Frankincense Oil: Is The King Of Oils

Learn the benefits the king of oils can give us. Check out the article we found over at Mercola.com.

Frankincense has a significant meaning in Christianity, and is believed to be one of the gifts offered by the three wise men to the newborn Jesus. Today, this fragrant resin is transformed into an essential oil that’s valued not only in religious practice, but also in aromatherapy and natural health. Read on to learn more about frankincense oil.

What Is Frankincense Oil?

Frankincense, also known as olibanum, comes from the Boswellia genustrees, particularly Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carteri. The milky white sap is extracted from the tree bark, allowed to harden into a gum resin for several days, and then scraped off in tear-shaped droplets.

Boswellia trees grow in African and Arabian regions, including Yemen, Oman, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Oman is the best known and most ancient source of frankincense, where it’s been traded and shipped to other places like the Mediterranean, India, and China for thousands of years.

The highest-quality frankincense is clear and silvery, but with a slight green tinge. Brown-yellow varieties are the cheapest and most readily available. In Oman, the best frankincense is usually reserved for the sultan and is rarely shipped out of the country.

Frankincense is traditionally burned as incense, and was charred and ground into a powder to produce the heavy kohl eyeliner used by Egyptian women. Today, this resin is steam-distilled to produce an aromatic essential oil with many benefits.

Frankincense oil has a woody, earthy, spicy, and slightly fruity aroma, which is calming and relaxing. It’s said to be sweeter, fresher, and cleaner than frankincense resin.

Benefits of Frankincense Oil

The health benefits of frankincense oil are mostly attributed to its anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, disinfectant, digestive, diuretic, and expectorant properties. It also has cicatrisant, carminative, cytophylactic, emenagogue, uterine, and vulnerary effects.

Frankincense oil is considered a tonic, as it benefits all the systems operating in the body, including the digestive, respiratory, nervous, and excretory systems. It also aids the absorption of nutrients and strengthens your immune system. Frankincense oil has been found useful for certain health conditions, such as:

• Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) – Research by Cardiff University scientists found that frankincense can inhibit the production of key inflammatory molecules, helping prevent the breakdown of the cartilage tissue that causes these conditions.

In addition, Indian frankincense or boswellin, also a member of the Boswellia genus, has been found to significantly reduce inflammation in animal studies. It is actually one of my personal favorites, as I have seen it work well as a natural painkiller for many of my former rheumatoid arthritis(RA) patients.

• Colds and respiratory disorders – Frankincense oil can break up phlegm deposits in your respiratory tract and lungs, and can relieve bronchitis-related congestion.
• Oral health problems – The antiseptic qualities of this oil can help prevent bad breath, cavities, toothaches, mouth sores, and other infections.

Frankincense is also being studied for its potential to treat cancer. Scientists have observed that there’s an agent in this oil that not only stops cancer from spreading, but also induces cancerous cells to close themselves down.

How to Make Frankincense Oil

Frankincense oil is made by steam-distilling the raw resin. When buying frankincense oil, make sure that you only choose 100 percent pure essential oil of the highest quality.

Also, do not confuse frankincense essential oil with fragrance oil. Essential oils come from plants, while fragrance oils are usually artificially created and often contain synthetic chemicals. Although they smell good and are typically less expensive, fragrance oils do not give you the therapeutic benefits of organic essential oils.

Side Effects of Frankincense Oil

There are no reported severe side effects of using this oil. However, in some rare cases, frankincense oil can cause skin rashes, gastrointestinal distress, such as nausea, stomach pain, and hyperacidity. It also has blood thinning effects, and may increase the risk of abnormal bleeding in people with a bleeding disorder or taking anticoagulant medications.

Frankincense essential oil is also not recommended for pregnant women and nursing moms, as it acts as an emenagogue and may induce menstruation, which may be dangerous for an unborn fetus.

Next Article: Study Shows Frankincense And Myrrh Essential Oils Suppress Various Cancers

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