Boswellia

- Ingredients : Tree that grows in mountains, in the dry region of India

- Functional effect: Used for cure of diabetes, skin disease , fever reducer, nerve disease, rheumatic and  diarrhea. The effect of inhibiting the inflammation-promotion substance (lipoxygenase) to remove the inflammation.

What is Boswellia?

Boswellia serrata is a tree that grows in mountains, in the dry region of India. Boswellia, the resin extracted from the bark of this tree has been used as a medicine in India, for cure diabetes, skin disease, fever reducer, nerve disease, rheumatic, and diarrhea. Currently, it is known as functional effective food that has non-steroidal and anti-inflammatory analgesic effect. About 300 types of medical products are now commercialized to remove pain of rheumatism and arthritis, in combination with chondroitin, glucosamine, and shark’s articular cartilage.

| Boswellia that has the strong anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritis effects 

Effect of Boswellia

1) Strong anti-inflammatory effect

The effective component of Boswellia is “Boswellia acid” that blocks the inflammation by inhibiting lipoxygenase, the enzyme involved into biosynthesis of Leucotriene that removes the inflammation in the early stage. That is, Boswellia works on the early stage of all inflammation including arthritis, while nonsteroidal anti-inflammation pain reliever mitigates the pain.

2) Effect of improving skin diseases

Inpracin extracted from Boswellia has strong anti-inflammatory effect. INPRACIN (Boswellia) inhibits the biosynthesis of Leukotriene and skin inflammation, thereby effectively curing the somber skin, wrinkle, freckle and blemish. Pinene acquired from distill extraction is used also for aromatherapy. From the long time ago in India, it has been used Ayurveda, the Indian traditional therapy, for ritual or meditation because of its effect of smooth breath.

3) Anti- arthritis effect

Boswellia extract contains glycosaminoglycan, the substance that makes joint and skin flexible. In the results of administration of 100mg or 250mg of Boswellia tablets to 75 patients with degenerative knee arthritis for 90 days, it was reported that pain and arthritis have been improved. In addition, the group with 250mg administered, showed the improvement from 7 days since such administration.

Related Articles

1) In the controlled trial on knee arthritis for six months, glucosamine (2g/daily) and celecoxib (200mg daily) showed considerable effect in relieving joint pain and improving arthritis.

In this 6-month controlled study of knee OA, Ayurvedic formulations (especially SGCG) significantly reduced knee pain and improved knee function and were equivalent to glucosamine and celecoxib. The unexpected SGPT rise requires further safety assessment. (1Center for Rheumatic Diseases, 1988 Convent Street, Camp, Pune, India. crdp@vsnl.net )

2) Effect on arthritis of resin extracted from Boswellia oak tree – when 500mg of capsules administered for the first group and 6g was divided three times for administration, the promising results were observed in the patients in the first group.

Patients of first group were administered with 500 mg capsule of Shallaki, 6 g per day (in three divided doses) with lukewarm water (n=29) and the second group) capsule Shallaki as above along with local application of Shallaki ointment on the affected joints (n=23). After a course of therapy for 2 months, symptomatic improvement was observed in both the groups at various levels with promising results in the patients of first group. (1Senior Medical Officer, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India)