Frankincense was given to Jesus, seen as the saviour of the world in Christianity, on his ‘birth’ (or the date recorded as his birth) as a gift.
Frankincense however can also be your saviour this holiday season, especially because the holidays involve over-eating, too much sugar, alcohol, dairy, wheat…and typically all of the inflammation-supporting foods :) I see a lot of sore unhappy people in the new year who are uncomfortable because they ate and did a lot of things that made their body inflamed. So, it might be time to consider prevention before the holiday season starts officially…
How does Frankincense do this?
Frankincense (also known as Boswellia serrata) is a shrub and small tree native to Asia and Africa. They have gum resins (or like a sap, from the bark) that has been used in embalming and incense but has many important medicinal roles.
Most notable is Boswellia’s ability to reduce inflammation by interfering with pro-inflammatory molecules in the body, and reducing them. This is important for inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, smoking, gout, lupus, chronic allergic sinus congestion and among other conditions with chronic inflammation.
Extracts of Boswellia should have boswellia acid contents of about 60% with resins intake of 2.4-4.8g/day. Capsules are generally the best way to get this dosage.
Boswellia can take approximately 4-6 weeks to truly show benefit, but there are several studies demonstrating its ability to reduce the intensity of disease for those with inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic allergic rhinitis (chronic allergy runny nose).
Is it curative?
As most good anti-inflammatory supports, Boswellia does not cure what causes the condition but it does reduce the inflammatory process. For those relying on Advil or Tylenol for pain support, Boswellia can be a great addition to an anti-inflammatory protocol but with far fewer side effects on the gastrointestinal lining like Advil can create.
What side-effects can Boswellia induce?
Boswellia is a resin and for some people resins can cause some gastrointestinal upset (heartburn, nausea) or like all things, some people can experience allergic reactions (it is from a tree after all)! Taking it with food to begin with generally reduces the possibility of digestive discomfort if it is to occur.
Will I be able to eat whatever I want without worrying over the holidays with Frankincense?
I wouldn’t go that far….
If you have foods that you know create inflammation, I’d still avoid them. It would not hurt to give this a start in addition to your health routine.
So overall, a really great gift to be given. I’d take it!