Can Evening Primrose Oil Increase Your Fertility?

Have you ever asked yourself what Evening Primrose Oil is and the best ways to use it? We have the answers for you. You might be surprised about the various uses of this supplement!

What is Evening Primrose Oil?

Evening Primrose Oil (oenothera), an oil extracted from the plant, is believed to increase the fertility of women and has various other benefits to the body like:

  • Treatment of skin disorders such as acne, eczema and rosacea
  • Alleviation of PMS pains
  • Help to relieve joint pain and swelling

Even though it is known to provide the above benefits, it is still most popularly used to help women conceive. For many years, the link between evening primrose oil and fertility has been clear.

Evening Primrose Oil is rich in healthy omega 6 fatty acids. These include gamma linolenic acid and linolenic acid. Once these are ingested, they are converted by the body into prostaglandins. These help to reduce inflammation throughout the body, which is vital for fertility and for maintaining a pregnancy.

Evening Primrose Oil and Fertility

The major advantage of this health supplement, with regards to fertility, is its support in cervical mucus of fertile-quality. With regards to conception, it’s essential that there is this cervical mucus. The two main reasons for this are:

  • The sperm latches onto it which enables it to swiftly go through the womb.
  • The sperm is able to survive inside the body for as long as 5 days, which provides you extra fertile time.

To increase the level of cervical mucus getting made, Evening Primrose Oil is an alternative worth looking at.

Best Ways to use Evening Primrose Oil?

Evening Primrose Oil is available over the counter in soft gelcap form to be taken orally. You can buy it online here or at your local health store. If you do become pregnant, immediately stop taking Evening Primrose Oil since it might cause complications during pregnancy. Take it with food to avoid getting an upset stomach. Start off with low dosages and monitor how it is working for you.

Use Evening Primrose Oil with Caution

It is crucial that you understand what will happen if you continue taking Evening Primrose Oil while pregnant. The oil can cause uterine contractions, which is harmful to the developing baby. It can even cause miscarriages in extreme cases. So if you think you might be pregnant discontinue taking Evening Primrose Oil immediately.

Most women would use Evening Primrose Oil until ovulation and stop right after until their next period which will guarantee they won’t be using it while being pregnant.

Photo Credit: “Evening primrose / Oenothera biennis” (CC BY 2.0) by Charles de Mille-Isles

This post has been updated since its original publication in 2015.


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