This article discusses the top 10 health benefits of Frankincense and a few of the scientific studies behind them.
Frankincense has a deep history as a medicinal resin with superpowers. Frankincense resin has long been heralded for its superpowers for thousands of years - from the time of the ancient Egyptians to being a gift brought to Jesus by the Magi to its use today. This special resin has a long-storied past and for good reason. Let’s explore some health benefits of frankincense below and how these benefits have been shown through scientific studies.
A study by the scientists at the King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on frankincense found that analysis of the resin showed several biological activities, including antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study also showed that frankincense resin also aided individuals with responding with immunity or tolerance to different ailments.
Frankincense resin also helps you relax. International teams of scientists from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem have conducted a study on boswellia and found how burning frankincense resin resulted in brain activity to help alleviate anxiety and depression. The study showed the same regions in the brain lit up as the ones impacted by taking drugs to help with depression and anxiety. Frankincense provides a natural remedy to help you relax and ease anxiety and science shows that there is a reason it makes your mind and body feel good.
Frankincense resin has been used medicinally in many cultures across the world to help with inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The scientific study mentioned in the first benefit paragraph also shows recent evidence that frankincense resin helps with inflammatory diseases. Various studies, such as this one by the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and this one by the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, have shown that frankincense helps improve symptoms. For example, participants that used frankincense over a period of time felt less pain and inflammation and had better overall mobility than those that were given a placebo.
Doctors have also studied boswellia in connection with asthma through various studies. One study from the Liocheng People’s Hospital showed that boswellic acid effectively treated asthma and helped reduce airway inflammation.
Several studies have shown that boswellia also has anticancer properties. Recent findings from the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center demonstrated that between breast cancer patients who took an extract and those who did not, they saw a reduction in tumor proliferation in the group taking the boswellia extract. As a result, the extract showed an anticancer effect for those who took it. Another study done by the University Hospital Freiburg examined boswellia and found that patients that took frankincense each day saw a reduction in brain fluid compared to the placebo.
Frankincense has been shown to improve brain health in many different ways. A study from the Hakim Sabzevari University showed how after four weeks of frankincense consumption, elderly men helped the acquisition and retention of motor memory in elderly men. Another study by the University of Isfahan showed not only improved memory in different models of learning but also a therapeutic effect and the potential to improve dementia. Many scientific articles also mention the neuro-protective, such as against ischemic injury and other traumatic injuries, and other anti-inflammatory effects of frankincense.
Frankincense has been shown to help with all types of inflammatory concerns, including osteoarthritis. Both scientific studies and evidence published in natural medicine journals have long found results showing boswellia helped to significantly reduce pain and improve the physical function of patients suffering from osteoarthritis. Various communities across the world, such as the Somali community, have been using frankincense as a remedy for arthritis for hundreds of years.
Bacteria is a constant in all of our lives and we’re always looking for solutions to live a cleaner life. A study by the Sultan Qaboos University has shown the smoke of Hojari green frankincense to completely inhibit the growth of control bacteria. The study shows the strong antimicrobial properties frankincense has against pathogenic and airborne microbes. Another study by the Università degli Studi di Palermo showed frankincense oils, derived from resin, having a significant antifungal effect against various strains of fungus.
Many studies have also demonstrated how frankincense helps to improve digestive health. One such study by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the University of Connecticut showed frankincense altered gut microbiomes, including to increase gut bacteria associated with weight loss and anti-inflammation. An Egyptian study also showed positive results in using frankincense as an alternative to antibiotics in the livestock industry, improving the growth and positively impacting the intestinal histology of livestock. The studies show frankincense not only helps improve the gut microbiome but also helps us move towards an antibiotic free approach in feeding livestock.
A study by scientists at the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and the Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University showed that the combination of frankincense and myrrh water had a strong effect which was nearly the same as gabapentin, a common clinical analgesic drug. Another study by the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences also showed that frankincense increased the pain threshold and tolerance in individuals compared to a placebo.
In conclusion, frankincense in its many forms has been long understood throughout history to be a super resin with many health and wellness applications. Recent scientific studies have confirmed this understanding and show the many health and wellness benefits of frankincense.
Fatima’s Frankincense brings high quality frankincense from the boswellia sacra tree, direct to you, to purchase. Fatima’s Frankincense sources its products from high quality sources direct from Oman. Oman is known for producing the top quality frankincense trees - some of the best in the world. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. For educational purposes only.
