Where To Buy Frankincense And Myrrh Oil

According to Simon Cotton for Chemistry World, frankincense and myrrh are sap, drawn from the Boswellia sacra and Commiphora trees, respectively. Frankincense was often burned as an incense, while myrrh made its way into medicine and perfume. In antiquity, writes Cotton, these saps were worth just as much as gold.

where to buy frankincense and myrrh oil

But as modern science has shown, these Magi (or wise men or kings, as they've come to be known) may have been onto something with their gifts. More than just aromatic compounds, frankincense and myrrh have interesting medicinal properties.

Frankincense is not one of the most widely used oils, but it does have potential health benefits. Also known as olibanum, frankincense comes from trees in the Boswellia family. Boswellia trees are native to Oman and Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and in Somalia in northeastern Africa.

Much is still being learned about the health benefits of frankincense, but doctors like the signs they see early in their research and believe it could have some good uses. Those uses could grow over time.

Frankincense, along with myrrh, has been prescribed in traditional Chinese medicine and administered for treatment of blood stagnation and inflammation diseases in addition to pain relief and swelling.

In another study discussed in a Cancer journal article in 2011, patients with brain tumors took 4.2 grams of frankincense or a placebo each day. Sixty percent of the group taking frankincense had reduced fluid in their brain, compared to 26% of the people given the placebo.

Seventy percent of participants in one study of people with asthma said they experienced improvements with their symptoms, including wheezing and shortness of breath, after receiving 300 milligrams of frankincense daily for a month and a half.

Participants in one study were given 1 gram of frankincense extract per day for eight weeks. Those participants said they felt less joint swelling and pain than those who were given a placebo. In addition to that, they reported a better range of motion, and they walked farther than patients who received the placebo.

In one study, high school students with gingivitis were given gum that contained 100 milligrams of frankincense extract or 200 milligrams of frankincense powder. They chewed the gum for two weeks, and both gums were reported to be more effective at reducing signs of gingivitis than a placebo.

The body reacts to different chemicals in different ways. As an essential oil, frankincense contains many chemicals that could make your body react negatively. One possible side effect is an allergic reaction.

Signs of an allergic reaction include difficulty breathing, hives, and itchy skin. If you experience one or more of these symptoms soon after coming into contact with frankincense essential oil, talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

When inhaled, frankincense oil been shown to reduce heart rate and high blood pressure. It has anti-anxiety and depression-reducing abilities, but unlike prescription medications, it does not have negative side effects or cause unwanted drowsiness.

Studies have demonstrated that frankincense benefits extend to immune-enhancing abilities that may help destroy dangerous bacteria, viruses and even cancers. Researchers at Mansoura University in Egypt conducted a lab study and found that frankincense oil exhibits strong immunostimulant activity.

Several research groups have found that frankincense has promising anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects when tested in lab studies and on animals. Frankincense oil has been shown to help fight cells of specific types of cancer.

Researchers in China investigated the anticancer effects of frankincense and myrrh oils on five tumor cells lines in a lab study. The results showed that human breast and skin cancer cell lines showed increased sensitivity to the combination of myrrh and frankincense essential oils.

A 2012 study even found that a chemical compound found in frankincense called AKBA is successful at killing cancer cells that have become resistant to chemotherapy, which may make it a potential natural cancer treatment.

A lab study published in Letters in Applied Microbiology suggests that the combination of frankincense oil and myrrh oil is particularly effective when used against pathogens. These two oils, which have been used in combination since 1500 BC, have synergistic and additive properties when exposed to microorganisms like Cryptococcus neoformans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

In one such study, when pregnant rats received frankincense orally during their gestation period, there was a significant increase in the power of learning, short-term memory and long-term memory of their offspring.

This natural sleep aid helps open breathing passages, allows your body to reach an ideal sleeping temperature and can eliminate pain that keeps you up, which has been verified in studies analyzing frankincense compounds.

You can also add frankincense to an oil diffuser or vaporizer to help fight anxiety and for experiencing relaxation in your home all the time. Some people believe that the fragrance of frankincense can increase your intuition and spiritual connection.

Due to its antiseptic properties, frankincense oil is a great addition to any oral hygiene regimen and can help treat plaque and other dental issues. Look for natural oral care products that contain frankincense oil, especially if you enjoy the aroma.

If you have any digestive distress, such as gas, constipation, stomachaches, irritable bowel syndrome, PMS or cramps, frankincense oil can help relieve gastrointestinal discomfort. It helps speed up the digestion of food, similar to digestive enzymes.

Next time you have a respiratory infection from a cold or flu, use frankincense essential oil to help provide relief from coughing. It can help eliminate phlegm in the lungs, so start using it the day you notice symptoms.

To improve circulation and lower symptoms of joint pain or muscle pain related to conditions like arthritis, digestive disorders and asthma, try massaging frankincense oil to the painful area or diffusing it in your home.

This makes it a versatile and popular oil that lends itself well to many combinations and practical uses that can be used day after day. Try one of these recipes to start experiencing the benefits of frankincense oil.

For oil safety concerns, you should know that frankincense essential oil is extremely well-tolerated, especially compared to prescription medications. To date, there are no reported serious side effects of using frankincense oil.

Frankincense is also known to have blood-thinning effects, so anyone who has problems related to blood clotting should not use frankincense oil or should speak with a doctor first. Otherwise, the oil may have potential to negatively react with certain anticoagulant medications.

Aims: The in vitro antimicrobial activity of three essential oil samples of frankincense (Boswellia rivae, Boswellia neglecta and Boswellia papyrifera) and two essential oil samples of myrrh and sweet myrrh (Commiphora guidotti and Commiphora myrrha), collected from different regions of Ethiopia, was investigated independently and in combination to determine their anti-infective properties.

Methods and results: The microdilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay was performed, whereby it was noted that generally Cryptococcus neoformans (MIC values in the range of 08-14 mg ml(-1)) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC values in the range of 05-13 mg ml(-1)) often appeared to be the most susceptible micro-organisms against oils of both Boswellia and Commiphora spp. When assayed in various combinations, the frankincense and myrrh oils displayed synergistic, additive and noninteractive properties, with no antagonism noted. When investigating different ratio combinations against Bacillus cereus, the most favourable combination was between B. papyrifera and C. myrrha. The composition of the oils was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to document the specific chemotypes used in the study, and the chemical profiles were found to be congruent with previously reported data.

Significance and impact of the study: Frankincense and myrrh essential oils have been used in combination since 1500 bc; however, no antimicrobial investigations have been undertaken to confirm their effect in combination. This study validates the enhanced efficacy when used in combination against a selection of pathogens.

We all know the value of gold; but what of frankincense and myrrh? As a child, I was very curious about the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. But when I was told two thirds of them were just incense, I was convinced somebody pulled a fast one. I could only think of the smelly incense cones hippies used to burn back then in the 70s. Incense didnt seem at all on a par with gold.

In fact, you can still buy frankincense and myrrh for very little money. Theyre both aromatic tree resins, still grown in regions of Africa and the Middle East that have traded in these commodities for millennia. Frankincense comes from the genus Boswellia, hardy trees that grow in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Southern Arabia. Scoring the bark will produce drops of resin that harden into harvestable tear-shaped pellets. Myrrh is a resin harvested from trees of the Commiphora genus, which grow in similar places. So if these are naturally occurring substances that need little processingwhy were they so valuable in the ancient world?

The short answer is: high demand and high transport costs. Both frankincense and myrrh were employed by a great many ancient societies in religious rituals, though they had medicinal and other non-religious uses. The burning of incense was a regular accompaniment to animal sacrifice around the Mediterranean world. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all thought the rising smoke and rich aromas were pleasing to the gods. And the Jews were no exception: frankincense was regularly added to burnt offerings at the Temple in Jerusalem, and was part of a special incense blend reserved for divine service. Liquid myrrh was a component in the holy anointing oil used to consecrate vessels and officiating priests. 041b061a72