Borage
Avoid Borage
Borage
plectranthus amboinicus
Although no side effects have been reported, borage leaves, flowers, and seeds contain small amounts of pyrrolizidine alkaloids that may be hepatotoxic (damaging to the liver) especially at high doses for long periods of time. If ingested it can be harmful to the liver. Do not ingest the leaves and flowers because they may contain hepatotoxic compounds. Documented adverse effects (pyrrolizidine alkaloids). Avoid use.
Modern use of borage primarily comes from the use of the seeds to make borage seed oil, which contains a high content of the essential fatty acid known as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Borage may also be useful in the treatment of osteoporosis. Fish oil plus borage seed oil has shown improvement in bone density in a study of elderly osteoporotic women. A review of trials of GLA for impaired nerve function in diabetics concluded that GLA may hold promise for treatment of diabetic neuropathy.
