Blackcurrant is a fruit crop found in the northern parts of Europe and Asia. An oil extracted from the seeds of this fruit has several beneficial components. Each of them is useful in treating many diseases and conditions. Seed oil holds a place of prominence in European folk medicine and the latest research studies on it have further strengthened its claims as a useful medicinal oil.
Why you should use Black Currant Seed Oil? Its health Benefits –
Some of the useful components of this seed oil are omega 6 fatty acids in 15 – 20 per cent, omega 3 fatty acids in 12 – 14 per cent and stearidonic acid in 2-4 per cent.
The health benefits of Omega 6 fatty acids are it lowers cholesterol levels, blood pressure, inflammatory markers, risk of heart ailments and insulin resistance in the body.
Omega 3 fatty acids lower the levels of triglycerides, blood pressure, risk of abnormal heart rates and sudden deaths, clotting of blood or their sticking to the walls of arteries, hardening of the arteries, heart attacks, blocked heart vessels, risk of rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and inflammation in heart disease.
EPA and DHA are two very vital nutrients found in sea fish and marine algae. The benefits of these nutrients are that they make up the tissues of our brain and the eye retina and play an important role in their normal functioning. They are converted into the hormone prostaglandins which regulates the contraction and relaxation of muscle tissues and controls the growth of cells. This hormone also causes aggregation or desegregation of blood platelets, regulate the movement of calcium, inhibits the secretion of acids in the stomach, decreases the pressure in the eyes, sensitize the neurons in the spine to pain, and induce labor.
They also regulate the functioning of the heart, play an important role in the brain development of the fetus in the mother’s womb, increase concentration in older people and treat ailments like dementia and alzheimer’s disease. The EPA and DHA also reduce the loss of heat from the body, provide cushion to the organs and their tissues and reduce the flaking and drying of the skin.
As the presence of fishes and marine algae is reducing day by day, nutritionists are in a constant search of alternatives to these vital nutrients. Stearidonic acid contains most of the above-mentioned health benefits of EPA and DHA. Its natural presence in black currant seed oil would further increase its nutritional significance in the near future.
Women can use the oil to treat painful periods, the symptoms of menopause, breast tenderness and premenstrual syndrome. It keeps the signs of ageing away by boosting the immune system. A research study carried out in February 2003 found that this oilseed has anti-viral benefits and can treat against influence viruses.
In Europe, the oil extract of black currant seed is known by a relatively less number of people to treat rheumatic and arthritic pains, control diarrhoea and cause urination. Further research on this extremely beneficial seed oil extract is quite warranted.