We
has been contacted by clients concerned about the quality of some of the Evening
Primrose Oil products currently being offered for sale in Australia.
Careful
consideration must be given to the marketing of so-called EPO supplements
containing a higher than 10% concentration of GLA. We feel this is an important
issue for you, your customers, and your end consumers, and we have prepared
answers to some of the relevant questions below.
What exactly are
‘high strength’ Evening Primrose Oil materials?
This is not
natural EPO. This material has been formed by breaking down the triglycerides
naturally found in Evening Primrose Oil, and then ‘reassembling’ the fatty acids
by binding them to ethanol molecules. In other words, the natural EPO material
has undergone a series of chemical reactions, and now has a different chemical
structure to the natural oil.
How is this material produced?
Natural Evening Primrose Oil contains fatty acids (such as GLA)
in the form of triglyceride esters. These natural esters are treated with
caustic soda to release the free fatty acids. Ethanol (or alcohol) is then used
to produce the unnatural ethyl ester of the fatty acid. Fractional distillation
then concentrates these new esters.
Is this the same
material (but ‘stronger’) as natural EPO ?
No. The GLA ester
produced by this method is not the same as that found in natural EPO. The
manufacturing process described above creates, in effect, a new and chemically
different material.
Is this a ‘natural’
material?
No. EPO with the
GLA in this form (as an ethyl ester) does not exist in nature.
Has anything been
added to or removed from the natural EPO to create this new material ?
Yes. Naturally
occurring EPO contains 8-10% GLA, but this new material is reported to contain
25% GLA. Therefore, 15-17% of some part of the natural oil has been removed to
make way for the increased GLA content. Exactly what this might be, and how it
may affect the results of the product, have not yet been studied.
Refer--Organic
Nature Brand Evening Primrose Oil 1000mg Capsules
