Call us to set up an appointment! 716-833-1239

Frankincense: One of Several Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients

Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. Three gifts talked about throughout the holidays often are neglected the rest of the year…except gold. We do hear a lot about gold! Well, frankincense is among several nutrients and phytonutrients receiving more attention for its anti-inflammatory traits. Patients at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation are quite aware that we chatter on about inflammation and its part in Tonawanda back pain and neck pain a lot, so anti-inflammatory supplements with anti-inflammatory nutrients are well received!

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY NUTRIENTS

A new narrative review of medical literature about the effects of certain nutrients and phytonutrients on immune system function and on the reduction of inflammation concluded that patients with all sorts of health issues, minor to severe, may well benefit from daily supplementation of acetyl-L-carnitine, Vitamin C, Aloe vera polysaccharides, Vitamin B12, beta-glucans, bilberry, black seed oil, coenzyme Q10, curcumin (turmeric), garlic, resveratrol, ginger, hydrolyzed rice bran, lipoic acid, mistletoe, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin E (d-alpha- and gamma-tocopherol), selenium, shiitake mushroom and its derivatives, isoflavones, Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), zinc, and frankincense. Such supplementation may be in addition to conventional medications and medical therapies. The goal of such supplementation is to reduce inflammation which is regulated by the immune system and which is a contributing factor to chronic disease as well as acute illness. The review got into specifics like how supplements impacted inflammatory and immune factors - whose names you may not know very well but play a role in your health - like interferon-g, nuclear factor-Kappa B, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-a, and CD4+ T cells, among others. Studies like these are getting much attention today as the need to avert chronic illness and reduce the severity of acute illnesses of all sorts that people globally are dealing with. (1) Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation is excited to see these developments in the more natural approaches to health evolve!

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FRANKINCENSE

You will notice that frankincense was one of the nutrients listed above. A recent study featured the benefits of its supplementation.  Frankincense is an oil extract extracted from the Boswellia tree. It’s been used in anti-inflammatory folk remedies for a long time. Using bowellic acids like the 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-βBA (AKBA) are unique anti-inflammatory factors of frankincense. In combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosahexaenoic acid (EPA), it stimulated lipid mediator change of innate immune cells from pro-inflammatory to enhanced anti-inflammatory action of frankincense from Boswellic acid. (2) For Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation, frankincense needs to be gifted year-round and not just during the holidays! Nutritional findings like this are just so interesting, particularly when we acknowledge that inflammation has a role in spine-related pain that we treat every day. Let’s talk about our anti-inflammatory nutritional supplement at your next Tonawanda chiropractic visit.

CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. James Cox, developer of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the communication between the immune system and inflammation as well as how spinal manipulation can beneficially impact the immune system.

Make your Tonawanda chiropractic appointment now to see us! Though we’re not sure when myrrh will get its due, we’ll be happy to see that frankincense is getting its due for the role it may have in reducing inflammation!

« View All Nutrition Articles
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."