Dietary Supplement :: Gamma linolenic acid – GLA – oils

Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) oils, namely evening primrose, borage and black currant oils, have a long history of use as dietary supplements, and as the body of research on GLA’s efficacy grows, demand will continue to increase.

GLA is an omega 6 fatty acid, a metabolite of linoleic acid.

Despite its popularity, there is very little published information on consumer perceptions of GLA.

In order to understand why consumers purchase these types of oils, Life Sciences Alliance, Moraga, CA, conducted comprehensive consumer research to find out more about current consumers’ purchase behavior, drivers and decision making for GLA products.

Consumers were also asked why they use GLA products. Most listed more than one reason. In order of prevalence, those reasons included:

83% Improve general health
52% Reduce inflammation
44% Reduce joint or other body pain
44% Improve the appearance of skin
28% Reduce eczema, dermatitis or itchy skin
28% Reduce effects of PMS
12% Reduce diabetic neuropathy
4% Other: e.g. heart health, cancer prevention, yeast infection, menopause symptoms


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