Historical uses and more. EFA's play important roles in our body's overall health. They are part of every cell and establish and control the cellular metabolism. LA is not produced by the body but must be obtained through the dietary intake. LA acts as an energy source and is what the body converts to GLA which in turn forms other substances such as prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins are hormone-like substances that are found in every body cell.
They are critical to the body's overall health maintenance, but need to be replenished constantly as once they serve their purpose, they are destroyed. The purposes of Prostaglandins include lowering blood pressure, reducing risks of blood clotting, stimulating the immune system, and regulating brain function. Animal studies at the University of Pennsylvania have also shown them to prevent arthritis. This is also being studied in humans trials in Europe with similar results. The source of EFA's in these studies has been Evening Primrose Oil.