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 one of various nutrients and phytonutrients receiving more attention for its anti-inflammatory factors. Patients at Back And Neck Care Center hear us discuss inflammation and its role in Severna Park back pain and neck pain a lot, so anti-inflammatory supplements with anti-inflammatory nutrients are welcome!

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY NUTRIENTS

A new narrative review of medical literature regarding the effects of certain nutrients and phytonutrients on immune system function and on inflammation reduction stated that patients with all types 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 said supplementation is to decrease inflammation which is controlled by the immune system and which is a contributor to chronic disease as well as acute illness. The review covered many specifics like how supplements impacted inflammatory and immune factors - whose names you may not hear much about but have a role in your health - like interferon-g, nuclear factor-Kappa B, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-a, and CD4+ T cells, and others. Studies like these are getting much attention today as the demand to prevent chronic illness and decrease the severity of acute illnesses of all sorts that people globally are dealing with. (1) Back And Neck Care Center is eager to see these developments in the more natural approaches to health come about!

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FRANKINCENSE

You’ll note that frankincense was one of the nutrients listed above. A recent study highlighted the benefits of its supplementation.  Frankincense is an oil extract taken from the Boswellia tree. It has been utilized in anti-inflammatory folk remedies for many years. Using bowellic acids like the 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-βBA (AKBA) are unique anti-inflammatory components 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 boosted anti-inflammatory action of frankincense from Boswellic acid. (2) For Back And Neck Care Center, frankincense needs to be gifted throughout the year and not just at the holidays! Nutritional findings like this are just so interesting, especially when we realize that inflammation plays a role in spine-related pain that we treat every day. Let’s talk about our anti-inflammatory nutritional supplement at your next Severna Park chiropractic appointment.

CONTACT Back And Neck Care Center

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 benefit the immune system.

Schedule your Severna Park 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 hold in decreasing inflammation!

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"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."