Borage is a flowering herb that is also called starflower because of the shape of the flowers that grow from it. It grows in Asia, Europe, North Africa, North America and more. The flowers that grow on borage plants are a beautiful blue, which is why many people choose to grow them in their gardens.
Borage leaves taste like cucumbers. Because of this, many people use them in salads and in cold water with lime to create a refreshing drink. In the late 1800s and early to mid 1900s, borage flowers were candied and then used to help people who had been ill for extended periods of time to regain their energy levels. In addition, it was used to alleviate depression, to calm anxiety, to relieve sore throats and rheumatism.
A juice was created from borage to treat fevers. In addition, it was used to treat ringworm, itchy rash and even jaundice. Some people would gargle with it to help with ulcers in the mouth.
There was also evidence that it aided in swelling so when someone sprained an ankle or had other swelling, a poultice was made and laid on the affected area. A tea from borage was used to aid lactating women in producing more milk. During this time, only the leaves and flowers were used for medicinal purposes. In modern medicine, however, it has been shown that the borage seeds in supplements are an excellent source for GLA.
Not all types of physical activity are suitable for everyone. Users take training advice at their own personal risk.
Borage: Important Components There are several components that make up the borage plant; however, some are neither beneficial nor problematic for your health, so they won’t be mentioned here. Borage contains: Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) Delta 6... more
There are several components that make up the borage plant; however, some are neither beneficial nor problematic for your health, so they won’t be mentioned here. Borage contains:
Gamma-linolenic acid or GLA is an essential fatty acid. Borage is the plant with the highest GLA content available, with the most benefits coming from the seeds. GLA aids in the formation of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are substances that aren’t hormones but take on the appearance and attributes of hormones.
Prostaglandins are what helps your body maintain a healthy blood pressure, ensures that your smooth muscles contract correctly and helps keep inflammation down in the body.
GLA is credited for many health benefits. For example, GLA aids in the elimination of chronic itching. In addition, it helps relieve PMS as well as PMS related symptoms, such as tenderness in the breasts.
There are ongoing studies to determine GLA's effect on ADD and ADHD, arthritis and immune system disorders such as allergies, asthma, anaphylaxis and auto immune diseases. In addition, GLA may aid in treatment for alcoholics and even MS! However, it will be some time before conclusive results in studies for these areas are available.
Because borage has such high levels of GLA, more studies have been conducted on this herb than many other herbs that you find in supplements. A study conducted by the Pasteur Institute of Iran showed that borage aids in the reduction of fevers. In addition, studies have show that it supports healthy skin for adults, can reduce the signs and symptoms of eczema, loosens mucus when given in tea and more.
Supplement companies also bill borage as being able to alleviate depression, prevent swelling, eliminate joint pain, reduce symptoms of arthritis and support a healthy heart. Most of these claims can be supported in some degree through study, although more studies are needed.
Many of the benefits of borage are found by combining other herbs with borage. In addition, some of the benefits are best found via home remedies. For example, borage helps to hydrate skin. A steam treatment of the face with borage flowers and leaves steeped in the water will provide the most benefit.
In France, borage is used in traditional medicine for a variety of issues. They use it as a method of reducing fever, for depression, to treat stress and anxiety, for people with circulatory heart disease, patients with pulmonary complaints, as a poultice for swelling, as a diuretic, as a laxative and many doctors believes that it aids in the body’s fight against cancer. In Iran, it is used to treat people who have the flu and as a fever reducer.
Because borage has pyrrolizidine alkaloids, if taken in high doses, it may create liver toxicity. In this case side effects will include yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine and an upset stomach. If any of these symptoms occur, stop taking borage and see your doctor immediately. If you have liver disease, you should not take borage. It is possible that even small doses of pyrrolizidine will cause your liver to stop functioning correctly.
You will find that high quality borage supplements do not have pyrrolizidine in them. Check the ingredient bottle to ensure you are getting a quality product!
In addition, if you take too much borage, then the fatty acids present in the herb could depress the immune system. Make sure you always follow the dosing instruction on the label. You should always talk to your doctor before taking any supplements if you any medical conditions or are taking medications. Borage has never been tested in children or pregnant women.
Borage is available in oil form or in pill/capsule/tablet form. As mentioned above, the seeds are the most potent part of borage, so look for products that use borage seeds. In most cases, any oil that you find will be borage oil, but that won’t be 100% of the time, so read the ingredients carefully.
In addition, borage seeds are very inexpensive and borage plants are known to grow virtually anywhere they are planted. They self seed very easily, making them an excellent choice for a garden.
You will find that there are many different recipes online for creating your own poultice as well as your own borage oil. You need to understand that a major difference between making your own and buying a supplement is that supplement companies have the ability to take some of the bad elements out of the borage to make it better for you.
The benefit of making it yourself is that you control the quality of ingredients that you are using. For many people, this is enough of a motivator to make the borage for themselves.
If you choose to purchase a supplement, you will find that borage is very affordable starting as low as $5 for a bottle. You can use the supplement finder to get the borage form you need now!
| Nausea |
| Jaundice |
| Liver Toxicity |
| Dark Urine |
| Bee Plant, Beebread, Borage Flower, Borage Leaf, Borage Oil, Borage Seed Oil, Borago, Borago Officinalis, Borraja, Bourrache, Burage, Burrage, Common Borage, Common Bugloss, Cool Tankard, Huile De Bourrache, Ox's Tongue, Talewort, Starflower, Starflower Oil |
| Cancer |
| Depression |
| Eczema |
| Fever Reducer |
| Skin Health |
| Skin Hydration |