NOW Foods Borage Oil 1000mg 120 Softgels

What this is

NOW Foods Borage Oil 1000 mg is a dietary supplement sold as a bottle of 120 oblong softgels, each supplying 1,000 mg of borage seed oil. The front of the bottle carries the NOW wordmark, the product name, the strength, a "Concentrated GLA" badge and three bullets: 240 mg of GLA, Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids, and Expeller-Pressed, Hexane-Free. NOW files the product under its own "Nutritional Oils" heading, printed in the band above the Supplement Facts panel, and the pack is marked "A Dietary Supplement". You can browse the rest of the range in Omega-3 & Nutritional Oils.

What is in each softgel

Each softgel contains one gram of borage seed oil and nothing else but the shell. Borage (Borago officinalis) is a bristly, blue-flowered annual herb, sometimes called starflower, grown across Europe, North Africa and North America; the oil is pressed from its small black seeds rather than from the leaves or flowers. The Supplement Facts panel identifies the source precisely as "Borage Oil (Borago officinalis) (Seed)".

The named constituent is gamma linolenic acid, listed on the panel as Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) at 240 mg per softgel and indented beneath the borage oil line, which is the panel's way of showing that the GLA is a component of the oil rather than a separate addition. GLA is an omega-6 essential fatty acid. The side panel notes that the body is able to produce GLA from dietary linoleic acid, and that borage oil is a nutritional oil consisting of 60% polyunsaturated fats with approximately twice the average GLA content of evening primrose oil. For general background on plant-derived supplements of this kind, the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements publishes a consumer fact sheet on botanical dietary supplements.

The shell is the only other component. The panel's Other Ingredients line reads, in full: "Softgel Capsule (bovine gelatin, glycerin, water)." There is no filler, no flow agent and no coating listed. The gelatin is animal-derived, and the front of the bottle states this plainly beneath its Kosher mark with the words "Contains Gelatin".

Supplement Facts

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. † Daily Value not established. At the panel's serving size of one softgel, a 120-softgel bottle works out to 120 servings. You can look up transcribed panels for thousands of products in the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database.

How to use it

The bottle's Suggested Usage reads: "Take 1 softgel 1 to 2 times daily, preferably with food." That is the whole of the printed direction — the panel gives no time of day, no cycling schedule and no minimum period of use. Storage guidance is equally short: "Store in a cool, dry place after opening." The panel also carries the line "Natural color variation may occur in this product", which is a normal characteristic of a pressed seed oil.

How the oil is made

This oil is expeller-pressed and hexane-free, both stated on the front of the bottle and repeated on the side panel. Expeller pressing means the seeds are crushed mechanically under pressure rather than washed with a solvent to draw the oil out; hexane is a solvent used in the alternative extraction method. The side panel also addresses pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), a group of compounds associated with the borage plant, and states that borage oil does not carry harmful levels of them.

Who it is for

This is a single-ingredient seed oil for adults who already know they want GLA and want it in a plain, unblended form. Because each softgel carries one gram of oil, the softgel is on the substantial side — the pack includes a printed size chart showing it against inch and centimeter scales, with the note that size and color shown may vary from the actual product. The 120-count bottle suits someone taking it as a standing part of a routine rather than trying it once. The bovine gelatin shell means it does not suit vegetarian or vegan diets. You will find related items in Supplements and across Health & Wellness.

Seals and statements on the pack

The bottle itself carries two seals and two printed lines. On the front are a Non-GMO seal and a Kosher "K" mark annotated "Contains Gelatin"; on the back panel are a blue "GMP Quality Assured" roundel and the line "Family owned since 1968." Separately, the brand information cards in this listing's gallery show company graphics rather than the bottle: they name Intertek as the body behind NOW's GMP certification, list ingredient types the company excludes across its range, and identify NOW as a founding partner of the Vitamin Angels charity. Those cards describe the company, not this bottle's panel.

Good to know

The printed Caution reads, in full: "For adults only. Consult physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication (NSAIDs, anticoagulants), or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children." No other interaction is named anywhere on the pack. On allergens the panel states: "Not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, corn, milk, egg, fish or shellfish ingredients. Produced in a GMP facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens." The manufacturer's address block reads "NOW FOODS, 395 S. Glen Ellyn Rd., Bloomingdale, IL 60108, USA". The FDA publishes general guidance for shoppers on questions and answers on dietary supplements, and explains what the asterisked sentence at the foot of this page means in its note on structure/function claims.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much GLA is in one softgel?

Each softgel provides 240 mg of gamma linolenic acid (GLA). That figure comes from the Supplement Facts panel, where GLA is listed indented beneath the 1,000 mg of borage seed oil, meaning the 240 mg is a fraction of that gram of oil rather than an extra ingredient on top of it.

Is this softgel vegetarian or vegan?

No — the shell is made from bovine gelatin, so it is neither vegetarian nor vegan. The panel's Other Ingredients line reads "Softgel Capsule (bovine gelatin, glycerin, water)", and the front of the bottle repeats the point in the words "Contains Gelatin" beneath its Kosher mark.

How many softgels are in the bottle, and how far does that go?

The bottle holds 120 softgels. At the panel's serving size of one softgel that is 120 servings, and the printed direction of one softgel one to two times daily puts the bottle between a 60-day and a 120-day supply, depending on which of those two the buyer follows.

What does expeller-pressed and hexane-free mean here?

It means the oil was pressed mechanically rather than extracted with a chemical solvent. Both phrases are printed on the front of the bottle and repeated on the side panel; hexane is the solvent used in the extraction method this one avoids.

How is the order packaged for delivery?

Orders ship in plain, unbranded outer packaging with no description of the contents on the outside. It will not show the Gear Isle name.

Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.