Definition – Use of incense in medicine
Incense is known to many people especially as a flammable resin. Although this resin cannot be used for medical purposes, the extract of frankincense is used in medicine: the anti-inflammatory properties of frankincense are usually the main focus. Incense was also used for disinfection in the Middle Ages.
From a biochemical point of view, the substances contained in frankincense prevent the excessive production of pro-inflammatory substances, making it very suitable as a herbal medicine for inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Other types of the contained substances, in turn, inhibit excessive growth of vascular cells, which is often found in tumor types. The use of frankincense extracts in cancer therapy is therefore being discussed. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the extracts are not necessarily well absorbed by the body or must be very highly dosed in order to achieve a biochemical effect and that correspondingly very highly dosed preparations are not permitted in Germany.
Indications for the use of incense
Since frankincense is used for medical purposes primarily because of its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, there are numerous indications for the use of incense preparations in this field. Thus, a bacterial infection, for example of the respiratory tract, can be treated with frankincense. Similarly, infections on the skin can be treated with frankincense extract.
A further area of application is inflammatory diseases or symptoms, for example rheumatism, arthritis, chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases, psoriasis or neurodermatitis. Depending on the localization, the drug can be applied to the inflammation by adjusting the form of application to the symptoms. In principle herbal medicines with incense represent a possibility to support a firmly prescribed medication or to treat lighter infections or inflammations first of all independently. Frankincense extracts do not replace medications prescribed by a doctor and should therefore be considered as a supplement to solid medication.
Effect of incense
Frankincense has traditionally been attributed anti-inflammatory and mildly disinfecting properties, which is why it is so widely used in alternative medicine for many types and forms of inflammation. This effect can be biochemically attributed to the boswellic acids contained in frankincense. Some varieties of this substance inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory substances in the body by blocking an enzyme necessary for this.
This blockade is reversible, so the enzyme is released after a while and can then continue its task. Other boswellic acids unfold their effect by inhibiting enzymes that participate in the formation of new blood vessels. This process is important for many types of tumors, so it is being discussed whether the regular use of frankincense extract could have a positive influence on the development of certain types of cancer.
However, it should be mentioned at this point that the ingestion of herbal frankincense extracts has usually not been able to detect concentrations of these active ingredients in the blood that would be high enough for the effects described. In order to achieve a pharmacological and scientifically proven effect with frankincense extract, the concentration of the contained boswellic acids would have to be artificially increased. Such highly concentrated preparations are in turn only available with a doctor’s prescription. What other measures are available to inhibit inflammation? The following article could also be of importance for you: Which anti-inflammatory drugs are available?