About Borage Seed Oil (GLA)
Borage oil is the most concentrated botanical GLA source (~20–26% by weight). Two double-blind RCTs in rheumatoid arthritis (GLA 1.4 g/day, n=37, 24 weeks; GLA 2.8 g/day, n=56, 12 months) reported reduced joint tenderness and morning stiffness, but those GLA doses require ~6–11 g of borage oil — far more than the ~1 g most supplements provide (~220 mg GLA, sub-therapeutic). Recent meta-analyses question GLA's clinical effect. Scored as oil mass, distinct from pure GLA. Caution: may contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids unless certified PA-free; avoid in pregnancy and liver disease.
What Borage Seed Oil (GLA) supports
- GLA source studied for joint comfort in RA (high doses only)
- Most concentrated botanical GLA source
How much Borage Seed Oil (GLA) to take
The RDA prevents deficiency. The effective range is what clinical trials used to actually move the outcome.
Effective
1000–3000
mg
Borage oil is ~20–26% GLA, so 1–3 g provides ~200–780 mg GLA. RA RCTs used 1.4–2.8 g GLA/day (~6–11 g borage oil) — far above typical 1 g supplement doses.
Clinical evidence
Limited clinical evidence. RA RCTs positive at 1.4–2.8 g GLA/day; typical supplement doses deliver far less; recent reviews skeptical
Reference