Frankincense

A Gift Given to Jesus

Frankincense has long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayruvedic practices. Although most of the benefits of herbs and tinctures from these historical forms of medicine are anecdotal, many of the components of traditional natural / whole food medicines are being studied in labs as catalysts and adjunct elements to conventional treatments.

There are many types of frankincense; Boswella sacra from Omani and Boswella Carteri from Somolia being two commercially available species. Within those species there are also varieties with unique characteristics of their own. These two Frankincense trees differentiate themselves with their prominent Beta-caryophyllene content. Beta-Caryophyllene is able to interact with our endocannabanoid system, specifically the CB2 receptors, and has been studied to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.

I love using Boswellia papyrifera in tea or oil blend for relaxation and for addressing anxiety. It is high in incensole and incensole acetate which elicit an anxiolytic psychoactive response in the brain.

Boswellia serrata is high in serratol so it’s an excellent choice for blends created with nausea, vertigo and motion sickness treatment in mind. Think pregnancy, chemotherapy, and concussions!

I work with both Frankincense essential oils and whole Frankincense which include the heavier and very therapeutic boswellic acids! Boswellic acid is the portion of frankincense currently being studied for it’s anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anti-tumoral properties. It has many more applications but those are the main characteristics I am using it for since I am currently focused on pain relief, inflammation, and post cancer therapeutic usage.

Below are a few articles to get you started.

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