What Is Black Currant Seed Oil?
Black currant seed oil, as the name suggests, is derived from black currant seeds; the black currant berries, also known as Ribes nigrum, are obtained from the Saxifragaceae shrub. The oil contains linoleic acid in two forms, 17% of gamma-linoleic acid from the omega-6 family and 13% of alpha-linoleic acid from the omega-3 family. The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for carrying out many essential body functions. The body breaks down the fatty acids to produce regulatory substances called prostaglandins. These are hormones that control vascular muscle cell contraction and dilation, cell growth, tissue protection, pain sensitization, platelet aggregation as well as platelet disaggregation, calcium movement, and inflammatory mediation.
