Abstract

Placebo-controlled trials are now widely accepted by orthodox medicine as the best way of proving whether or not a medication has a real effect. In order to convince their colleagues, doctors interested in nutritional medicine should be willing to meet orthodox medicine on its own ground and to organize such trials. Efamol has followed this policy with regard to evening primrose oil. Around 100 placebo-controlled trials are now in progress. This article summarizes the results to date. Evening primrose oil has been shown to be effective in a topic eczema, premenstrual syndrome, alcoholism, elevated cholesterol levels, Sjogren's syndrome, mild hypertension and scleroderma. In each of these conditions the use of placebo-controlled studies has led to a high level of acceptance by orthodox doctors.