Evening primrose oil may help women orgasm, study claims 

It’s typically taken by menopausal women who are trying to deal with hot flushes while they sleep.

But experts claim evening primrose oil could actually heat up premenopausal women’s nights — by improving their orgasms. 

A study of 60 married women asked how enjoyable sex was for those taking oil pills compared to those who had a placebo.

Women who took them each night rated their sex as being better after eight weeks.

And they also had more orgasms and enjoyed sex more than participants not taking it. 

Iranian researchers said it suggested the pills, which can cost up to £20 for a jar of 60 on the high street, could enhance most women’s sex lives.

They believe prostaglandin — a type of fat that has hormone-like effects — in primrose oil may improve orgasms by helping contract the smooth muscles in the reproductive system.

Companies selling primrose oil claim it can help with a range of ailments, including hot flushes, eczema, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and breast pain.

However, the NHS does not recommend the pills for the latter, saying there is little evidence in support of its use.

Fresh research, published in the academic journal Sexologies, tracked women’s sex lives from October 2020 to June 2021.

Researchers from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran split the women, aged 29 to 41, into two groups of 30.

One was asked to take the 1000mg primrose oil pills each night, while the other was given identical-looking pills containing another oily substance.

They were given a survey at the start of the study, asking them 19 questions about their enjoyment of recent intercourse.

Questions assessed their levels of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain during sex. 

Their answers produced scores for each category. 

Participants were given the same survey four weeks after they started taking the pills and again at the end of the study four weeks later. 

Results showed women taking the primrose oil saw their sex improve significantly on all measures other than pain.

But when compared to the control group, the only significant difference was seen on their orgasms and sex satisfaction. 

Writing in the journal, they said: ‘The results indicated the consumption of evening primrose oil capsules can improve sexual function in women of reproductive age, particularly in orgasm and sexual satisfaction dimensions.’ 

The team suggested the effect was caused by the prostaglandin in primrose oil, which studies have shown helps control the contraction of smooth muscles in the body.

Smooth muscle is a type of muscle found across the body that contracts without any voluntary control.

The reproductive smooth muscles contract during orgasm in both men and women. 

However, the Tarbiat Modares University study was purely observational and cannot prove what was causing the better feeling orgasms.

Primrose oil has been used for medicinal purposes in Europe since the 17th century, having previously been used by Native Americans for wounds and stomach pain.