Supplement
Rich source of GLA (8-14%) that is converted to DGLA, which competes with arachidonic acid, producing anti-inflammatory PGE1 instead of pro-inflammatory PGE2. Supports skin barrier, modulates hormonal pathways.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Superscript reference numbers link to the Sources bibliography.
Composite Rating
Blends evidence depth, community direction, safety friction, and completeness.
Evidence Intensity
100/100
High depth from human/RCT/meta counts
Community Direction
9
Mixed / Neutral • confidence Low
Safety Friction
100/100
High signal from adverse/interaction markers
Data Completeness
100%
Studies 24 • mentions 8 • links 38
Not medical advice. This product is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition.
FDA disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Results may vary. Not intended for use by pregnant or nursing women, individuals under 18, or those with known medical conditions without physician consultation.
If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
Goal alignment: Skin Hair, Inflammation, Hormone Health.[74,90,271, etc.]
Dose guide: 1-3 g EPO daily (providing 120-360 mg GLA).[74,90,271, etc.]
Category
Fatty Acid
Evidence Tier
EXPLORATORY
Daily Guide
1-3 g EPO daily (providing 120-360 mg GLA)
Clinical Depth
Humans: 1,434 • RCTs: 273 • Meta: 55
Cohort / Real-World
Cohort signals: 0
Safety Markers
Adverse signals: 280 • Interactions: 542
Freshness, trend, and study timeline for this item
Status
Trend
→ Stable evidence base
Depth
2793 total studies · 5 recent
Timeline
Total indexed
2,793
Animal-only studies
2,564
Human studies
1,434
In vitro / tissue
611
Interaction signals
542
Safety adverse signals
280
Weighted direction score: 9 (Mixed / Neutral)
≥2 meta-analyses OR (≥5 RCTs AND ≥25 human studies).
Total indexed
2,793
Animal-only studies
2,564
Human studies
1,434
In vitro / tissue
611
Interaction signals
542
Safety adverse signals
280
Randomized trials
273
Meta-analyses
55
Distribution of evidence by study design strength
Evidence Strength: High
Composite of study volume, RCTs, and meta-analyses
PMID 32114706 • 2020 Feb 29
Omega-3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Open PubMedPMID 31847055 • 2019 Dec 18
Omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids for dry eye disease.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Open PubMedPMID 30019766 • 2018 Jul 18
Omega-3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Open PubMedPMID 25023276 • 2014 Sep
Dietary ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
JAMA neurology
Open PubMedPMID 37632423 • 2024
Dietary intake, biomarkers and supplementation of fatty acids and risk of coronary events: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective observational studies.
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
Open PubMedPMID 34645650 • 2021 Oct 13
Dietary intake and biomarkers of alpha linolenic acid and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies.
BMJ (Clinical research ed.)
Open PubMedPMID 32643951 • 2021
Effects of α-linolenic acid intake on blood lipid profiles：a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
Open PubMedPMID 31647041 • 2021 Mar
Omega-3 and polyunsaturated fat for prevention of depression and anxiety symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials.
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
Open PubMedPMID 33264277 • 2020 Dec
Intake of dietary fats and fatty acids and the incidence of type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective observational studies.
PLoS medicine
Open PubMedPMID 31434641 • 2019 Aug 21
Omega-3, omega-6, and total dietary polyunsaturated fat for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
BMJ (Clinical research ed.)
Open PubMedPMID 23814120 • 2013 Jun 27
Intake of fish and marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of breast cancer: meta-analysis of data from 21 independent prospective cohort studies.
BMJ (Clinical research ed.)
Open PubMedPMID 28281303 • 2017 Mar 10
Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in infants born at term.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Open PubMedPMID 30521670 • 2018 Nov 30
Omega-3 fatty acids for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Open PubMedPMID 18253973 • 2008 Jan 23
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in preterm infants.
The Cochrane database of systematic reviews
Open PubMedPMID 39189588 • 2024 Jan-Dec
Effects of postbiotics on chronic diarrhea in young adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial assessing clinical symptoms, gut microbiota, and metabolite profiles.
Gut microbes
Open PubMedPMID 26047766 • 2016 Jun
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Open PubMedPMID 28366181 • 2017 Mar
Effects of the flavonol quercetin and α-linolenic acid on n-3 PUFA status in metabolically healthy men and women: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial.
The British journal of nutrition
Open PubMedPMID 31902378 • 2020 Apr 14
The effects of n-3 fatty acids from flaxseed oil on genetic and metabolic profiles in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
The British journal of nutrition
Open PubMedPMID 40754213 • 2025 Oct
The Effects of α-Linolenic Acid Intake on Skin and Blood Vessel Health and Subjective Fatigue in Middle-Aged Japanese Females: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Comparative Trial.
The Journal of nutrition
Open PubMedPMID 28407657 • 2017 Jun
The Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin E Co-Supplementation on Indices of Insulin Resistance and Hormonal Parameters in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.
Experimental and clinical endocrinology & diabetes : official journal, German Society of Endocrinology [and] German Diabetes Association
Open PubMedPMID 34791007 • 2022 Mar 4
The effect of camelina oil on vascular function in essential hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Open PubMedPMID 41495414 • 2026 Jan 6
Effects of diacylglycerol-enriched alpha-linolenic acid oil on skin properties in mild skin discomfort: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Scientific reports
Open PubMedPMID 37778442 • 2023 Nov
Effect of Alpha-Linolenic Acid Supplementation on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Profile in Individuals with Obesity or Overweight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)
Open PubMedPMID 41482231 • 2026 Feb
Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Serve as a Preventive Strategy for Age-Related Macular Degeneration? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
The Journal of nutrition
Open PubMedBenefit reports: 4
Adverse reports: 3
No-effect reports: 0
Mixed reports: 1
Unclear reports: 0
Signal confidence: 0.22
Benefits
Adverse
No Effect
Best evidence for cyclical mastalgia and hormonal skin issues. Mixed evidence for eczema despite long tradition. Works through anti-inflammatory PGE1 production.
Reddit evidence: 2 mentions (confidence 0.22) across Biohackers, Supplements.
Amazon signal: 0 products scanned (confidence 0.00).
GNC signal: 0 products scanned (confidence 0.00) [BLOCKED].
PerimeterX / captcha block encountered.
Use adverse/interactions PubMed signal counts for screening; perform clinician review before high-dose or multi-drug stack use.
Human-study daily dose signal: 400 mg-1000 mg/day (confidence HIGH).
Extracted from 5 dosing mentions across 4 PubMed studies (mg/day).
Sentiment Score
0.5/100
Benefit Mentions
Adverse Mentions
Best Responders
No responder profile recorded.
post • r/Biohackers • mixed
Astaxanthin & suddenly much oilier skin — biomass, iodine, olive oil for absorption, or other factors? Hi everyone, I’ve been looking into astaxanthin more seriously and I’m unsure whether my chosen form or some parallel changes are causin…
Open mentionpost • r/Biohackers • unclear
ALA health benefits and Chia seeds Posted this in r/supplements but figured I’d cross-post my experience here aswell , hopefully it will help someone out! I’d been eating chia seeds daily for their healthy fats, fiber, and nutrients. I sto…
Open mentionpost • r/Supplements • adverse
Unexpected side effects after stopping chia seeds — possible ALA deficiency? I’d been eating chia seeds daily for their healthy fats, fiber, and nutrients. I stopped recently because they seemed to be causing recurring tonsillitis (likely …
Open mentionamazon
Amazon search for Evening Primrose Oil (GLA)
Rating: n/a | Reviews: n/a
Open productEvidence Sources
Community Sources
META_ANALYSIS • 2013 • Adults
27 RCTs with 1596 eczema patients.
Outcome: EPO showed modest improvement in pruritus but overall effect on eczema severity was not significant; heterogeneous results across trials.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourceRCT • 2010 • Adults
120 women with cyclical mastalgia.
Outcome: EPO 3 g/day for 6 months significantly reduced breast pain severity (−37%) and tenderness; beneficial for cyclical mastalgia specifically.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourceRCT • 2013 • Adults
56 menopausal women.
Outcome: 500 mg EPO twice daily significantly reduced hot flash severity (−39%) and improved functional status after 6 weeks vs placebo.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2020 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 32114706 from The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2019 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 31847055 from The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2018 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 30019766 from The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2014 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 25023276 from JAMA neurology.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2024 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 37632423 from Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2021 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 34645650 from BMJ (Clinical research ed.).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2021 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 32643951 from Critical reviews in food science and nutrition.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2021 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 31647041 from The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2020 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 33264277 from PLoS medicine.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2019 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 31434641 from BMJ (Clinical research ed.).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2013 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 23814120 from BMJ (Clinical research ed.).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2017 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 28281303 from The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2018 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 30521670 from The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2008 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 18253973 from The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2024 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 39189588 from Gut microbes.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2016 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 26047766 from Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2017 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 28366181 from The British journal of nutrition.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2020 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 31902378 from The British journal of nutrition.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2025 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 40754213 from The Journal of nutrition.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2017 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 28407657 from Experimental and clinical endocrinology & diabetes : official journal, German Society of Endocrinology [and] German Diabetes Association.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2022 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 34791007 from The American journal of clinical nutrition.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2026 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 41495414 from Scientific reports.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2023 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 37778442 from Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.).
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open sourcePUBMED • 2026 • Human evidence curation set
PMID 41482231 from The Journal of nutrition.
Outcome: See linked PubMed abstract for methods and outcomes.[1823,2000,2164, etc.]
Open source