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Evening primrose oil comes from the seeds of a yellow wildflower that grows throughout the United States.  It contains a special kind of fatty acid that the body converts to a beneficial hormone-like substance. Capsules containing evening primrose oil are frequently used as natural remedies by women to help relieve menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, as well as premenstrual syndrome.

In one study from the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, researchers tested the effect of evening primrose oil on 56 menopausal women aged 45 to 59 with menopausal hot flashes.  The women were given two capsules per day of evening primrose oil (500 mg per capsule) for a continuous 6 weeks.  The results showed there was a 42% improvement in the severity of hot flashes, as well as beneficial improvements in their life activities and quality of life.

Regarding PMS symptoms such as headache, food cravings and joint pain, insomnia, breast pain and fatigue, a research study evaluated the effectiveness of evening primrose oil in sixty-eight women with PMS. They received one to two grams per day (1,000 mg. to 2,000 mg.). The timing of the capsules was arranged so the women received them three days before their usual PMS symptoms began, up until the beginning of menstruation.

The women completed questionnaires which showed that 61% found complete relief of their symptoms and 23% had partial relief, with these results obtained after three months of supplementation. Relief of breast pain was the symptom most benefited. (Reference: Evening primrose oil in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome. Clinical Uses of Essential Fatty Acids. Montreal: Eden Press).

Mineral supplements such as magnesium and calcium have also been found to be natural remedies for hot flashes and night sweats. One recent example is a study from the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Women with at least 14 hot flashes a week, received 400 milligrams of magnesium oxide for 4 weeks, increasing to 800 milligrams per day if needed. At the end of the study, the magnesium supplements had reduced their frequency of hot flashes from 52 to 28 per week — a 41% reduction. Fatigue, sweating, and distress were also significantly reduced.

This news is brought to you by Nutrition Breakthroughs, provider of natural health articles and effective natural remedies since 2001. Nutrition Breakthroughs makes the effective calcium and magnesium based natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, as well as Joints and More, the natural solution for joint relief, aches and pains, allergies, stronger hair and nails, and more energy.

Article source: http://www.nutritionbreakthroughs.com/blog/2015/04/14/menopause-hot-flashes-improved-by-evening-primrose-oil/