Oil From This Seed Can Help Ward Off Heart Disease, Weight Gain, Thinning Hair, and More
These little berries have a ton of anti-aging benefits.
Worrying about aging? Cutting-edge research reveals that black currant seed oil can help treat — and even stave off — a slew of age-related woes, including heart disease, cancer, joint pain, hot flashes, dry eyes, weight gain, and thinning hair.
Extracted from a berry native to Europe and Asia, black currant seed oil (Buy on Amazon, $12.38), also known as BCSO, is brimming with healthy compounds.
Black currant seed oil keeps the skin supple.
BCSO is the top natural source of the healthy omega-6 fatty acid gamma linoleic acid (GLA), which makes up about 10 percent of the outer layer of your skin and is essential for shielding it from water loss. What’s more, BCSO’s vitamin C is used by the body to form collagen and elastin, the skin’s structural supports.
It can improve eyesight.
The berry is rich in a powerful antioxidant called anthocyanin, which helps reduce the risk of nearsightedness and poor night vision, Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN, explains.
It protects against Alzheimer’s.
BCSO’s antioxidants also shield your brain from destructive molecules called free radicals, and they boost production of the “happy” brain hormone dopamine. That’s key: Reduced levels of dopamine have been linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
It can ease arthritis.
The GLA in BCSO is also a powerful anti-inflammatory that reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, such as joint pain, swelling, and stiffness, a British study found.
In fact, in some studies, BCSO supplements were so effective that participants with rheumatoid arthritis were able to reduce their usual pain medications.
This article originally appeared in our print magazine, Reverse Aging.
