Q. You recently had a question from a woman suffering hot flashes due to menopause. I am a cancer patient and avoid soy because it acts like estrogen. I have found borage seed oil nearly eliminates my hot flashes. The cancer center checked on it before I began and said it’s okay.
A. You were smart to have the cancer center check your supplement first. Borage seed oil is rich in gamma-linolenic acid, similar to the fat found in evening primrose oil or flaxseed oil.
Although the Web has many sites that recommend borage seed oil for hot flashes, we were unable to find a definitive study showing that this dietary supplement can reduce them. Make sure that your supplement has had the pyrrolizidine alkaloids removed, since these can be toxic to the liver.
