Boswellia serrata is a tree that grows in some regions of India and is used medicinally for the extract of its gummy resin. In traditional Indian medicine and modern-day herbal medicine, boswellia serrata extract is often used to help treat inflammatory conditions like arthritis, asthma and inflammatory bowel diseases. Talk with a health care provider before taking boswellia extract to learn about proper dosage and potential health risks.
Uses
Traditionally, boswellia was used in Ayurvedic medicine in ancient India to treat arthritis, diarrhea, dysentery, ringworm and pulmonary disease, states the University of Michigan Health System. Most of the proposed modern uses for boswellia relate to treating inflammatory conditions. Specifically, taking boswellia serrata extract may help if you have osteoarthritis, asthma or rheumatoid arthritis, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. No conclusive medical evidence confirms the use of boswellia extract for any of these uses, however. Talk with your doctor before taking boswellia to treat any medical condition.
Potential
Boswellia extract may also have some potential in treating bursitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, tendonitis and collagenous colitis, as well as malignant glioma, an incurable brain tumor that causes swelling in the brain, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Other possible medicinal uses for boswellia include relieving menstrual cramps, reports the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. But little scientific research supports the use of boswellia serrata for these conditions.
Function
Boswellia serrata extract contains terpenoids, which include boswellic acids. These boswellic acids offer anti-inflammatory actions that might help to treat inflammation-related medical conditions, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Boswellic acids act in a similar manner as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, by blocking leukotrienes and other inflammation-causing chemicals in the body.
Scientific Evidence
Animal studies have shown that boswellia extract’s boswellic acid has anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects. For example, an animal study published in 2001 in the journal Transplantation Proceedings found that boswellic acid had such strong anti-inflammatory actions that it blocked transplant rejection factors as effectively as high-dose steroid drugs, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A 1998 double-blind, six-week-long clinical study published in the European Journal of Medical Research found that boswellia serrata extract helped to treat patients with bronchial asthma. A 1997 double-blind study of patients with ulcerative colitis that appeared in the same publication determined that boswellia extract helped to ease symptoms, states the University of Michigan Health System. Appearing in the journal Phytomedicine, a 1996 review of unpublished double-blind clinical trials found that boswellia extract effectively relieved rheumatoid arthritis pain and inflammation, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Finally, a two-month-long, double-blind clinical trial of 102 people with Crohn’s disease found that boswellia extract was equally effective as the drug mesalazine in treating their symptoms. The study was published in the Journal of Gastroenterology in 2001.
Dosage
To treat osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, you might take boswellia extracts standardized to contain 150mg of boswellic acids three times daily, states the University of Michigan Health System. This would work out to be 300mg to 400mg of boswellia extract that contains 37.5 percent boswellic acids, taken three times daily, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Consult your doctor to discuss a proper dosage of boswellia serrata extract before taking the herb.
Warnings
Some rare and typically mild side effects that you might experience while taking boswellia extract include rashes, diarrhea and nausea. Although the clinical trials involving boswellia serrata extract reported no major side effects, the herb may still pose some dangers to your health. Because traditional herbalists in India have used boswellia to stimulate menstruation, the herb could potentially increase miscarriage risks, warns DrugDigest.org. Although no cases of miscarriage or other pregnancy problems have been reported from using boswellia, you should talk with your doctor before taking the herb during pregnancy.
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