Evening Primrose Oil

Yesterday I had a patient who was taking evening primrose oil each day for leg weakness. Standing in front of this patient I wondered about the evidence behind the use of this supplement, so here we are, time to look at some scientific evidence!
Many people use evening primrose oil for treatment of scaly itchy rashes (atopic dermatitis), rheumatoid arthritis, and for relief of menopausal and premenstrual symptoms.
A Cochrane review published in 2012 showed that dietary supplements such as Vitamin D, primrose oil, hempseed oil, and sea buckthorn oil had no benefits in patient with eczema.
Studies that looked at using primrose oil for menopausal and premenstrual symptoms appear to show negligible results similar to participants who had been given a placebo.
A 2011 Cochrane review suggested that there was moderate evidence to support the use of oils containing gamma linoleic acid (in evening primrose, borage, or blackcurrant seed oil) in relieving symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. However, the review also mentioned that further investigations into how effective these oils are and their side effects are warranted.

My 2 cents? Health Canada's review of evening primrose oil states that it is safe to consume 1300-1600mg/ day "for maintenance of good health." If your dose falls within these safe guidelines and you feel a benefit from its use, I'd suggest that it's likely safe to continue using it unless otherwise recommended by your health care providers.

Information Sources
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22336810
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22139538
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21328257
Evening Primrose Oil Health Canada Monograph

Artificial Colors?

Even as a dietitian, food additives can confuse me. I often have patients who avoid foods that contain artificial colors. So what's the fuss, why are people avoiding this ingredient? The first thing to consider is processed food, and what type of foods are a part of your diet. If you eat a lot of packaged or pre-prepared meals, you're likely consuming a large amount of preservatives and additives. Often times, the scientific community is still unclear on how some of these additives affect our bodily functions

Artificial colors can be found in foods such as juices, soda, candy, condiments, icing, baked goods, cookies, cereals, yogurts, soups and even in some medications. Some are concerned that artificial colors have been linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and allergic reactions.While others argue that the evidence supporting negative claims behind artificial colors is insufficient. The 2010 Food and Drug Association report stated that exposure to food additives and artificial colors may be associated with adverse behaviors in "susceptible" children with other behavior problems. However, to determine which child is "susceptible" and which is not is a whole other debate. Additionally, a 2011 study in the Journal of Clinical Pediatrics stated that a sub-group of children show significant symptom improvement when consuming a diet free of artificial colors

So whats the conclusion? The debate is still going! If your child is consuming common foods with no trouble, restricting their diet "just because" may not be the answer. However if you notice significant behavior changes with foods that contain artificial colors, a trial restriction of  artificial colors with the guidance of a physician or dietitian may be warranted in children who haven't responded to conventional treatments.

Information Sources
http://cpj.sagepub.com/content/50/4/279.short
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/lisa-tsakos/artificial-food-colours-labels_b_1281843.html
http://www.healthcastle.com/which-food-additives-avoid
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3261946/
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AdvisoryCommittees/CommitteesMeetingMaterials/FoodAdvisoryCommittee/UCM248113.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21127082