Borage is otherwise called the starflower, and the borage oil extracted from its seeds is very rich in GLA, gamma linolenic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid also obtainable from evening primrose oil. Borage, however, is richer in GLA, and is therefore a more economical source that the evening primrose.
A shrub, frequently seen in gardens, borage has historically been used as a salad food, and also in soups, and borage honey is prized in many quarters. Now, however, its main use is for the GLA extracted from the seed, which provides a higher yield of GLA than any other source. Borage seed oil contains up to 25% GLA, compared to the 17% from blackcurrant oil and 9% from evening primrose oil.
The importance of GLA to the body's biochemistry is inestimable, and cannot be overstated. It is not so much the GLA that is so important, but the prostaglandin to which it is converted in the body. Prostaglandin E1 is a hormone-like substance that plays a part in many of the biochemical and metabolic processes of the body. Examples include the control of the immune system and inflammatory response, some kidney functions, and the tone of the arterial muscles, so important in the health of the cardiovascular system.
A good fatty acid metabolism benefits some very important aspects of our health such as maintaining a good blood pressure, low cholesterol levels, preventing inflammatory and immune system conditions such as arthritis, allergies and some skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis, and also improving the strength of the keratin-dependent tissues such as our nails and hair.
A deficiency in essential fatty acids also seems to stimulate the overproduction of a hormone in women called prolactin that can lead to the severe mood changes commonly referred to as pre-menstrual syndrome, or PMS. GLA appears to have a beneficial effect in the treatment of PMS, and some other conditions such as breast discomfort.
Gamma linolenic acid is created in the body from linoleic acid, of which there is a plentiful supply in margarine, vegetable oils and many processed foods, but there is a problem. Fatty acid molecules come in different isomeric forms, in which although the chemical is the same, the geometry or ?stereochemistry? is different. The healthy form is the ?cis? formation, and the other is the ?trans? stereoisomer. The trans fatty acids are formed by hydrogenation of oils to make them semi-solid, and more suitable for spreading. This hydrogenation process causes an irreversible change in the geometry of the fatty acid that can block the conversion of linoleic acid to GLA in the body.
Hence, although most of the western population has more than sufficient linoleic acid in their diets, many who eat an excess of trans fats have a deficiency of GLA. Some B vitamin deficiencies and a deficiency in certain minerals exacerbate this situation, and a gamma linolenic acid supplement is needed. Additional to this, the enzyme responsible for the conversion, delta-6-desaturase (D6D) can be affected by many modern environmental factors such as smoking, stress, alcohol, excessive animal fat consumption and even excessive linoleic acid consumption. The solution to all of this is GLA which does not require any enzymes for its creation, and supplemental GLA from any source can immediately take part in the biochemical pathway to the creation of the prostaglandin eicosanoids.
GLA provides the means and the resultant prostaglandins carry out the job of regulating the hormonal activity within human biochemistry. Prostaglandins help to regulate the function of many of the cells in the body, such as the smooth muscle cells of the arteries and veins that cause constriction or dilation, and on the stickiness of blood platelets causing their aggregation. They are important in the regulation of such functions as blood clotting, fluid balance and the production and balance of hormones. The anti-inflammatory properties of prostaglandin E1 are very important to the way that the body reacts to breaches by foreign invaders, and it is also thought to act to thin the blood and cause dilation of blood vessels, hence its effect in lowering the blood pressure.
So what does this mean to you, apart from the effects of the fatty acid on PMS? Borage oil can be used to treat a large number of different symptoms associated with a shortage of GLA and prostaglandin E1, and here are a few of the conditions for which a GLA supplement has been found beneficial.
A deficiency in GLA and other essential fatty acids can lead to loss of bone mass and subsequent osteoporosis and it is thought that fatty acids help the absorption of calcium by the digestive system, and to increase its deposit in bones. It can be used to increase bone mass and density and therefore strengthen the bones of those affected by osteoporosis. This is partially due to the hormone regulatory effect GLA has on the body.
Allergies appear to be very personal responses by the immune system to specific substances, and while borage oil has proved beneficial in a few allergies, and prostaglandins are known to regulate the activity of the immune response, the effectiveness of GLA treatment for allergies has been mixed. There is evidence that it can affect some cases, but not most.
GLA from borage oil can reduce the swelling and pain of rheumatoid arthritis, and helps to ease morning stiffness. Its effectiveness seems mixed, and you should try it for two or three months to determine if it helps you personally. Be careful, however, since some believe that it might react with some of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) used to treat this condition. Ibuprofen is one, so check with your physician before trying it.
If you suffer from high blood pressure, borage oil used in conjunction with Omega-3 fish oils might lower it, though more research is needed. There is a belief that the GLA is not the active agent here since Omega-3 oils are known to help to reduce hypertension, though the effect of prostaglandins on the factors that can reduce blood pressure is inarguable.
The healing power of borage oil should not be underestimated, and it has been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat many conditions, especially those that science has found to be caused by the immune system and the inflammatory response. Borage oil can be found at any Health Food Store.
According to my friend Marjorie, a Kwan Yin channel, most people in the past did not really understand the qualities of this stone. She says, "They just had an impulse that it was pleasing, they did not question whether it was spiritually pleasing."
According to metaphysical information, the energy of this mineral is used mainly to bring to you what you desire and to take away from you that which you do not desire. It also is said to bring clarity.
"This substance is particularly good to use at this time because it takes the human away from thinking they need rubies, diamonds or gold -- all these things that cost a lot of money. It's about what kind of frequency one can transmit. Alabaster has within it a high-vibratory Atlantian and Lemurian frequency. Fluorides have some of that in them, too. It was used in the times of Egypt to be of assistance to the human."
Alabaster is useful in meditation and for centering of the true self. She says that there is an "orderliness that can happen." We could benefit from achieving more Divine Order in our lives. She uses the example of nature: "The human uses time for order. Time is misused again and again because of the lack of awareness of orderliness. Order is in nature. Time does not rush in nature. There is a season and there is an unfolding. The human will have to learn that over again."
Kwan Yin wants us to use the Alabaster in meditation. She suggests that we hold 2 or 3 stones in our hand while meditating and just roll them around. The white and the cream colors are the best for that purpose. She also told Marjorie to bless the beads for others to hold.
"If the beads have received blessings, they have been in our energy many times (through Marjorie) and so that is a more coordinating energy. There is a spiral that you will experience that is more coordinating to the central core and resonating to light in a less chaotic way."
"When we tell Marjorie that Alabaster is a good thing to hold, it is because she is conducting a mediumship between us and her. If she impregnates into the Alabaster by holding it with a particular impulse, it gives a lesson or an experience of learning to the person who holds it next. It's not a transistor, but it couples the frequency, like male and female come together, it couples."
"So if you hold the bead, and the bead has the frequency of when Marjorie held it, it is connecting to her energy and the frequency of us, The Ascended Masters, so that is where the human being can get a download (so to speak) of our energy. It can be one bead, it's not that important. It is a way that the frequency of the higher spiritual qualities and the experience within it can be instilled."
A friend purchased a rock of newly quarried Alabaster and wanted to know what the qualities were of that particular variety. This is what Kwan Yin had to say:
"The Alabaster rock that you have is useful for connecting to the energies of the earth and the pure vibratory rates of higher frequencies. It is raw and new and it is still vibrating with the pulse of the earth. It has the original qualities so this is a little more chaotic energy because it has many different facets, different waves. Its energy can move back and forth, across it, around it and inside of it. So there are patterns that keep happening. If you could see it, which you possibly can with your third eye, you would notice that there are figure eights moving back and forth a petal-like structure. And where they are interacting with each other, what they are doing is vibrating and sending off energies past 6 inches, past six to eight inches off this particular rock."
In Freedom, Oklahoma, there is a cave that contains pink, white and the rare black Alabaster. I asked what would happen if someone were to go into the cave and meditate. Kwan Yin said, "First of all, the combination of that vibration with the enclosure would intensify and the pineal gland would be stimulated very strongly. When someone takes themselves into a cave there is a vibratory rate that is more easily felt because of the enclosure, so it is more intense. One could easily find themselves being agitated while meditating in this place for the first few times." She says that the agitation occurs because we are bringing up elements from within ourselves that have not been consciously integrated, but that after this experience, we may feel like "sweating or running" until the excess energy is dissipated and we ultimately find more peace.
"The job of the gem for the whole world is to illuminate facets of the soul that are not accessible through the normal vision pattern. If one is working with the receptivity of spirit and soul they can see what looks like facets of floating ice crystals through liquid energy that would be revolving and moving and reflecting light in different ways. They would not only be reflecting light, they would have facets in themselves that had stories in them. We are talking about seeing behind the eyes and what can be elicited once one is acclimated to meditating in a cave like that."
"We really like the Alabaster because it can help the little one connect to their own principles. Principles of a person are not the same as principles of the soul. Principles of the soul are alignment, a real awakening and opening in alignment. There is a kind of liberation that happens in the strands and in the cording of the human to their Soul, a reawakening. After a while, to meditate in that particular cave, you would be there. This is true for many other crystal caves, where the vibratory rate is so strong, you can not get an imprint from anything else going on outside or from other people."
Both Darrell Miller & Craig Howell are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Darrell Miller has sinced written about articles on various topics from Search Engine Marketing, Arthritis Signs and Anti Oxidant. Looking for a supplement for PMS or Headaches? Look no further, VitaNet, LLC Health Food Store carr. Darrell Miller's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.
Craig Howell has sinced written about articles on various topics from Astrology, Astrology Predictions and Cooking Tips. Craig Howell is the director of The Eyes of Kwan Yin, a spiritual work. Channeled teachings, products and services and more. Get free monthly audio messages from Kwan Yin and the Ascended Masters.. Craig Howell's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.