You must have heard the name of frankincense, but are you familiar with frankincense oil? You will be surprised to know that just like frankincense, frankincense oil is also beneficial for the body. In this article, you will know about 11 proven health benefits of frankincense essential oil. In addition, you’ll also learn that how to use frankincense oil and what can be its side-effects.
WHAT IS FRANKINCENSE ESSENTIAL OIL?
Frankincense oil is prepared from the aromatic resin obtained from frankincense tree, whose scientific name is Boswellia carteri. Frankincense oil contains essential ingredients such as alpha-pinene, actanol, bornyl acetate, linalool, octyl acetate and incensole. It can be beneficial for health in many ways.
Frankincense oil has antibacterial and antifungal properties, which can show positive effects on many types of physical problems. Frankincense has been used for centuries in cosmetics and incense. Apart from this, it is used in religious works and especially in traditions related to Christianity.
FRANKINCENSE OIL NUTRITION VALUE:
The major constituents found in frankincense oil are α-thujine (12%), α-pinene (8%), limonene (1.9%), linalool (0.9%), sabinene (2.2%), perylene (0.5%). %), methyl chavicol (11.6%), methyl eugenol (2.1%), casein (0.9%) and sembrenol (1.9%). Apart from this, many other compounds are found in it.
BENEFITS OF FRANKINCENSE ESSENTIAL OIL:
Frankincense oil comes with a wide range of health benefits; including:
1. HELPS IMPROVE GUT HEALTH:
Crohn’s disease (inflammation of the intestines) can cause severe diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and malnutrition. Frankincense oil can help overcome this problem. According to a scientific research, this disease can be reduced to some extent by the use of frankincense extract.
In addition, another study used 400 mg of frankincense extract three times daily for 6 weeks in patients with collagenous colitis. Collagenous colitis (a type of intestinal inflammation) affects the intestine. Research has found that using frankincense extract may be beneficial in reducing collagenous colitis. At present, which property of frankincense is useful, it is still a matter of research.
2. FOR ASTHMA:
The use of frankincense essential oil can also be beneficial in the problem of asthma. According to a research, many types of medicinal properties are found in frankincense extracts. One of them is anti-inflammatory. This property may help reduce the risk of asthma and the inflammation associated with it. For now, further research is needed on this topic.
3. IN JOIN PROBLEMS:
The problem of joint pain is now very common and can also appear as a symptom of arthritis. The use of frankincense oil can prove beneficial here. According to a research, frankincense oil has anti-inflammatory properties. This property can be beneficial in the problem of inflammation occurring in the arthritis.
4. FOR ORAL HEALTH:
The use of frankincense oil can help reduce the problem of gingivitis. Gingivitis is the inflammation of the gums. According to a scientific research, frankincense oil has anti-inflammatory properties. This property can help relieve the problem of gingivitis caused by plaque.
5. REDUCE DIABETES:
Excess amount of sugar in the blood causes the problem of diabetes. The benefits of frankincense essential oil can be seen to overcome this problem. Many research organizations have researched this topic and found that frankincense extracts have antidiabetic properties. These properties, found in the oily extract of frankincense, can be effective in reducing the sugar present in the blood.
6. BOOST MEMORY:
According to a research done on rats, frankincense essential oil can be used to enhance learning and memory. To confirm this, the effect of frankincense extract on enhancing the memory of 20 rats was investigated. The study found that using frankincense extract may show favorable effects on memory. It also highlighted that further studies are needed to know its effect better.
In addition, another research found that one of the main components of frankincense oil is also boswellic acid. Memory may be partially improved by the use of boswellic acid. For now, more in-depth research is needed on this topic.
7. PREVENT CANCER:
Frankincense essential oil can help prevent cancer to some extent. According to a research, frankincense oil has anticancer properties, which can help prevent cancer. In addition, research has found that frankincense oil may also be beneficial in inhibiting the growth of tumors.
Keep in mind that frankincense oil cannot be a treatment for cancer. Therefore, if someone is suffering from this disease, then he must get adequate medical treatment.
8. FOR HEART HEALTH:
The benefits of frankincense essential oil can also be seen here. It can be beneficial in removing heart related problems. Research has found that frankincense oil has many properties as well as cardioprotective properties, which may be somewhat helpful in warding off heart disease.
9. HELPS BALANCE HORMONES AND RELIEVE STRESS:
According to a research, frankincense oil can reduce stress hormone levels. In addition to the limonene and α-pinene found in it, the antioxidant properties may show positive effects on stress hormones.
However, how it can control this hormone is a matter of research. On the other hand, this research also mentions that frankincense oil can be helpful in relieving stress by promoting sleep.
10. FRANKINCENSE OIL FOR SKIN:
Frankincense oil has cytophylactic properties which can be useful in building healthy cells in the body. If this property of frankincense is combined with its astringent property, then it becomes an effective remedy to remove the effects of age (anti-aging). It helps remove blemishes and wrinkles around the eyes and on the cheeks.
Apart from this, it works tighten loose skin and helps in improving the complexion. Frankincense oil can help in removing acne, operation scars, stretch marks on the skin and other such problems.
11. HELPS REGULATE MENSTRUATION:
The benefits of frankincense essential oil can also be seen to reduce menstrual problems. It helps prevent problems like irregular menstruation or delay in menstruation and its consumption also ensures that menopause does not come early. It can help relieve premenstrual syndrome (PMS) such as abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, nausea and mood swings during and before menstruation.
Apart from this, frankincense oil is useful in keeping the uterus healthy by keeping menstruation regular. It is also a great remedy for stress and various problems faced by women. Many doctors also recommend using frankincense oil to treat excessive bleeding during menstruation (uterine hemorrhaging). This oil is also beneficial in cleaning the mucous membranes in the uterus.
USES OF FRANKINCENSE OIL:
There are a number of ways that frankincense oil can be used to grab its benefits:
- Frankincense oil can be used to get relief in headache.
- It can be used to reduce body inflammation.
- Can be used in fragrances and skin care products.
- Brushing by adding a drop of it to toothpaste can help in removing gum related problems, toothache and bad breath. Be sure to consult a doctor before using it for teeth.
SIDE EFFECTS OF FRANKINCENSE OIL:
There is no precise scientific research available on the side-effects of frankincense oil. However, some of them may include:
- People with sensitive skin may be allergic to it.
- It can cause gastrointestinal problems.
TAKE AWAY
After reading this article, you must come to know about the benefits and uses of frankincense oil, as well as how frankincense oil can show positive effects from minor problems to serious diseases. Also, readers should also keep in mind that frankincense oil is not a medical treatment for any problem. It can only prevent the problem and reduce its impact to some extent.
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REFERENCES:
- Crohn’s disease: a clinical update; Francis Ha and Hanan Khalil; PMCID: PMC4622286. PMID: 26557891.
- Biological activities of frankincense essential oil in human dermal fibroblasts; Xuesheng Han, Damian Rodriguez and Tory L. Parker; PMCID: PMC5801908. PMID: 29450138.
- Therapy of Active Crohn Disease With Boswellia Serrata Extract H 15; H Gerhardt, F Seifert, P Buvari, H Vogelsang and R Repges; PMID: 11215357.
- Boswellia Serrata Extract for the Treatment of Collagenous Colitis. A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Trial; Ahmed Madisch and Stephan Miehlke; PMID: 17764013.
- Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity; Mark Barton Frank, Qing Yang and Jeanette Osban; PMCID: PMC2664784. PMID: 19296830.
- Frankincense (乳香 Rǔ Xiāng; Boswellia Species): From the Selection of Traditional Applications to the Novel Phytotherapy for the Prevention and Treatment of Serious Diseases; Rafie Hamidpour, Soheila Hamidpour and Mohsen Hamidpour; PMCID: PMC3924999. PMID: 24716181.
- Frankincense, pine needle and geranium essential oils suppress tumor progression through the regulation of the AMPK/mTOR pathway in breast cancer; Peng Ren, Xiang Ren and Lei Cheng; PMCID: PMC5783593. PMID: 29115548.
- Beta-Boswellic Acid and Ethanolic Extract of Olibanum Regulating the Expression Levels of CREB-1 and CREB-2 Genes; Asiyeh Jebelli; PMID: 31531070. PMCID: PMC6706725.
- Boswellic Acids and Their Role in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases; H P T Ammon; PMID: 27671822.
- The Antioxidant Capacity and Anti-diabetic Effect of Boswellia serrata Triana and Planch Aqueous Extract in Fertile Female Diabetic Rats and the Possible Effects on Reproduction and Histological Changes in the Liver and Kidneys; Mohamad Ebrahim Azemi and Foroogh Namjoyan; PMCID: PMC3941871. PMID: 24624177.
- The effect of Frankincense in the treatment of moderate plaque-induced gingivitis: a double blinded randomized clinical trial; M. Khosravi Samani and H. Mahmoodian; PMCID: PMC3304380. PMID: 22615671.
- INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF GUM OLIBANUM ON LEARNING AND SHORT-TERM MEMORY; Adele Matini Behzad and Homa Hajisadeghi; 2014 Vol. 4 (S4); Indian Journal of Fundamental and Applied Life Sciences ISSN: 2231– 6345 (Online).
- Frankincense – therapeutic properties; Ali Al-Yasiry and Bożena Kiczorowska; Research Gate.
- Chemical, molecular and structural studies of Boswellia species: β-Boswellic Aldehyde and 3-epi-11β-Dihydroxy BA as precursors in biosynthesis of boswellic acids; Ahmed Al-Harrasi and Najeeb Ur Rehman; PMCID: PMC6005567. PMID: 29912889.
- The Effects of Frankincense Essential Oil on Stress in Rats; Shukan Okano and Yoshiko Honda; PMID: 31582666.