Oral thrush is a fungal infection which causes white, milky-looking lesions inside your mouth, usually on your inner cheeks or tongue. The lesions can be painful, and may bleed when scraped. MayoClinic.com reports that infants, people with dentures and individuals with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to oral thrush. Doctors usually treat the condition with antifungal medications; herbalist and natural healers sometimes recommend myrrh gum. Although clinical studies are lacking, scientific research supports myrrh's anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties. Consult your doctor before using myrrh.
Constituents
Myrrh gum is the reddish-brown resin obtained from the tree botanically known as Commiphora myrrha and C. molmol, a thorny shrub native to northeastern Africa and the Middle East. The resin contains sterols, sesquiterpenes, polysaccharides and proteins, as well as curzarene -- a compound that acts on opioid receptors -- and eugenol, a natural anesthetic also found in clove oil. Also present in myrrh gum are the compounds cinnamaldehyde, commiphorinic acid and the anti-inflammatory agent beta-sitosterol, as well as limonene, an antioxidant.
Effects
Myrrh gum has a long history of use as an astringent and antiseptic for mouth infections and dental diseases, and is still advised by modern-day herbalists to treat canker sores, thrush and gingivitis.
Drugs.com credits myrrh gum with anesthetic, antifungal, antibacterial and hypoglycemic effects. The website notes that sesquiterpenes in myrrh were found to be antifungal against Candida albicans, the pathogen responsible for oral thrush. Although Blue Shield Complementary and Alternative Health does not endorse myrrh specifically for oral thrush, the agency credits it with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, and reports that it can help treat canker sores, gingivitis and throat infections.
Research
In a laboratory study published in 2003 in "Toxicology in Vitro," researchers found that myrrh oil reduced human gingival fibroblasts, cells in the gums that produce proinflammatory cytokines when P. gingivalis -- the key periodontal pathogen that causes gingivitis -- is present. At maximum exposure, myrrh oil caused 70 percent cytotoxicity, leading the team to conclude that myrrh oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects.
Usage and Considerations
According to Blue Shield Complementary and Alternative Health, you can take myrrh in capsules containing up to 1 gram of resin three times a day, or gargle with five to 10 drops of myrrh tincture in a glass of water three times a day. Myrrh gum is considered non-irritating, non-sensitizing and non-phototoxic; rare cases of skin irritation have been reported. Myrrh can interact with prescription medications. Consult your doctor before taking myrrh gum. If you are pregnant or breast feeding, do not use myrrh; it has documented abilities to harm the fetus.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Oral Thrush: Symptoms; Mayo Clinic Staff; August 2009
- Drugs.com: Complete Myrrh Information
- "Toxicology in Vitro"; In Vitro Cytotoxic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Myrrh Oil on Human Gingival Fibroblasts and Epithelial Cells; D.A. Tipton et al.; June 2003
- Medicinal Plants; Myrrh: Clinical Use
