Frankincense Essential Oil

The global aromatherapy market reached $1.6 billion in 2020. Between 2021 and 2028, it could grow by 11.6%. More people are experiencing the amazing, therapeutic benefits of essential oils firsthand.

For example, some therapeutic-grade essential oils can help with acne. Others remedy anxiety, insomnia, digestion, and immunity concerns. Potential frankincense essential oil benefits can include easing asthma, gastrointestinal, or arthritis symptoms.

Not sure if frankincense essential oil is right for you? Keep reading to learn everything you need to know before trying it yourself!

After reading this guide, you can make a more informed choice with your health and wellness in mind.

1. Might Ease Arthritis Symptoms

Frankincense (also called olibanum) comes from trees in the Boswellia family. These trees are native to northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. We create oil blends through the steam distillation of Boswellia tree gum resin.

Scientists are still learning more about potential frankincense essential oil benefits. Chinese medicine practitioners have prescribed frankincense and myrrh for inflammation diseases for years. It's also used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine.

For example, it could help relieve pain and swelling. Its anti-inflammatory properties could reduce joint inflammation due to arthritis, too.

Inflammation is the body's natural response to pain or injury. Chronic inflammation can cause pain, swelling, and other symptoms. Frankincense might prevent the release of leukotrienes, which can cause inflammation.

Terpenes like boswellic acid are the strongest anti-inflammatory compounds found within frankincense.

In one study, boswellic acid reduced joint lining inflammation in mice with osteoarthritis. It helped reduce cartilage loss, too. Frankincense could help ease symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis in humans.

It might ease pain symptoms associated with osteoarthritis and improve a patient's mobility.

We need further research to determine how frankincense can help these patients.

Combining frankincense essential oil with other supplements might prove effective as well. For example, using both curcumin and boswellic acid might help with osteoarthritis pain. Turmeric, a spice, contains curcumin, which can also relieve inflammation.

Taking methylsulfonylmethane and boswellic acid might help improve pain and function.

2. Could Improve Asthma Symptoms

Frankincense essential oil benefits might extend to patients with respiratory health concerns. For example, it might help patients with asthma or bronchitis.

Remember, the compounds in frankincense might prevent the production of leukotrienes. Leukotrienes can cause the body's bronchial muscles to constrict. Breathing in a frankincense essential oil might help patients with asthma breathe.

Frankincense might affect the Th2 cytokines as well. The Th2 cytokines can cause mucus overproduction and inflammation in patients with asthma.

Patients need fewer inhalations of regular medicines after combining Boswellai with traditional treatments. In other words, frankincense might help as a supplemental treatment.

Don't start using essential oils to replace any medications you're on. Instead, consult your doctor. They can help you determine if frankincense can supplement your current treatment.

3. Could Improve Gut Function

You are what you eat, right? Unfortunately, certain foods can cause gastrointestinal distress.

Are you suffering from abdominal pain? Consider the frankincense essential oil benefits on gut function.

The anti-inflammatory properties of frankincense essential oil might help your gut. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might benefit. They can combine frankincense with other herbal medicines to reduce:

Bloating
Abdominal pain
Depression
Anxiety

Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the most prevalent functional gastrointestinal disorders. Patients experience abdominal pain and changes to their bowel habits. About 5% to 20% of the world's population develops IBS.

Patients with IBS took a combination of:

Boswellia Carterii
Z. officinale
A. millefolium.

The anti-inflammatory properties in the boswellic acid affected antibody production and cellular immunity. It could help decrease IBS symptom severity as a result.

Patients with IBS often experience depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders. Easing IBS symptoms could help relieve psychological distress.

Frankincense essential oil blends might also help reduce symptoms of ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis is another inflammatory gut condition.

We still need more human studies to learn more, though.

4. May Benefit Oral Health

Problems with your oral health could put your health at risk. For example, bacteria can leave you vulnerable to plaque, tartar, and tooth decay. Your risk of gingivitis could increase, too.

Periodontal (gum) disease could increase your risk of:

Lung disease
Stroke
Heart disease
Diabetes

If you're concerned about your oral health, consider turning to frankincense.

Frankincense might improve your oral health. It could even present gum disease.

Boswellic acid has strong antibacterial properties. It might prevent and even treat oral infections as a result. For example, it might fight against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.

This bacteria can cause gum disease.

Chewing frankincense gum might reduce microbes produced in the saliva. It could decrease sources of infection in the mouth as a result.

We need more research to determine the full effect frankincense can have, though.

5. Might Have Anticancer Properties

Some studies suggest frankincense essential oil can offer anticancer effects, too.

So far, we only have test-tube studies to learn from. These studies suggest boswellic acid could prevent cancer cells from spreading. It might help prevent the formation of DNA in cancerous cells, too.

This process might allow boswellic acid to limit future cancer growth.

Test-tube studies show it might fight against: