When Americans think of frankincense, they usually associate it with the Christmas story. The gifts of the Magi – gold, frankincense, and myrrh – were carried a great distance specifically for the new King that their star-watching indicated. In the past, scholars and health researchers have mused and debated over them.
In 2013, the University of Leicester conveniently published just before Christmas that has rekindled this theory. According to their press release, the Omani government-funded research has (for the first time) uncovered that frankincense has the ability to target cancer cells in late-stage ovarian cancer patients. And this all appeared to be due to AKBA (acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid). According to lead researcher Kamla Al-Salmani,
“After a year of studying the AKBA compound with ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro, we have been able to show it is effective at killing the cancer cells. Frankincense is taken by many people with no known side effects. This finding has enormous potential to be taken to a clinical trial in the future and developed into an additional treatment for ovarian cancer.”
Boswellic Acid and Beta-Elemene
The researchers have said, “It has become glaringly obvious that boswellic acid (BA) is a compound fit to kill cancer cells, and researchers have tested frankincense oil to determine if it can play a role in oncology.
However, ask any chemist, and they will tell you that BAs are too large to pass the steam distillation process. Nonetheless, there are still bad essential oil studies that claim they are indeed part of frankincense oil. Subsequently, the jury is still out as to the exact mechanism(s) explaining why frankincense is so beneficial to cancer patients.
Advances in recent research suggest that Beta-elemene – a cancer-fighting terpene found in frankincense and myrrh with the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier – may be partly responsible. As stated by the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,
“Beta-elemene is a compound found in plants such as celery, mint, and in many others used in traditional medicine. Although the pure form is not used as dietary supplement, some cancer patients use herbs high in beta-elemene as treatment. Beta-elemene was shown to prevent growth of cancer cells in laboratory cells by different mechanisms. A few poorly designed studies done in humans showed that it may improve quality of life in cancer patients. It is unclear if raw herbs containing beta-elemene have the same effects in humans. More research is needed.”
Some even suggest that the amount of β-elemene that frankincense and myrrh contain could very well explain why so many people claim that both oils have been instrumental to them beating cancer God’s way.
The healing benefits of frankincense have traditionally centered on disease prevention and anti-inflammatory properties, and researchers have been able to confirm that boswellic acids contain a potent ability to modify the immune system as well. Part of having a more efficient immune system is the regulation of inflammation, as well, which can have effects topically or systemically.
This is why it’s important to supplement with Boswellia resins. Formulated by Sunil Pai, MD, Integrative Medicine expert, and medical director of Sanjevani Integrative Medicine Health & Lifestyle Center, Bosmeric-SR™ is the strongest natural supplement for pain and inflammation support. Here are the specs:
- “Clinically tested, this unique sustained release formulation of patented ingredients delivers superior absorption and release over an 8 hour period.
- Each bi-layered caplet delivers the highest dosages available of Curcumin C3 Complex® (curcumin longa) [250 mg]; Boswellin® PS (Polysal) – 35% boswellic acids + 10% AKBBA + 35% Polysal™ (boswellia serrata); and Ginger Extract (zingiber officinale) 20% Gingerols. In addition BioPerine® (piper nigrum) is added to enhance bio-availability further.
- These ingredients support inflammatory physiological response mechanisms that are critical to the health of the entire body and have been shown to play a crucial role in supporting cardiovascular, immune, neurological, gastrointestinal, joint, and connective tissue systems.
- Research now suggests that most, if not all disease, begins with inflammation.”
We often recommend Respiratory Blend to diffuse in the room where your pet sleeps, no matter WHAT issue you are dealing with…it will assist with its healing and immune-boosting properties. Follow directions on the bottle for how to diffuse this blend.
Our products that contain Frankincense:
*Allergy Blend
*Ear Blend
*Tumor Blend
*Flea/Tick Blend
*Pain Relief Blend
–Owner, Founder, Formulator, Donna Stanley
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