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Dietary supplement

GLA Borage Oil Ingredients & Drug Interactions

by Allergy Research Group

Softgel Capsule Category: Fat/fatty Acid
Most serious interaction: Moderate
The interaction bottom line Most serious interaction: Moderate

GLA Borage Oil is a dietary supplement by Allergy Research Group with 1 active ingredient. Its ingredients are commonly taken for eczema and dry skin, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation.Based on those ingredients, 226 medications have a known interaction with it, the most serious rated moderate. The ingredients most likely to interact are Borage Oil. Use the checker below to test your specific medication, or read the full HelloPharmacist Interaction Report.

Computed from our clinical databases

HelloPharmacist Scorecard of GLA Borage Oil by Allergy Research Group

Four independent checks of what is known — a summary of the available information, not a grade of the product itself.

Evidence for Intended Use
By FDA rules, dietary supplements can’t claim to treat, cure, or prevent disease — so labels speak in careful marketing language. We discern each product’s intended use from its name, label claims, and label statements, then grade the clinical evidence for that use. How these ratings are computed
Not assessable

None of the active ingredients could be matched to our evidence database, so intended use can't be graded.

Why this rating?
  • None of the active ingredients could be matched to a HelloPharmacist monograph, so intended use can't be graded against our evidence data.
Ingredient Transparency
Full

Every active ingredient lists its own amount on the label.

Why this rating?
  • The label discloses an exact amount for 3 of its 3 active ingredients.
  • “Borage Oil” is listed as a grouped ingredient — the label gives one combined amount (1 Gram(s)) without saying how much of each component you get.
Known Interaction Concern
Not assessable

None of the active ingredients could be matched to our interaction database.

Why this rating?
  • We couldn't match any ingredient to a HelloPharmacist monograph, so there was nothing to check interactions against.
Safety Information
Unable to assess

None of the active ingredients could be matched to our safety data.

Why this rating?
  • We couldn't match any ingredient to a HelloPharmacist monograph, so there was no safety data to measure.

HelloPharmacist summaryFully disclosed formula with no assessable stated purpose. Medication interactions could not be assessed, and safety information could not be assessed.

Assessment coverage: 0 of 3 active ingredients matched to our full ingredient reviews (monographs). Based on the product label dated Aug 23, 2020.

This Scorecard evaluates available label information, ingredient evidence, and known medication-safety considerations. It does not independently verify product identity, purity, potency, contamination, or manufacturing quality. How these ratings are computed

At a glance

General information

Key facts about GLA Borage Oil, straight from the product label.

Brand Allergy Research Group
Barcode (UPC) 713947772205
Net contents 90 Softgel(s)
Market status On market
Date entered into DSLD Aug 23, 2020
DSLD ID 233321
Product type Fat/fatty Acid
Supplement form Softgel Capsule
Dietary claims / uses Nutrient, All Other
Intended target group(s) Adult (18 - 50 Years)
From the label
Everything in this section is reproduced from the manufacturer’s own product label — it’s the label speaking, not HelloPharmacist. We show it so you can see exactly what the maker states; we don’t verify or endorse those statements.

Supplement Facts

The label details for GLA Borage Oil by Allergy Research Group, sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

Supplement Facts

Daily Value (DV) Target Group(s):
Adults and children 4 or more years of age
Minimum serving Sizes:
1 Softgel(s)
Maximum serving Sizes:
1 Softgel(s)
Servings per container
90
UPC/BARCODE
713947772205
IngredientAmount% DV
Calories10 Calorie(s)--
Calories from Fat10 Calorie(s)--
Total Fat1 Gram(s)2%
Polyunsaturated Fat500 mg--
Gamma-Linolenic Acid240 mg--
Linoleic Acid380 mg--
Borage Oil1 Gram(s)--

Other ingredients: Gelatin, Glycerin, purified Water

Tap any ingredient to jump to its full detail below.

Label statements
These statements are the manufacturer’s wording, reproduced from the product label — the label is saying it, not HelloPharmacist. We don’t verify or endorse them.
Formula

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) from borage oil. GLA is an omega-6 semi-essential fatty acid. Borage oil is high in GLA content (23% min.), and is also a significant source of linoleic acid, another omega-6 fatty acid.

High potency gamma-linolenic acid

Suggested/Recommended/Usage/Directions

Suggested Use As a dietary supplement, 1 softgel one or two times daily with meals, or as directed by a healthcare practitioner.

Formulation

Variations in product color may occur.

Hypoallergenic

Storage

Keep in a cool, dry place, tightly capped.

FDA Statement of Identity

Dietary Supplement

See for yourself

GLA Borage Oil by Allergy Research Group label

The label scan from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Tap to enlarge.

What’s inside

The Ingredients in GLA Borage Oil by Allergy Research Group

This is the 1 active ingredient this product is made of. Select it to open its full monograph.

Serving size1 Softgel(s) Dosage formSoftgel Capsule Servings per container90 Amounts shown are per serving.

Borage Oil

Interacts with
226 drugs
1 Gram(s) per serving

Borage is a Mediterranean herb whose seed oil is rich in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid studied mostly for skin conditions and arth...

Borage Oil monograph & interactions
  • › Gamma-Linolenic Acid
  • › Linoleic Acid

Other (inactive) ingredients: Gelatin, Glycerin, Purified Water. These complete the product’s ingredient list but are not active constituents.

Interaction report

GLA Borage Oil by Allergy Research Group Drug Interactions

GLA Borage Oil contains a single active ingredient, and it has known interactions with 226 medications. Here’s the picture, then you can look up your own drug.

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Go to the checker
226Drugs
226 Moderate

Ingredients driving the most interactions

Each ingredient & the kinds of drugs it affects

For each ingredient in GLA Borage Oil with known interactions, here are the types of medications it can affect. Open any type for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

Borage Oil3 drug types · 226 drugs

Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs

Theoretically, borage seed oil may increase the risk of bleeding if used with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
In healthy individuals, borage seed oil supplementation does not seem to affect platelet aggregation. However, gamma-linolenic acid, a constituent of borage seed oil, seems to decrease platelet aggregation by 45% and increase the risk of bleeding by 40% in animal and clinical research.

Likelihood Possible Evidence B
Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Inducers

Theoretically, taking borage with drugs that induce CYP3A4 might increase levels of pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) toxic metabolites.
Although borage seed oil contains little to no PAs, some borage plant parts, such as the leaf, flower, and seed, can contain hepatotoxic PAs. Hepatotoxic PAs are substrates of CYP3A4, which converts these chemicals into toxic metabolites. Tell patients to avoid borage preparations that are not certified and labeled as hepatotoxic PA-free.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
Phenothiazines

Theoretically, taking borage sed oil with phenothiazines might increase the risk of seizures.
Borage seed oil contains gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). There is concern that taking supplements containing GLA might cause seizures, or lower the seizure threshold, when taken with phenothiazines. This is based on limited data from two reports published in the 1980s. In one report, three patients with schizophrenia who had received phenothiazines developed EEG changes suggestive of temporal lobe epilepsy after starting treatment with evening primrose, another source of GLA. However, none experienced an actual seizure. In the other report, two patients with schizophrenia who were stabilized on phenothiazines developed seizures when evening primrose 4 grams daily was added. One of these patients had a prior history of seizures. It is unclear whether evening primrose had any additive epileptogenic effects with the phenothiazines, but there is no evidence that taking GLA-containing supplements alone can cause seizures.

Likelihood Possible Evidence D
The maker

Brand information

Manufacturer and brand details for GLA Borage Oil, from the product label.

Allergy Research Group

See all Allergy Research Group products
Name
Allergy Research Group
City
South Salt Lake
State
UT
ZipCode
84115
Phone Number
800.545.9960
Web Address
www.allergyresearchgroup.com
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

GLA Borage Oil by Allergy Research Group: Common Questions

Does GLA Borage Oil by Allergy Research Group interact with any medications?
Yes. Based on its ingredients, GLA Borage Oil has a known interaction with 226 medications. Use the checker to see how it interacts with a specific drug.
How can one product interact with so many drugs?
GLA Borage Oil contains a single active ingredient, and that one ingredient can interact with many different medications on its own. We check it against each medication and show the mechanism responsible.
Where does this information come from?
The product label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD); the interaction data is built on the Natural Medicines database and reviewed by HelloPharmacist pharmacists.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

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Label information is sourced from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database and reflects the product version on file; always read your actual product label. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Confirm with your pharmacist or doctor before combining supplements and medications.

GLA Borage Oil label
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

GLA Borage Oil's label data comes from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database; the ingredient interaction data is from the Natural Medicines database, reviewed by our pharmacists.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

The 11 references behind this product’s interaction data

Every citation that drives the interaction findings for this product’s ingredients, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Open an ingredient to browse its citations — links open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

Borage 11 references
  1. Guivernau M, Meza N, Barja P, Roman O. Clinical and experimental study on the long-term effect of dietary gamma-linolenic acid on plasma lipids, platelet aggregation, thromboxane formation, and prostacyclin production. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty A PubMed
  2. WHO working group. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Environmental Health Criteria, 80. WHO: Geneva, 1988.
  3. Fan YY, Chapkin RS. Importance of dietary gamma-linolenic acid in human health and nutrition. J Nutr 1998;128:1411-4.
  4. Takwale A, Tan E, Agarwal S, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of borage oil in adults and children with atopic eczema: randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group trial. BMJ 2003;327:1385. PubMed
  5. Chojkier M. Hepatic sinusoidal-obstruction syndrome: toxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. J Hepatol 2003;39:437-46. PubMed
  6. Roeder E. Medicinal plants in Europe containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Pharmazie 1995;50:83-98.
  7. Wang YP, Yan J, Fu PP, Chou MW. Human liver microsomal reduction of pyrrolizidine alkaloid N-oxides to form the corresponding carcinogenic parent alkaloid. Toxicol Lett 2005;155:411-20. PubMed
  8. Holman CP and Bell AF. A trial of evening primrose oil in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia. J Orhtomolecular Psych 1983;12:302-304.
  9. Vaddadi KS. The use of gamma-linolenic acid and linoleic acid to differentiate between temporal lobe epilepsy and schizophrenia. Prostaglandins Med 1981;6(4):375-379. PubMed
  10. Bard, J. M., Luc, G., Jude, B., Bordet, J. C., Lacroix, B., Bonte, J. P., Parra, H. J., and Duriez, P. A therapeutic dosage (3 g/day) of borage oil supplementation has no effect on platelet aggregation in healthy volunteers. Fundam.Clin.Pharmacol. 1997;1
  11. Puri BK. The safety of evening primrose oil in epilepsy. Prostaglandins Leukotrienes Essential Fatty Acids 2007;77:101-3. PubMed

See these in context on the Borage monograph →

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

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