen is a smart and sexy health move. It relieves all sorts of hormone-related symptoms that we women know well (and don’t love), such as cramps, breast tenderness, water retention, and irritability.
A Variety of Health Benefits
Black currant seed oil is a powerhouse for women’s health. Here’s how.
- Immune Booster: GLA production decreases with viral infection or illness. Supplementing with GLA helps safeguard immune defenses. In fact, when GLA (with EPA) was given to chronic fatigue sufferers, their symptoms improved dramatically.
- Cholesterol Reducer: A reduction in PGE1 wreaks havoc on cholesterol levels. Taking 250 to 1,000 milligrams of GLA daily has been shown to increase PGE1 levels while reducing cholesterol.
- Cancer Fighter: In one study, terminally ill patients suffering from pancreatic cancer tripled their life expectancy after taking extensive doses of GLA. It is also believed that tumor growth and metastasis can be quelled with GLA – especially in melanoma and colon or breast cancer.
- Arthritis Reliever: Mobility, morning stiffness, and inflammation have all been eased by GLA supplementation, which helps suppress T-cell proliferation. One study also found that patients were able to reduce their usage of potentially harmful NSAIDS while they were taking GLA supplementation.
- MS Halter: Of the patients responding to GLA supplementation, around 40 percent experience the disease either retarding or stopping. It took higher doses or 500 to 1,000 milligrams of GLA to achieve the benefit.
- Diabetic Support: GLA has been shown in conclusive studies to stop the progression of nerve disease and help with nerve functions. Additional studies suggest that GLA may even be a catalyst in hindering nerve deterioration at the start.
Get Glowing With GLA
GLA is not only the gatekeeper to our health but to our appearance, as well. Beauty-wise, this incredible nutrient really goes all out, flaunting it’s anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating prowess. It actually increases cell resilience and moistens the fatty layer beneath the skin, delivering a multitude of beautifying benefits that include:
- Producing a dewy complexion
- Aiding collagen loss
- Soothing dry, scaly skin
- Combating wrinkles
- Nourishing straw-like hair
- Strengthening brittle nails
- Helping to prevent dandruff
Curbing Carb Cravings
In addition to its healing and beautifying benefits, this fatty acid boosts the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that curbs carb cravings to help prevent excess intake of high-calorie comfort foods.
What’s more, GLA activates brown fat, a metabolically active form that contains mitochondria. These little cellular energy furnaces actually burn off dietary sugar and the brown fat itself to generate heat and keep the body slim.
In fact, research has confirmed that deeper brown fat cells burn three times more calories than surface white cells.
I strongly suggest gamma linolenic acid to all women as a beautifying agent that’s also a force to be reckoned with against disease and those unpleasant menopausal and menstrual symptoms.