Borage (Borago officinalis) and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) oils both have interesting and similar nutritional compositions and this gives them broadly similar physiological effects. Generally the oil composition of seed oils varies between plants and between growing conditions, but on average evening primrose oil contains about 72 % linoleic acid (LA, C18:2 (n-6)) and about 13 % gamma linolenic acid (GLA, C18:3 (n-6)). However, borage oil contains around 26 % GLA and only around 38 % LA. This makes borage oil a better choice as an anti-inflammatory because the GLA content determines the degree to which the oil may inhibit the inflammatory essential fatty acid pathways in the tissues. The amount of saturated fat is also higher in borage oil, but this is not a large amount in either case. The oil is protected from oxidation by vitamin E, which is dominated in both oils by the gamma tocopherol isomer of vitamin E. Borage oil has twice the amount of tocopherol compared to evening primrose oil.
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