The gift of the Magi may also be a gift to you

If you know the story of the birth of Jesus, you'll recall that the three Magi (wise men) brought gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense.

You already know what gold is. What about the other two? Myrrh is dried tree sap and was used to cover smells at funerals. Frankincense, on the other hand, is an herb that has a remarkable ability to heal and relieve pain. While you may not readily find frankincense on your store shelf, you'll probably find boswellia, which is the active constituent of frankincense.

Shut down the pain of osteoarthritis
One of the areas where boswellia's power is most evident is in its ability to relieve joint pain. Many herbal joint remedies usually contain boswellia as one of the ingredients, adding to the synergistic effect. However, by itself, boswellia is quite powerful and able to provide significant relief.

In a study of 30 patients suffering from osteoarthritis, doctors gave half the patients a placebo and the other half boswellia. After eight weeks, the group receiving the herb reported decreased knee pain, increased flexing of the knee and increased walking distance! While X-rays showed no difference, the differences between the groups were "statistically significant [and] clinically relevant."

In another study involving animals with induced arthritis, doctors found that the anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory effects of boswellia were a result of "suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines." In essence, boswellia goes to the cause of the pain and shuts it down.

71% of dogs with osteoarthritis improved with boswellia
People aren't the only ones living longer these days. Dogs are, too. With age comes age-related illness. If your dog is suffering from stiffness or doesn't get around very easily, you'll be interested in the following study that demonstrates the remarkable healing power of boswellia in canines.

Twenty-nine dogs with chronic joint and spinal disease were tested, with 25 of the dogs having confirmed osteoarthritis. They received boswellia for six weeks. After just two weeks, 71% of the dogs had a "statistically significant reduction of severity." A few dogs had a brief bout of diarrhea and gas during the study, but it was reversed in short order.

It matters how and when you take it
Boswellia won't do you any good unless it enters your bloodstream in significant quantities. Researchers found that it reached peak plasma concentrations when taken with a high-fat meal. While the study didn't state what constitutes a high-fat meal, it's obvious that taking it on an empty stomach won't do you much good.

Source Naturals makes an excellent high-potency boswellia supplement, available in bottles of 50 and 100 tablets. When you check the dosage of their product and compare it with the dosage of other brands, you'll see that it's the best value.

If you plan to give boswellia to your dog, please check with your veterinarian first.

You can buy Source Naturals Boswellia Extract from Amazon. Here's the link.



Additional source:
Phytomedicine. 2003 Jan;10(1):3-7
J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Oct 3;101(1-3):104-9
Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd. 2004 Feb;146(2):71-9
Planta Med. 2004 Dec;70(12):1155-60

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