[Boswellia Efficacy] From osteoarthritis to chronic inflammation, the three benefits of Boswellia

[Boswellia Efficacy] From osteoarthritis to chronic inflammation, the three benefits of Boswellia

Boswellia in the joints? The real efficacy of boswellia through research papers
Boswellia benefits
1. Improve symptoms of osteoarthritis
2. Improve chronic inflammatory bowel disease
3. Improves bronchial asthma

Hello. This is pharmacist Jinny.

Chronic joint pain, one of the major health problems that reduce quality of life . In addition, the joints are the body organs that show signs of aging first, and after the age of 40, most people experience chronic joint pain mainly in the fingers, wrists, knees, and shoulders. 

For this reason, ingredients that are good for 'joints' or 'joint pain' receive a lot of attention and attention. In fact , joint problems are caused by various causes, from infection or inflammation to autoimmune diseases .

In this context, today we would like to take a look at Boswellia , an ingredient that is receiving a lot of attention in relation to joints . As many of you know, Boswellia is the resin of the Boswellia serrata tree, which grows in the dry mountainous regions of India and North Africa, and has been used medicinally since around 1500 BC [1]. 

Boswellia has been used since ancient times mainly for the treatment of inflammation and infection . Let's take a look at what academic research has done and what ingredients can help with joint and health problems.

[1] Moussaieff, A., & Mechoulam, R. (2009). Boswellia resin: from religious ceremonies to medical uses; a review of in-vitro, in-vivo and clinical trials. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 61(10), 1281-1293.
1. Improve symptoms of osteoarthritis

The most common cause of joint pain is osteoarthritis . Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory joint disease that primarily damages articular cartilage, which causes degeneration of articular cartilage and is characterized by invasion of the entire joint tissue. This can eventually lead to joint degeneration, fibrosis, and fractures. 

 

Currently , the most common treatment for osteoarthritis is through nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAIDs). It may have a rather adverse effect on the repair or treatment of cartilage degenerated by the


For this reason, research to find effective alternatives is continuously being conducted in academia, and one of the ingredients that has come up as an alternative is boswellia. This is because although it exhibits anti-inflammatory activity, it does not interfere with the composition of cartilage. In a 2020 study that comprehensively reviewed the results of Boswellia human application trials on osteoarthritis patients so far, Boswellia is expected to be a safe adjuvant treatment for osteoarthritis. It suggests that you can .
"As a result of analyzing 7 human trials involving 545 patients, the relief of joint pain and stiffness (stiffness) and improvement of joint function were confirmed in the Boswellia intake group compared to the control group. Based on the evidence, Boswellia and its extracts may be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with osteoarthritis."
Reference papers: Yu, G., Xiang, W., Zhang, T., Zeng, L., Yang, K., & Li, J. (2020). Effectiveness of Boswellia and Boswellia extract for osteoarthritis patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 20(1), 1-16.
2. Improve chronic inflammatory bowel disease

In introducing previous studies, I said that Boswellia is being studied in the academic community as an alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in osteoarthritis. This is based on the unique anti-inflammatory activity of Boswellia that does not interfere with the synthesis of glycaminoglycans that make up tissues such as skin and cartilage . 


This boswellia activity is not only beneficial for osteoarthritis. In the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which require limiting the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, studies on alternative treatments using Boswellia are actively being conducted . In a human study conducted by Madisch, A and researchers (2007), the clinical improvement of colitis with boswellia intake was reported.
"Clinical improvement was seen at 6 weeks of ingestion of Boswellia. ... In conclusion, this study suggests that ingestion of Boswellia serrata extract may be a clinically effective and safe treatment for inflammatory bowel disease patients. "
Reference papers: Madisch, A., Miehlke, S., Eichele, O., Mrwa, J., Bethke, B., Kuhlisch, E., ... & Stolte, M. (2007). Boswellia serrata extract for the treatment of collagenous colitis. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. International journal of colorectal disease, 22(12), 1445-1451.
3. Improves bronchial asthma

As with osteoarthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, bronchial asthma is also a condition in which inflammation develops but limits the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) . This is because bronchoconstriction may occur due to taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It occurs in about 10% of users, but it can be fatal for bronchial asthma patients, so caution is required.


For this reason, studies are being conducted on whether Boswellia can be an alternative treatment for bronchial asthma, and significant research results are accumulating. Already in 1998, Gupta, I and researchers conducted a human trial evaluating the effects of boswellia intake in 40 patients with bronchial asthma . This study reports improvements in physical symptoms and signs following ingestion of boswellia .
"In 70% of the Boswellia group, loss of physical symptoms and signs, such as dyspnea, dry cracking, reduction of seizures, and increase in forced expiratory volume, forced lung capacity, and maximal expiratory flow were observed, and improvement of the disease was observed. “These data show a clear role for boswellia in the treatment of bronchial asthma.”
Reference papers:  Gupta, I., Gupta, V., Parihar, A., Gupta, S., Lüdtke, R., Safayhi, H., & Ammon, HP (1998). Effects of Boswellia serrata gum resin in patients with bronchial asthma: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week clinical study. European journal of medical research, 3(11), 511-514.

Today, we looked at Boswellia, which is receiving a lot of attention as a joint health material. As most studies are examining the usefulness of boswellia in diseases that accompany inflammation but require limited use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), it is said that it is a component with more than a certain level of benefit in the overall chronic inflammatory disease . I think.

However, while there are many studies reporting the osteoarthritis-improving activity of Boswellia, there were cases in which no clear benefit was observed in rheumatoid arthritis . Therefore, when you want to take Boswellia for your joints, it is good to understand your joint problems and use them to your advantage.

I hope you have a healthy body and mind. More than that, it was Jinny.
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