Have you ever heard of Gamma Linolenic Acid? How about seeing the abbreviated form as “GLA”? While GLA may not be a familiar nutrient, it is an omega-6 fatty acids with a host of health benefits! In fact, GLA is often used as medicine for treating several conditions ranging from nerve pain and skin issues to certain types of breast cancer. Read on to learn more about the health benefits of GLA and the best natural sources of this crucial fatty acid!!

This week’s Nutrients by the Alphabet: Gamma Linolenic Acid

That’s right, in this new series – Nutrients by the Alphabet – you will learn all about important nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants), their health benefits, and easy and delicious ways to get more of the good stuff with a fun recipe to try each week (courtesy of my awesome student-intern from Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School – Shelby Persechino)!

So, what are the health benefits of GLA?

Gamma Linolenic Acid has been shown to reduce symptoms of nerve pain in people with diabetic neuropathy if they take GLA for 6 months or more. Do you have any arthritis symptoms? Try using GLA and you will begin to see benefits within 1 to 3 months. Studies have also shown that GLA reduces the symptoms and severity of ADHD in children with lower levels of essential fatty acids (like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids). GLA can even help reduce the symptoms of certain types of breast cancer. If you have estrogen-sensitive breast cancer, the doctors may treat you with a drug called Tamoxifen and if you take Gamma Linolenic Acid, you will have a better response to the drug then without GLA. Some studies have also shown that people with cyclic mastalgia have reduce breast pain and tenderness when GLA is consumed. Gamma Linolenic Acid can also help reduce symptoms of eczema and acne. So as you can see, GLA is a very important nutrient and including GLA in your diet can be very beneficial for nearly everyone!

So, how much Gamma Linolenic Acid do you need and where can you find it?

The recommended daily allowance of GLA is approximately 90 mg to 1000 mg per day. GLA is not very easy to consume unless you know where to find it, however! This omega-6 fatty acis is found in vegetable oils such as evening primrose oil, blackcurrant seed oil, borage oil, and hemp seed oil. GLA is also found in edible hemp seeds, oats, barley, and spirulina. So you may want to search for these special oils to increase you GLA intake today!

Looking for an easy way to increase your intake of GLA in a delicious way? Here is an iced spirulina peppermint tea from “Nutrex Hawaii."