Boswellia Serrata

This herb, old name frankincense, has been used since ancient times for a variety of inflammatory disorders.

Since 1982, research has been carried out on it, both to discover its active constituents and mode of action, and also to compare its performance in controlled trials compared to non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and also to steroids.

It has been shown to be effective against the following inflammatory problems:

¨    Irritable bowel syndrome

¨    Crohn’s disease

¨    Ulcerative colitis

¨    Rheumatoid arthritis

¨    Osteoarthritis

¨    Lupus

¨    Tendonitis

¨    Bursitis

¨    Low back pain

¨    Gout

¨    Fibromyalgia

¨    Improves condition of arteries damaged by inflammation

It is worthy of note that non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, normally used for arthritic and muscular inflammation, invariably cause gastrointestinal erosion, even leading to ulcers on occasion.

It is obvious from this that NSAIDs cannot be used for intestinal problems such as ulcerative colitis, so the drugs normally used are steroids. These can cause weight gain, oedema, weakening of the immune system and potential cardiovascular problems.

Standardised extracts of boswellia have been tested against both groups of drugs for both types of problem. Boswellia has been shown to be as effective as steroids for intestinal problems, with no side effects noted.

It has also been tested against NSAIDs in arthritic conditions, and again has been shown to be effective, without causing intestinal problems; in fact, as mentioned above, it protects against them.

Some of the arthritic-type conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, are auto-immune diseases, where the body’s immune cells attack its own tissues, mistaking them for invaders.

This in turn is partly caused by incomplete digestion, causing overly large particles of protein to enter the bloodstream, where they are seen by the immune cells as an enemy. This creates an over-active immune system. The effect of NSAIDs on the digestive system obviously worsens this problem. A further known side effect of NSAIDs is that they reduce cartilage production.

The end result is that while these drugs temporarily relieve the symptoms, they make the underlying situation worse.

Boswellia helps in three ways, without any known side effects:

¨    It has a direct effect on inflammation.

¨    It reduces inflammation in the digestive system, thus improving nutrient absorption and reducing auto-immune problems.

¨    It increases circulation to affected areas, mainly by reducing inflammation in affected arteries. This assists healing.

Mode of Action

Much research has been done in recent years, and it has been found that the active constituents of boswellia are boswellic acids. There are four of these:

1.    Beta-boswellic acid

2.    Acetyl beta-boswellic acid

3.    11-keto beta-boswellic acid

4.    Acetyl 11-keto beta-boswellic acid

For the technically minded, the size and complexity of the molecules, and the activity, increases from 1 to 4. Each has a slightly different effect, and they support each others’ actions. This interaction is known as synergy, and is one factor that can make herbal extracts so powerful.

It is known that much inflammation is caused by chemical compounds called leukotrienes. The production of these is in turn caused mainly by an enzyme called 5-lipoxygenase. Boswellic acids inhibit this.

 There are enzymes that, under certain circumstances, have a destructive effect on tissues, thus contributing to inflammatory problems. There is evidence that boswellic acids reduce the activity of these enzymes, thus lowering levels of tissue damage.

Clinical Trials

Various clinical trials have been carried out, which have invariably proved boswellia extract, in sufficiently high dosage, to be at least equal to NSAIDs in reduction of symptoms, without their known side effects.

One trial involved 175 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, whose ages ranged from 5 to 75. Ninety-seven percent reported moderate to excellent improvement in various symptoms, including pain, morning stiffness, grip strength, inflammation and mobility. This was after 3-4 weeks, without any undesirable side effects being reported.

In another trial, boswellia was compared to steroids in its effectiveness in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Its effectiveness was equal to steroids, without the side effects of oedema etc. often produced by steroids.

Effective Dosage

Over time, we have found that the effectiveness of herbal extracts is highly dose-dependent. If you take less than the minimum effective dose, there will probably be no effect. If you take double the minimum dose, there is likely to be ten times the effect.

We usually suggest 700mg of an extract containing 65% boswellic acids twice per day in order to get relief, gradually reducing as symptoms subside.

Note 1; Self-Help

In all the health problems mentioned, there are dietary and/or digestive factors. Two foods that should be eliminated for any of the problems are milk and citrus fruits. For rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, red meats are top of the list. For Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, a gum called carageenan, used in commercial jellies, ice cream and many other commercially produced foods, is a major problem.

Digestive enzymes and acidophilus may be aids for digestive and intestinal problems.

Supplements to aid Boswellia

In the case of arthritic-type problems, there are two nutrients that will help the body to repair itself while the boswellia is helping to reduce inflammation. These are vitamin C, which is the main nutrient for building of all tissues, and glucosamine sulphate, which is the basic building block of cartilage.

These two nutrients also help to repair intestinal damage, but another nutrient, the amino acid L-glutamine, may be even more important. This is the main fuel for, and a major building block of, the cells lining the intestinal walls.

To buy any of these products, click this link: www.NationalNutrition.co.uk