GLA what are the benefits?

[drea]

Hey, I purchased it months ago as a natural way to try to get my period back, but haven't taken it yet because I was trying progesterone cream and an increase in cals.
Well, that didn't work and the calorie increase is just making me softer,so I was wondering if evening primrose oil caps would be a good option.

I also recently purchased age less which is an ala (600mg.), I'm thinking about returning it and getting Glucorell-R instead. Any suggestions? On the supp board they urged me just to take Glucorell beacause it's not a "racemic" form of ala. I got the age less from gnc, they seemed to think it was the best product out there. I would love feedback!

Thx~Drea

 

[Miss24k]

What is GLA?

 

[treilin]

Did you do any research on progesterone cream? Have you been seeing a doctor for your period loss? Over use of the cream can over time cause hormonal imbalance issues since it is stored in the fat and then you get an overabundance in the body. it depends on the brand you bought... is it synthetic? They should be doing some sort of blood work on you to see the rise and fall of your hormones over a 28 day period to figure out which hormone is low. Did you come up with you had high estrogen on your own? Sometimes it's not always good to diagnose yourself. I understand high estrogen usually means a period loss, but that's not always true...
I would suggest going and getting your blood work screened over 28 days to identify how your hormone levels fluctuate. Talk with your doctor about how you can naturally get your hormones back to normal. I'm assuming you are not on any HRT products including birth control pills.... Remember stress is a link to hormones out of whack, and adrenal overload causing your hormones to fluctuate also. Look at the stress in your life.
I would just say use your ala, and then if you don't like it buy Glucorell next time around, use it since you have it. Glucorell is a good product, I have and I am an avid GNC shopper but never bought an ala there.

 

[drea]

I took the progesterone cream for about 3 weeks. The name of it was pro-gest if I remember correctly and I purchased it at whole foods.
My doctor ran tests on my hormone levels, thyroid, potassium,white/red cells, and quite a few more that I don't recall the names of. He tested them twice in a month, and found that my estrogen,testosterone, and progesterone were all very low. He suggested I go see an ob who suggested that I take birth control, which I am against. I refuse to take anything synthetic, and it's really frustrating my dr.'s. I just can't believe they would have no other option for me. Also they refuse to believe me when I say I don't have an eating disorder. It's bull shit, I eat more than most people I know. Everyone at work thinks I'm nuts when I come in with my cooler full of chicken salads, yams, and protein pancakes. And like I mentioned, I increased my calories by almost 400 (up to 1600), cut down on cardio, and still nothing.
I'm worried that if this keeps up for much longer my husband and I will never be able to have children.
But, I've read that the Gamma Linoleic Acid can help, so any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[drea]

My Dr.'s also suggested Pro-vera to bring on a period. Any thoughts on this?

 

[treilin]

I did a search on GLA and this is what I came up with:

http://www.healthtouch.com/bin/ECon...e=ame0285.htm&title=Gamma-Linoleic+Acid&cid=L

Another passage I found:
"Linoleic acid is a colorless to straw-colored, liquid, polyunsaturated fatty acid (C18H32O2) of the omega-6 series. Linoleic and another fatty acid, gamma-linolenic, or gamolenic, produce prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are substances that are found in every cell, are needed for the body's overall health maintenance, and must be replenished constantly. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid, which means that the body cannot produce it, so it must be obtained in the diet.

Linoleic acid is an important fatty acid, especially for the growth and development of infants. Fatty acids help to maintain the health of cell membranes, improve nutrient use, and establish and control cellular metabolism. They also provide the raw materials that help in the control of blood pressure, blood clotting, inflammation, body temperature, and other body functions. Fatty acids are consumed in the greatest quantities in fat. Although many people are encouraged to consume less fat in their diets, fat is still an important component of a healthy body. Fat stores the body's extra calories, helps insulate the body, and protects body tissues. Fats are also an important energy source during exercise, when the body depends on its calories after using up available carbohydrates. Fat helps in the absorption, and transport through the bloodstream, of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K."


Also, your doctors are concerned you are under eating... You were only at 1200 calories. How long were you at 1200 calories, or why were you on so low of calories? You may be at 1600 now, but how many years were you at 1200?
It sounds like you eat well... but maybe you should post up your whole program for everyone to look at.... Starting a new thread with your height, weight, eating plan, exercise plan, and goals both short and long-term. That way you will give everyone a better idea of exact numbers and amounts to look at.