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10 Aug
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If you have an affinity for products made with natural ingredients, you might have read or heard about Frankincense. It is often used in essential oils, perfumes, and incense sticks for their woody, spicy-sweet fragrance, and medicinal properties.
Frankincense is a resin that is also called Shallaki in Sanskrit or simply Boswellia in layman terms. It is extracted from a botanical tree called Boswellia serrata commonly found in India, the Middle East, and North Africa. It is harvested by scraping the bark of the tree, a process known as tapping in agriculture. After it is collected, it is purified and powdered for Ayurvedic medicinal applications.
Health Benefits of Boswellia Powder
Boswellia powder has found its way to Ayurvedic Science since the ancient times for several benefits:
1. Improve blood circulation.
2. Clean the skin by reducing or eliminating infectious cells and purifying the blood.
3. As diaphoretic in fever to stimulate sweat glands.
4. As a demulcent to relieve inflammation in tissues and treat minor pains.
5. As a cough expectorant to remove sticky phlegm and reduce inflammation of bronchial lining.
6. Provide relief from lymph gland swelling.
7. Treat chronic intestinal disorders and healing ulcers.
Boswellia for Anti-Inflammation
Numerous studies have discovered that Boswellia or Shallaki contain useful chemical components like Terpenes and Boswellic acids among many others. The Boswellic acid, in particular, has emerged an important active constituent that inhibits pro-inflammatory enzymes. It targets key enzymes that facilitate the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the joints, thereby suppressing joint inflammation and pain. Hence, it is used in various stages of arthritis as an anti-inflammatory and pain-killing agent, especially during the menopausal phase.
Boswellia has also been found effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis as per a study. It reduces chronic inflammation and tissue damage which are key symptoms of the progression of rheumatoid arthritis.
Another study indicated that Boswellia can also be useful to treat Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) such as Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn’s Disease (CD) without any adverse impact on pancreas, stomach or liver.
How to Consume Boswellia?
The ideal way to consume Boswellia is through dietary supplements available in capsule form. You should look for the supplements which are lab-tested for quality and are vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO.
You can take the capsule as it is with a glass of water, add it to your smoothie/any other health drink or sprinkle the granulated powder inside the capsule over salads.
However, it is advisable to consult your doctor before starting on Boswellia supplements to know the right dosage as per your current health condition and pre-existing diseases.
Also Read: Guduchi/Giloy: An Ayurveda Herb With Multiple Benefits