Amazing Health Benefits of Frankincense

Frankincense has a strong anti-inflammatory effect and could therefore help with many chronic inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis and psoriasis. We explain how to use frankincense and what to consider when choosing frankincense preparations.

Frankincense is a traditional remedy

Most people will be familiar with frankincense primarily from the Church. It is smoked in religious ceremonies because it is a symbol of purification, worship, prayer and a sign of the presence of God. The scent of the incense is spicy and lemony. It is also often used for smoking outside the church. It drives away unpleasant energies and dark thoughts, refreshes and improves the ability to concentrate. Once upon a time, incense was also used to clean living spaces — not only in terms of energy, but also of germs.

What is less well known is that frankincense has been used in traditional medicine in many countries for centuries. The ancient Romans and Greeks used incense e.g. B. for wound healing. And in Indian Ayurveda, incense has long been considered a remedy for joint problems.

In the 19th century, frankincense was also known in Europe for its pain-relieving effect on joint problems, but it was forgotten again. It was not until the 1980s that he aroused the interest of modern medicine.

The resin of the frankincense tree

Frankincense is the resin from trees of the genus Boswellia, of which there are around 20 to 30 species. Frankincense trees like arid climates — they grow in the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, India and Pakistan. The following types of incense are best known:

· Boswellia serrata: India and Pakistan

· Boswellia sacra: Yemen and Oman

· Boswellia carterii: Somalia (is sometimes listed as a separate species, but sometimes also as a synonym for Boswellia sacra)

· Boswellia papyrifera: Ethiopia and Eritrea

In order to obtain incense, the bark of the tree is scratched so that the resin leaks out. As soon as it comes into contact with oxygen, it begins to dry and resin droplets are formed. These can then be harvested. When the frankincense resin is harvested for the first time, it is brown to black in color and consists of many small lumps. The further harvests result in a purer and brighter frankincense resin. The lumps, which are somewhat reminiscent of rock candy, can be several centimeters in size.

Finally, an extract is obtained from the resin of the frankincense tree, which is available in the form of capsules and tablets as a dietary supplement and medicine.

Health effects of frankincense

Scientific interest in frankincense has increased enormously since the 1980s, so that numerous studies have now appeared on it. Because frankincense resin has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antidepressant and analgesic ingredients.

The Indian frankincense from the tree Boswellia serrata in particular is known for its health benefits, so that it is already listed in the European Pharmacopoeia. But the other types of frankincense also have health effects. However, they are less well researched.

The possible areas of application of frankincense are, according to the properties of its active ingredients, the following:

· Chronic inflammatory bowel disease, e.g. B. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

· Joint diseases, e.g. B. rheumatism, arthritis, osteoarthritis

· Psoriasis and eczema

· asthma

· multiple sclerosis

· Brain tumors

· The active ingredients in frankincense resin

The various boswellic acids in frankincense resin are responsible for the positive effects on health. AKBA acid (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid) is considered to be particularly effective, which is why it is regarded as the most important ingredient. But KBA acid (11-keto-β-boswellic acid) is also considered effective.

The boswellic acids AKBA and KBA are able to reprogram an inflammatory enzyme (5-lipoxygenase) in the body so that this enzyme then has an anti-inflammatory effect. This makes frankincense a promising cure for all sorts of diseases that lead to inflammatory processes in the body.

For a long time, it was assumed that only the boswellic acids are responsible for the health properties of frankincense. However, this is not the case: the substances incensol and incensol acetate also showed isolated anti-inflammatory effects. It is probably the interplay of many other ingredients in frankincense that makes it so beneficial.

In order to benefit as much as possible from the pharmacological effects of frankincense resin, an extract is obtained from it that has already been used in numerous studies.

Frankincense for joint diseases

For example, there are promising research results on frankincense extract for osteoarthritis. In several studies, the intake of frankincense extract from Boswellia serrata led to reduced joint pain and better joint function in osteoarthritis patients. Doses of 100 to 400 mg boswellic acid per day were used for at least four weeks.

According to Dr. med. Gerhardt, doctor for internal medicine at the University Clinic in Mannheim, should use higher doses for osteoarthritis according to his experience: He recommends 3 x 2 tablets of the finished drug Sallaki® or H 15® (400 mg frankincense extract per tablet) daily for three to six months (further information under “Medicines with frankincense extract”).

Frankincense for inflammatory bowel disease

Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is very common in modern society. Parts of the intestine become inflamed in bursts or continuously. The two most common inflammatory bowel diseases are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Affected people are often dependent on medication for the rest of their lives.

Because of its anti-inflammatory effect, frankincense extract can also help with intestinal inflammation: In a clinical study, the standard drugs with many side effects for IBD were supplemented with frankincense extract and then slowly tapered off within four to six weeks — most of the test subjects then noticed an improvement in their well-being.

Two 400 mg frankincense extract tablets were used three times a day in addition to the existing medication (corticoids, mesalazine, azathioprine). As soon as the symptoms, such as abdominal pain and cramps, subsided, the pre-medication was reduced by one tablet a week until only the frankincense extract was consumed. This was finally reduced to an individual dose, depending on how much the test subjects needed to maintain the effect.

In acute attacks, the dose was increased to three tablets of frankincense extract three times a day. The frankincense extract was the finished medicinal product H15® (further information under “Medicinal products with frankincense extract”).

Incense for psoriasis

Good experiences have also been made with the treatment of psoriasis. Psoriasis, also known as psoriasis, is an inflammatory skin disease that — just like the above intestinal diseases — is one of the autoimmune diseases and is therefore not curable from the point of view of conventional medicine.

In a clinical study, an incense extract cream with 95% AKBA boswellic acid from Boswellia serrata was tested in psoriasis patients: The 200 test subjects applied the cream to the affected skin areas three times a day for three months.

A marked decrease in psoriasis can be observed in before-and-after pictures. In addition, the subjects’ inflammation markers fell sharply: The tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha), for example, fell by a full 58 percent and was back to normal after the 3 months.

Frankincense for asthma

Inflammation also plays a role in asthma: the airways of those affected are chronically inflamed, so the frankincense extract could also be used here.

A small study with 40 test persons showed in 1998 that frankincense extract from Boswellia serrata can help with asthma. The subjects received 300 mg of the extract three times a day for six weeks. As a result, the symptoms improved in 70 percent of the test subjects.

In a recent study from 2017, researchers combined the frankincense extract with an extract from the Bengali quince. The Bengali quince is also used in Ayurveda and is also said to have an anti-inflammatory effect.

The 18 subjects took 200 mg of the mixture daily for 56 days. The lung function and the inflammation values ​​of the test persons improved after only 14 days compared to the control group. The researchers also found that frankincense and Bengali quince combined had stronger anti-inflammatory effects than either agent on its own.

Incense for multiple sclerosis

The multiple sclerosis is also an inflammatory, relapsing autoimmune disease that could come in the incense used as the so-called SABA study by researchers at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf and the Charité Berlin showed.

The 28 test persons took frankincense extract as a capsule (400 mg each) several times a day for eight months. At the beginning of the study, the individual maximum dose that was tolerated by each individual was determined. This maximum dose was then taken until the end of eight months (between 2400 and 4800 mg per day in three divided doses).

From the fifth month, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed, among other things, that the frankincense extract could reduce inflammatory disease activity and the relapse rate and accordingly increase the quality of life of those affected. 18 of the test subjects then voluntarily continued to take the extract for up to 3 years. The effect persisted even then.

Incense for brain tumors

Frankincense has also shown beneficial effects on brain tumors. Although it had no effect on the tumor itself, it was able to reduce the swelling of the tissue around the tumor (edema).

This is the result of a study in which 29 brain tumor patients took 400 to 1200 mg of frankincense extract daily. In another study with 44 volunteers, 4200 mg of frankincense extract also reduced the swelling. Both frankincense extracts were from Boswellia serrata.

The swelling of the tissue creates pressure in the brain, which can often lead to headaches for those affected, but also to brain areas failing. Frankincense extract could therefore help at least partially in the treatment of brain tumors in the future — in combination with other therapeutic approaches.

There is also evidence that frankincense extract inhibits the growth of cancer cells — so far, however, there have only been studies on cells and animals.

Frankincense as a cortisone substitute

Since frankincense has anti-inflammatory, decongestant, and pain relieving effects similar to cortisone, it is sometimes referred to as natural cortisone. Indeed, there is some evidence that frankincense could replace cortisone.

Cortisone belongs to the group of active substances called corticoids. In the section on inflammatory bowel disease, we presented a study in which the previous drugs for IBD (including corticoids) were slowly tapered off with the ingestion of frankincense. Most of the subjects’ well-being improved as a result. Further studies confirm that the effects of frankincense are comparable to those of cortisone.

Cortisone is usually used in one form or another for all of the diseases mentioned above: for asthma in the form of tablets or sprays, for psoriasis as an ointment or cream, for joint diseases as an injection and for multiple sclerosis as an infusion. In brain tumors, cortisone is used to treat edema.

The possible side effects of cortisone have long been known: high blood pressure, osteoporosis, weight gain, diabetes symptoms, thin skin, etc. Cortisone should therefore be used sparingly and not for too long. Frankincense, on the other hand, showed hardly any side effects (see “Side effects and interactions of frankincense extract”).

Frankincense extract from Boswellia carterii

Frankincense extract from Indian frankincense (Boswellia serrata) was used in each of the above studies. Studies by frankincense researcher Dr. Charles Fernando was able to show, however, that the concentration of boswellic acids in frankincense resin from Boswellia carterii is even higher than in Indian frankincense, which is known for its health effects. It is possible that frankincense extract from Boswellia carterii is even more effective than frankincense extract from Boswellia serrata.

Food supplement with frankincense

Food supplements with frankincense extract can be bought over the counter. They are mostly offered in the form of capsules and, in contrast to the frankincense extracts from pharmacies, are not standardized. This means that it is not regulated how the extracts are produced and how much of which ingredient they must contain.

Since the possibilities of obtaining a frankincense medication are limited, as described above, it is perfectly normal for patients to search for alternatives on their own.

Frankincense extract is considered safe and the side effects are far fewer than the side effects of some approved drugs. Whether food supplements with frankincense extract help with individual complaints varies.

What to look for when buying nutritional supplements?

When buying food supplements with frankincense extract, the following factors can give you an idea of ​​which frankincense preparation to choose:

What kind of frankincense is the extract made from? Most of the extracts come from Boswellia serrata — this is what most studies have done. However, there are also extracts from Boswellia carterii. This species may even contain higher concentrations of boswellic acids (see “Frankincense extract from Boswellia carterii”). However, fewer studies have appeared on this.

How much frankincense extract does the preparation contain? Most preparations contain between 300 and 500 mg of frankincense extract per capsule. These amounts are comparable to the doses investigated in studies. (In the studies, however, standardized frankincense preparations were mostly examined — food supplements, on the other hand, are not standardized. This means that the content of boswellic acids can differ from preparation to preparation. The effect cannot therefore be compared 1: 1).

Proper consumption of frankincense

Depending on the manufacturer, depending on the proportion of the extract and the amount of boswellic acid contained, often two to four frankincense extract capsules a day — but sometimes also higher doses of 3 x 2 or even 3 x 5 capsules daily (for food supplements and medication). In the vast majority of cases, the consumption recommendation is on the preparation.

The boswellic acids are fat-soluble — the incense capsules should therefore be taken with the meal or shortly afterwards, because this increases the bioavailability enormously. Side effects, such as stomach upset, can also be alleviated by taking it with food.

If you suffer from a chronic illness, you should ideally inform your (holistic) doctor that you are taking frankincense extract. In this way, the incense can be optimally integrated into the treatment and the dosage can be individually adapted to your needs.

When does the incense take effect?

Studies have shown that the extract only takes effect after about four weeks of regular use.

Side effects and interactions of frankincense extract

When taking frankincense extract — whether as a finished medicinal product or a dietary supplement — there can rarely be reddening of the skin and stomach intolerance. Frankincense extract has no toxic effects up to the tested doses of 1000 mg per kilogram of body weight. There are no reports of damage after long-term use.

However, drug interactions cannot be ruled out. In particular, if you are taking blood thinners, you should avoid using frankincense extract as it could reduce the effectiveness of the blood thinner.

Frankincense extract as a natural anti-inflammatory

Frankincense extract can be used as a natural anti-inflammatory for many diseases. It rarely leads to side effects and has already helped numerous people who would otherwise have to rely on drugs with many side effects for the rest of their lives. When inhaled, Frankincense essential oil is possibly safe.

It is to be hoped that the scientific interest in frankincense will continue, so that the natural anti-inflammatory agent may be increasingly included in the treatment of diseases in the future.