Frankincense: One of Several Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients
Gold. Frankincense. Myrrh. Three gifts talked about throughout the holidays often are overlooked the rest of the year…except gold. We do hear a lot about gold! Well, frankincense is one of several nutrients and phytonutrients receiving more attention for its anti-inflammatory factors. Patients at Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic hear us discuss inflammation and its role in Montreal back pain and neck pain very often, so anti-inflammatory supplements with anti-inflammatory nutrients are welcome!
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY NUTRIENTS
A new narrative review of medical literature about the effects of certain nutrients and phytonutrients on immune system function and on inflammation reduction concluded that patients with all types of health issues, minor to severe, may well get some advantage 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 interventions. The goal of such supplementation is to reduce inflammation which is controlled by the immune system and which is a contributor to chronic disease in addition to acute illness. The review got into specifics like how supplements impacted inflammatory and immune factors - whose names you may not hear much about but play 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 garnering much attention today as the need to avert chronic illness and decrease the severity of acute illnesses of all sorts that people around the globe are dealing with. (1) Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic is eager 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 new study highlighted the benefits of its supplementation. Frankincense is an oil extract taken from the Boswellia tree. It has been used in anti-inflammatory folk remedies for many years. Using bowellic acids like the 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-βBA (AKBA) are unique anti-inflammatory factors of frankincense. Combined with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosahexaenoic acid (EPA), it promoted lipid mediator change of innate immune cells from pro-inflammatory to boosted anti-inflammatory action of frankincense from Boswellic acid. (2) For Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic, 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 know 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 Montreal chiropractic visit.
CONTACT Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
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 positively affect the immune system.
Make your Montreal chiropractic appointment soon to visit 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 managing inflammation!
