Borage Oil (GLA)
Also called borage seed oil, Borago officinalis oil, starflower oil, GLA borage oil, gamma-linolenic acid (borage).
Best grade D across 8 graded outcomes Fatty acid Last checked
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The short answer
From 16 sourcesBorage seed oil is a concentrated source of gamma-linolenic acid. For eczema, two large trials and a Cochrane review found it no better than placebo. A small rheumatoid arthritis trial and a Cochrane review of GLA oils suggest some pain relief. LactMed advises using only products certified free of pyrrolizidine alkaloids.
Quick pick
From a partner brand · paid link
Nature's Way Borage Oil, 1,300 mg, 60 Softgels
from HerbsPro
Its name matches borage seed oil softgels, one of the forms compared in our Forms table.
Label: 1 softgel: 1.3 g borage seed oil supplying 300 mg GLA and 440 mg linoleic acid.
Best for trying one bottle: $22.55 one-time (checked Oct 15, 2026).
Every graded outcome on this page
8 rows · line = participants- DGrade DRheumatoid arthritis disease activity (borage oil vs fish oil vs both)Rheumatoid arthritisn 138
- DGrade DBlood pressure in postmenopausal women with hypertensionBlood pressuren 96
- DGrade DWeight regain after major weight lossWeightn 50
- DGrade DAcne lesionsAcnen 45
- DGrade DJoint tenderness and swelling in rheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritisn 37
- ∅No effectGlobal eczema symptoms (atopic dermatitis)Eczeman 1,596
- ∅No effectSteroid cream use in adult atopic eczemaEczeman 160
- ∅No effectEczema severity (SASSAD score) in adults and childrenEczeman 151
Key facts
- Key component
- Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA): at least 23% of the borage oil used in one trial, versus about 10% in evening primrose oil4
- Eczema
- Cochrane (8 borage oil trials) and trials of 151 and 160 people found no benefit over placebo234
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- A 37-person placebo trial of 1.4 g/day GLA reported fewer tender and swollen joints; in an 18-month trial (138 analysed), borage oil lowered disease activity about as much as fish oil, with no placebo arm513
- Liver toxin risk
- Borage plant parts contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids; LactMed advises only products certified free of them. LiverTox has no borage entry (its comfrey chapter covers these alkaloids), and a 2020 systematic review of 11 case reports of possible alkaloid-linked harm from comfrey, coltsfoot or borage found none involving borage11112
What it is
Borage oil is pressed from the seeds of Borago officinalis and is one of the richest sources of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fat.
Forms, side by side
2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.
Borage Oil (GLA) forms compared
2 forms| 2 forms | Borage seed oil softgels | Borage leaf, flower or whole-plant products |
|---|---|---|
| Absorption in people | Borage oil raised blood GLA metabolites in an eczema trial and raises GLA and DGLA in breast milk.14 | No human absorption data in our sources.1 |
| GI tolerance | Generally well tolerated; side effects in the eczema trials were mild and mostly digestive.12 | LactMed: contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to the liver and lungs and possibly carcinogenic; products with leaves should be avoided.1 |
| Studied for | Eczema (no benefit), rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, weight regain. | No controlled human trial in our sources. |
- Borage seed oil softgels
- Absorption in people
- Borage oil raised blood GLA metabolites in an eczema trial and raises GLA and DGLA in breast milk.14
- GI tolerance
- Generally well tolerated; side effects in the eczema trials were mild and mostly digestive.12
- Studied for
- Eczema (no benefit), rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, weight regain.
- Borage leaf, flower or whole-plant products
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
Trial map
8 graded outcomes, largest study first8 graded outcomes: 5 improved, 3 no effect. The largest, a 2013 meta-analysis of 1,596 people on global eczema symptoms (atopic dermatitis), found no effect. Outcomes that improved came from smaller studies: a median of 50 people, against 160 for no effect.
1Global eczema symptoms (atopic dermatitis)
No effect · No-effect grade · Meta-analysis, 1,596 people, 2013
Children and adults with atopic eczema in 27 trials (8 of borage oil, 19 of evening primrose oil)
Dose, result and source| Outcome | Found | People | Study | Who was studied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global eczema symptoms (atopic dermatitis) | No effect | 1,596 | No-effect grade · Meta-analysis, 2013 | Children and adults with atopic eczema in 27 trials (8 of borage oil, 19 of evening primrose oil) |
| Steroid cream use in adult atopic eczema | No effect | 160 | No-effect grade · RCT, 1999 | Adults with stable, moderate atopic eczema (multicentre, Europe) |
| Eczema severity (SASSAD score) in adults and children | No effect | 151 | No-effect grade · RCT, 2003 | Adults and children with atopic eczema (England); 140 evaluable, 69 of them children |
| Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity (borage oil vs fish oil vs both) | Improved | 138 | Grade D · RCT, 2014 | Adults with rheumatoid arthritis (US multicentre); 150 randomised, 138 stayed at least 12 weeks and were analysed |
| Blood pressure in postmenopausal women with hypertension | Improved | 96 | Grade D · RCT, 2021 | Postmenopausal women with hypertension (Brazil) |
| Weight regain after major weight loss | Improved | 50 | Grade D · RCT, 2007 | Formerly obese adults after major weight loss (US) |
| Acne lesions | Improved | 45 | Grade D · RCT, 2014 | People with mild to moderate acne in Korea (45 across omega-3, GLA and control groups) |
| Joint tenderness and swelling in rheumatoid arthritis | Improved | 37 | Grade D · RCT, 1993 | Adults with rheumatoid arthritis and active synovitis (US university clinic) |
Every graded row
8 rowsShowing 8 of 8 outcomes. Human trials only.
DGrade DRheumatoid arthritis disease activity (borage oil vs fish oil vs both)Rheumatoid arthritisDAS28 -1.33 at 9 months (no placebo)RCT
n 138 · 2014
Improved Disease activity (DAS28) fell by 1.33 points at 9 months with borage oil, 1.56 with fish oil and 1.18 with both; the groups did not differ, and improvements persisted to 18 months.
- Design
- RCT, n = 138, 2014
- Population
- Adults with rheumatoid arthritis (US multicentre); 150 randomised, 138 stayed at least 12 weeks and were analysed
- Form
- Borage seed oil capsules (sunflower oil capsules to match the fish-oil arm)
- Dose
- 6 borage seed oil capsules daily (1.8 g GLA)
- Duration
- 18 months
- Source
- Reference 13 · PubMed 24803948 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DBlood pressure in postmenopausal women with hypertensionBlood pressureLower BP vs placeboRCT
n 96 · 2021
Improved Systolic and diastolic blood pressure fell and waist-hip ratio changed significantly compared with the vitamin E placebo (P < 0.01); no adverse effects were reported.
- Design
- RCT, n = 96, 2021
- Population
- Postmenopausal women with hypertension (Brazil)
- Form
- Borage oil rich in GLA plus vitamin E vs vitamin E alone
- Dose
- 1,000 mg borage oil a day
- Duration
- 6 months
- Source
- Reference 15 · PubMed 33534427 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DWeight regain after major weight lossWeightRegain 1.8 vs 7.6 kg (completers)RCT
n 50 · 2007
Improved Among those completing at least 50 weeks, regain was 1.8 kg with GLA vs 7.6 kg with olive oil (13 vs 17 people); no difference among the 15 who stopped earlier.
- Design
- RCT, n = 50, 2007
- Population
- Formerly obese adults after major weight loss (US)
- Form
- Borage oil vs olive oil
- Dose
- 5 g/day borage oil (890 mg GLA)
- Duration
- 1 year
- Source
- Reference 7 · PubMed 17513402 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DAcne lesionsAcneFewer lesions at 10 weeksRCT
n 45 · 2014
Improved Inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesions decreased significantly after 10 weeks of GLA (and of omega-3); no severe adverse effects were reported.
- Design
- RCT, n = 45, 2014
- Population
- People with mild to moderate acne in Korea (45 across omega-3, GLA and control groups)
- Form
- Borage oil
- Dose
- Borage oil supplying 400 mg GLA a day
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Source
- Reference 14 · PubMed 24553997 (opens PubMed)
DGrade DJoint tenderness and swelling in rheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritisTender joints -36%RCT
n 37 · 1993
Improved Tender joint count fell 36% and swollen joint count 28% with GLA; the placebo group did not improve.
- Design
- RCT, n = 37, 1993
- Population
- Adults with rheumatoid arthritis and active synovitis (US university clinic)
- Form
- Borage seed oil vs cotton seed oil placebo
- Dose
- 1.4 g/day GLA
- Duration
- 24 weeks
- Source
- Reference 5 · PubMed 8214997 (opens PubMed)
∅No effectGlobal eczema symptoms (atopic dermatitis)EczemaNo benefit vs placeboMeta-analysis · 27 studies
n 1,596 · 2013
No effect Borage oil did not improve global eczema symptoms over placebo as rated by participants or doctors; the authors concluded oral borage oil and evening primrose oil are not effective for eczema.
- Design
- Meta-analysis, 27 studies, n = 1,596, 2013
- Population
- Children and adults with atopic eczema in 27 trials (8 of borage oil, 19 of evening primrose oil)
- Form
- Oral borage oil or evening primrose oil
- Dose
- Varied by trial
- Duration
- Varied by trial
- Source
- Reference 2 · PubMed 23633319 (opens PubMed)
∅No effectSteroid cream use in adult atopic eczemaEczemaNo overall benefitRCT
n 160 · 1999
No effect Overall response did not reach statistical significance versus a miglyol placebo; benefit appeared only in a post-hoc subgroup.
- Design
- RCT, n = 160, 1999
- Population
- Adults with stable, moderate atopic eczema (multicentre, Europe)
- Form
- Borage oil capsules (at least 23% GLA)
- Dose
- 500 mg borage oil daily
- Duration
- 24 weeks
- Source
- Reference 4 · PubMed 10233322 (opens PubMed)
∅No effectEczema severity (SASSAD score) in adults and childrenEczemaNo benefit vs placeboRCT
n 151 · 2003
No effect Scores fell from 30 to 27 with borage oil and from 28 to 23 with placebo; the difference favoured placebo by 1.4 points (95% CI -2.2 to 5.0).
- Design
- RCT, n = 151, 2003
- Population
- Adults and children with atopic eczema (England); 140 evaluable, 69 of them children
- Form
- Borage oil capsules
- Dose
- Adults 920 mg GLA/day (8 capsules); children 4 capsules/day
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Source
- Reference 3 · PubMed 14670885 (opens PubMed)
What the numbers add up to
Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.
Eczema is the clearest no
Arthritis signal rests on high doses
Studied doses
Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.
Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.
Doses studied in human trials
When trials measured an effect
3 outcomes| Outcome | Measured at | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity | Measured at 9 months; gains persisted to 18 months | 18-month trial of 1.8 g/day GLA from borage oil (no placebo arm)13 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis joint counts | 24 weeks (end of trial) | Placebo-controlled trial of 1.4 g/day GLA5 |
| Acne lesions | 10 weeks (end of trial) | Borage oil supplying 400 mg GLA a day14 |
Interactions and safety
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
What Borage Oil meets
3 cited rowsMedicines 3
Supplements and foods 0
No supplement rows in our sources.
- Reference summary
Choose a medicine or supplement above to read its cited rows here.
Also cited:
Antiseizure medicines
ReviewReference summary
Antiseizure medicines, for example anticonvulsants: A 1998 review of drug-herb interactions advises against using borage or evening primrose oil with anticonvulsants, because they may lower the seizure threshold.
Source 9, Arch Intern Med (1998)
Enzyme-inducing drugs (for products containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids)
ReviewReference summary
Enzyme-inducing drugs (for products containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids), for example phenobarbital: LiverTox's comfrey chapter notes that liver-enzyme inducers such as phenobarbital increase the toxicity of products containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. This applies only to alkaloid-containing products (borage plant parts or contaminated oil), not to certified alkaloid-free seed oil.
Source 11, LiverTox (NCBI Bookshelf) (2022)
Warfarin and other blood thinners
ReviewReference summary
Warfarin and other blood thinners, for example warfarin: A 2000 pharmacy review lists borage seed oil among products that may raise bleeding risk or add to warfarin's effect. It notes that nearly all herb-warfarin information comes from lab, animal or single case data.
Source 10, Am J Health Syst Pharm (2000)
Interactions
3 agents| Agent | What the source says | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Medicines3 | ||
| Antiseizure medicinese.g. anticonvulsants | A 1998 review of drug-herb interactions advises against using borage or evening primrose oil with anticonvulsants, because they may lower the seizure threshold.9 | Review |
| Warfarin and other blood thinnerse.g. warfarin | A 2000 pharmacy review lists borage seed oil among products that may raise bleeding risk or add to warfarin's effect. It notes that nearly all herb-warfarin information comes from lab, animal or single case data.10 | Review |
| Enzyme-inducing drugs (for products containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids)e.g. phenobarbital | LiverTox's comfrey chapter notes that liver-enzyme inducers such as phenobarbital increase the toxicity of products containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. This applies only to alkaloid-containing products (borage plant parts or contaminated oil), not to certified alkaloid-free seed oil.11 | Review |
Check with what you take
Kept on this device onlyAdd what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Borage Oil and your picks, and between your picks.
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Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Borage Oil.
Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.
Who should be careful
5 groups- Pyrrolizidine alkaloids
- Borage plant parts contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids that are toxic to the liver and lungs; LactMed advises using only seed-oil products certified free of them and avoiding products with leaves.1
- Liver
- LiverTox has no borage chapter. Its comfrey chapter rates that pyrrolizidine-alkaloid plant a probable cause (likelihood score C) of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, a severe liver injury. A 2020 systematic review of 11 case reports of possible alkaloid-linked harm from comfrey, coltsfoot or borage found none involving borage.11121
- Breastfeeding
- LactMed: the alkaloids might pass into breast milk, so only certified alkaloid-free borage seed oil should be used; borage plant parts are promoted for milk supply without valid trials. LiverTox's comfrey chapter notes that infants appear particularly susceptible to pyrrolizidine alkaloid liver injury.111
- Pregnancy and children
- No trial in our sources studied pregnancy, so there are no reliable safety data; NCCIH notes many supplements have not been tested in pregnant women or children.8
- People on medicines
- NCCIH advises telling your health care providers about any supplement you use, since supplements may interact with medicines.8
How to read the label
What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.
How to read the label
2 checksWhere to buy Borage Oil (GLA)
Products from brands we partner with that contain Borage Oil (GLA). Check the amount per serving against the doses studied above, and the label for other ingredients.
Borage Oil (GLA) products from partner brands
1 product Paid links · we earn a commission- Quick pickHerbsProNature's Way Borage Oil, 1,300 mg, 60 Softgels
1 softgel: 1.3 g borage seed oil supplying 300 mg GLA and 440 mg linoleic acid
$22.55one-timeChecked Oct 15, 2026
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.
Common questions
7 answersDoes borage oil help eczema?
Does borage oil help rheumatoid arthritis?
Is borage oil safe?
LactMed says borage seed oil is generally well tolerated in adults, but borage plants contain liver-toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so only certified alkaloid-free products should be used.1
Is borage oil bad for the liver?
The risk comes from pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the borage plant, not GLA. LiverTox has no borage chapter, and a 2020 systematic review of 11 case reports of possible alkaloid-linked harm from comfrey, coltsfoot or borage found none involving borage. LactMed advises using only seed oil certified alkaloid-free.11121
What are the side effects of borage oil?
Is borage oil safe while breastfeeding?
LactMed advises only certified pyrrolizidine-alkaloid-free borage seed oil; borage plant parts should be avoided.1
Sources
16 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.
Sources cited on this page
16 sources- 1Borage.Database Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), NICHD, 2021 · PMID 30000849
- 2Oral evening primrose oil and borage oil for eczema.Meta-analysis Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2013 · PMID 23633319
- 3Efficacy and tolerability of borage oil in adults and children with atopic eczema: randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group trial.RCT BMJ, 2003 · PMID 14670885
- 4Double-blind, multicentre analysis of the efficacy of borage oil in patients with atopic eczema.RCT Br J Dermatol, 1999 · PMID 10233322
- 5Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with gammalinolenic acid.RCT Ann Intern Med, 1993 · PMID 8214997
- 6Herbal therapy for treating rheumatoid arthritis.Meta-analysis Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2011 · PMID 21328257
- 7Gamma-linolenate reduces weight regain in formerly obese humans.RCT J Nutr, 2007 · PMID 17513402
- 8Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov
- 9Herbal medicinals: selected clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions.Review Arch Intern Med, 1998 · PMID 9818800
- 10Potential interactions between alternative therapies and warfarin.Review Am J Health Syst Pharm, 2000 · PMID 10902065
- 11ComfreyDatabase LiverTox (NCBI Bookshelf), 2022 · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 12A systematic review and quality assessment of case reports of adverse events for borage (Borago officinalis), coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) and comfrey (Symphytum officinale).Systematic review Fitoterapia, 2020 · PMID 32105669
- 13Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with marine and botanical oils: an 18-month, randomized, and double-blind trial.RCT Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2014 · PMID 24803948
- 14Effect of dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acid and gamma-linolenic acid on acne vulgaris: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial.RCT Acta Derm Venereol, 2014 · PMID 24553997
- 15Is there a beneficial effect of gamma-linolenic acid supplementation on body fat in postmenopausal hypertensive women? A prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.RCT Menopause, 2021 · PMID 33534427
- 16Borage oil intake by overweight young adults: no effect on metabolic rate; beneficial effects on plasma triglyceride and HDL cholesterol readings.RCT Food Funct, 2021 · PMID 34606560
What changed
Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.
Change log
3 entries| Date | Change | Who and why |
|---|---|---|
| evidence, key facts, studied doses, interactions, who should avoid, FAQ, questions, time to effect, related | Pyrrolizidine-alkaloid safety rebuilt: LiverTox has no borage chapter (checked); added its comfrey chapter (likelihood score C for alkaloid-related sinusoidal obstruction syndrome; infants more susceptible; enzyme inducers such as phenobarbital raise toxicity) and a 2020 systematic review that found no alkaloid-harm case report involving borage. LactMed (Borage, revised 2021) re-read; no change. Added evidence rows: an 18-month rheumatoid arthritis trial (1.8 g/day GLA, no placebo arm, n from full text), a 10-week acne trial and a 6-month blood-pressure trial in postmenopausal women (all grade D); noted a 6-week metabolic-rate null trial under weight. Studied doses widened to 18 months; FAQ gained liver and side-effect answers; added time-to-effect rows, page questions and goal-hub links. Searched PubMed 2008-2026 for newer borage or GLA meta-analyses: none borage-specific. Not added: a 2026 herb-drug interaction review naming borage without a specific interaction (PMID 42480877). | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md |
| Interactions | Added 2 interaction entries (Antiseizure medicines; Warfarin and other blood thinners) from peer-reviewed reviews; each PubMed abstract or full text was read for the cited statement. | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: Update |
| all | Initial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title, year, journal; none retracted; the LactMed entry carries its 2021 update year) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts. Funding disclosed: Essential Nutrition Ltd sponsored the BMJ trial (full text); the Cochrane eczema author's Efamol-repaid grant (review declaration); others not stated in the abstracts. Safety from LactMed and NCCIH's Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Where to buy: we didn’t list a product; none of the borage oils we checked on 2026-10-15 states pyrrolizidine-alkaloid-free certification, which LactMed advises. | Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page |
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