I’ve been asked a few times what the flower is at the top of each webpage and on the cards and magnets that I send out with DCI orders.
The answer is: Blue Borage Flower or Star Flower.
Why did I choose this particular flower? Well, other than it’s beauty, it is also a medicinal herb and highly nutritious food. Borage Oil is the highest known plant source of gammalinolenic acid (GLA), a potent natural anti-inflammatory. The seeds contain the highest concentration of GLA, up to 38 %. The GLA in borage seed oil can be converted to the prostaglandin precursor dihomo-gama-linolenic acid (DGLA) which can block the transformation of arachidonic acid to leukotrienes and other prostaglandins. It can also increase cAMP level which suppresses the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor-alpha – an inflammatory mediator linked to rheumatoid arthritis
More Information:
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Tyler V. Herbs of Choice, the Therapeutical Use of Phytomedicinals. Binghamton: Pharmaceutical Press; 1994.
Pierce A. The American Pharmaceutical Association Practical Guide to Natural Medicines. New York: The Stonesong Press Inc; 1999. 270.
Hoffman D. The Herb Users Guide: The Basic Skills of Medical Herbalism. Wellingborough: Thorsons, 1987.
Tollesson A, Frithz A. Borage oil, an effective new treatment for infantile seborrhoeic dermatitis. Br J Derm 1993;129:95. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8396411
Brinker F. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions, 3rd ed. Sandy (OR): Eclectic Medical Publications; 2001.
Leventhal LJ, et al. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with gamma-linolenic acid. Ann Intern Med 1993;119:867-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8214997
Pullman-Mooar S, et al. Alteration of the cellular fatty acid profile and the production of eicosanoids in human monocytes by gamma-linolenic acid. Arthritis Rheum 1990;22:1526-33. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2171540
Kast RE. Borage oil reduction of rheumatoid arthritis activity may be mediated by increased cAMP that suppresses tumor necrosis factor-alpha. International Immunopharmacol 2001;2197-99. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11710548
Belch JJ, Hill A. Evening primrose oil and borage oil in rheumatologic conditions. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71(suppl):352S-6S. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10617996
Henz BM, et al. Double-blind, multicentre analysis of the efficacy of borage oil in patients with atopic eczema. Br J Dermatology 1999;140:685-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10233322
Takwale A, Tan E, Agarwal S, Barclay G, Ahmed I, Hotchkiss K, Thompson JR, Chapman T, Berth-Jones J. Efficacy and tolerability of borage oil in adults and children with atopic eczema: randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group trial. BMJ. 2003 Dec 13;327(7428):1385. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14670885
