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 several nutrients and phytonutrients garnering more attention for its anti-inflammatory features. Patients at Layden Chiropractic are quite aware that we chatter on about inflammation and its part in Plainville back pain and neck pain a lot, so anti-inflammatory supplements with anti-inflammatory nutrients are welcome!
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY NUTRIENTS
A recent narrative review of medical literature regarding the effects of certain nutrients and phytonutrients on immune system function and on the reduction of inflammation determined that patients with all sorts 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 reduce inflammation which is regulated 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 affected 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 garnering much attention today as the need to avert chronic illness and decrease the severity of acute illnesses of all sorts that people globally are dealing with. (1) Layden Chiropractic is excited to see these developments in the more natural approaches to health come about!
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FRANKINCENSE
You’ll notice that frankincense was one of the nutrients talked about above. A recent study featured 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 a long time. 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 enhanced anti-inflammatory action of frankincense from Boswellic acid. (2) For Layden Chiropractic, frankincense needs to be gifted year-round and not just during the holidays! Nutritional findings like this are just so interesting, particularly when we acknowledge 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 Plainville chiropractic appointment.
CONTACT Layden Chiropractic
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 interaction of the immune system and inflammation as well as how spinal manipulation can positively affect the immune system.
Schedule your Plainville chiropractic appointment now 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 have in reducing inflammation!
