5 BENEFITS OF

BOSWELLIA

DrAxe.com
 5 BENEFITS OF BOSWELLIA

Frankincense oil is the common name for the resinous extracts derived
from trees of the genus called Boswellia, part of the Burseraceae plant
family. Boswellia serrata is a tree native to India that produces special
compounds that have been found to have strong anti-inflammatory,
and potentially anticancer, effects. In fact, long before inflammation-
lowering medications and supplements existed, extracts derived from
different species of the boswellia tree were used to treat all sorts of
inflammatory conditions, such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease,
and heart disease.

Other types of related boswellia trees, including boswellia

sacra and boswellia carteri, grow in areas such as Oman in the Middle
East and parts of Northern Africa. These species of boswellia have similar
healing abilities to boswellia serrata, such as helping to fight arthritis or
tumor growth. Over twenty different Boswellia species exist, most of
which grow in the northeast African region where it’s estimated that
about 75 percent of the species originated.

5 Benefits of Boswellia

Lowers Inflammation

Among the valuable boswellia tree extracts that researchers have

identified, several stand out as being most beneficial, including
terpenes and boswellic acids, which are strongly anti-
inflammatory and protective over healthy cells. Terpenes are
strong-smelling chemicals found in certain plants, including some

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we associate with having antioxidant abilities, such as eucalyptus,
basil, peppermint and citrus trees.

Terpenes play a vital role in protecting the plants that contain

them, since their strong aroma can fight off insect predators,
defend plants from environmental stresses, and act as building
blocks for important chemical processes. In the human body,
terpenes can do the same thing, lowering free radical
damage and prolonging health.

Other chemical compounds have been identified in boswellia that

naturally reduce the inflammatory response by controlling T-
lymphocytes, especially one called AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-
beta-boswellic acid). Although it works similarly to NSAID pain
relievers, AKBA’s exact mechanisms of action are very different,
because they target different inflammatory enzymes. Because
they’re better able to preserve the integrity of the stomach and gut
lining, boswellia extracts cause less side effects and pose less risk
for toxicity compared to NSAIDs.

Reduces Joint and Arthritis Pain

A study published in the Natural Medicines Comprehensive
Database showed that boswellia serrata extract can help reduce
pain, swelling, and trouble moving in people with arthritis
or osteoarthritis (a common, chronic, progressive, skeletal,
degenerative disorder, which commonly affects the knee joint)
and other forms of inflamed joints. Some experienced a significant
reduction in joint pain by up to 32 percent to 65 percent, which is
comparable to prescription medications, showcasing boswellia’s
ability as a potential natural arthritis treatment.

Another study published in the Journal of Phytotherapy and

Phytopharmacology found that boswellia serrata assisted in
treating osteoarthritis symptoms such as knee pain, knee jerking
and pain while walking significantly better than treatment with a
placebo. Researchers concluded that the anti-inflammatory, anti-
arthritic and analgesic activities of boswellia make it a promising
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treatment for decreasing knee pain, increasing knee flexion, and
increasing walking distances in those prone to frequent swelling in
the knee joints.

May Help Fight Cancer

Frankincense oil, which is formed by purifying the resin taken from
the trunk of the boswellia tree, has been used for thousands of
years medicinally and in religious and cultural ceremonies. Today,
research tell us that frankincense essential oil is strongly tied to
cancer prevention. Frankincense is taken by many people around
the world with no known side effects. It effectively helps target
cancer cells while preserving healthy cells, which is why it’s used in
conjunction with traditional cancer treatments by many holistic
practitioners.

Research shows a link between AKBA and protection against brain,

breast, colon, pancreatic, prostate, and stomach cancers. The
potential cancer-killing properties of boswellia extracts and
frankincense oil are in part due to how they influence our genes to
promote healing, plus how they curb serious side effects of cancer
treatments. One of the most challenging and devastating things
about battling cancer is suffering through the life-threatening and
painful side effects that treatments like chemotherapy and
radiation often cause. However, boswellia extracts, such as those
derived from the species boswellia carteri, shows promise for
fighting these complications.

For example, frankincense and boswellia extracts have been

shown to fight joint pain, swelling in the brain, digestive
complications, and migraine headaches without destroying
healthy cells that leave people vulnerable to infections. In addition
to helping fight cancer, frankincense also supports the immune
system in other ways by preventing infections, lowering
inflammation, promoting hormonal balance, improving skin health
and lowering anxiety (sometimes described as improving “spiritual
awareness”).

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Speeds Up Healing from Infections
Boswellia is capable of lowering severity of infections of the
respiratory or sinus tracts, which means you can experience relief
from coughing, colds, the flu or a sore throat faster. Research
shows boswellia also helps prevent allergies and asthma,
eliminates phlegm in the lungs, and acts as an anti-inflammatory
in the nasal passages, which makes it easier to breath.

In traditional Chinese medicine, frankincense has been used as a

natural remedy for improving blood circulation, speeding up
healing time, and relieving pain from a variety of bacterial or viral
infections, such as colds or the flu, leprosy, or gonorrhea. Studies
also show that boswellia carteri and boswellia serrata extracts
serve as a natural antiviral and can help treat strong and serious
viruses, such as the flu or those caused by insect bites.

Helps Prevent Autoimmune Disease

One of the oldest uses of frankincense oil and boswellia is treating
a variety of autoimmune ailments, especially common
inflammatory diseases including asthma, arthritis, and chronic
bowel diseases. Boswellia interferes with autoimmune disease
development, since it seems to help control the production of
immunoglobulins, or antibodies, which are made by the immune
system to fight potential threats: bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins.

The fact that boswellia serrata has inhibitory actions that decrease
production of leukotrienes has received high attention by
researchers who study chronic inflammatory diseases that are
rooted in increased leukotriene activity. As one study published in
the International Journal of Phytotherapy and
Phytopharmacology puts it, “At the end of the cascade of events
in the cellular immune system, as far as it directs to various tissues
of the body—i.e., autoimmune diseases—formation of oxygen
radicals and proteases play an important destructive role…it’s not
surprising that positive effects of boswellia in some chronic
inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial

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asthma, osteoarthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease have
been reported.”

Your immune system constantly makes different types of

antibodies to fight off various diseases (or “antigens“), but
sometimes this process goes wrong and antibodies can actually
be created that fight your very own bodily tissue, including healthy
tissue that forms your organs. When this takes place, autoimmune
disease occurs, which can affect nearly every system within the
body.
This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Josh Axe, and is for informational and educational purposes only. It
is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a
personal physician. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health
professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither the author nor publisher of this content takes
responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the
information in this educational content. All readers of this content, especially those taking prescription or
over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition or
supplement or lifestyle program.

Note: References for this content can be found at draxe.com.