Frankincense tree resin

What is Frankincense tree resin?

Frankincense tree resin here means the gum resin of Boswellia dalzielii, a tree of the West African savanna. In Hausa it is called hano. People cut the trunk, let the sap run, and collect the pale lumps once they harden.

The resin is best known as incense. It is burned on coals for its scent and for ritual use. The bark and the resin are also boiled into drinks and washes in home medicine.

Folk uses cover a wide field: stomach pain, loose stools, wounds, fever and aching joints. The same tree is used for the bark as often as for the resin.

Here is the honest verdict. Human evidence for this species is very thin. Most of the research sits in test tubes and in animals.

Long use in a tradition is not proof that something works. It is also not proof that it is safe. Both of those points matter before you try it.

Note one common mix-up. Capsules sold as "boswellia" in shops are usually Boswellia serrata from India, a related but different tree. Findings from that species do not transfer to this one.

How does Frankincense tree resin work?

No one has shown how this resin acts in the human body. What follows is proposed, not proven.

The resin carries boswellic acids. In lab tests, these appear to block 5-LOX, an enzyme that helps the body make inflammation signals. Whether that happens at useful levels after you swallow resin is unknown.

In rats and mice, extracts of the bark and resin have reduced swelling and slowed gut movement. Some animal work also points to a protective effect on the stomach lining. Animal results often fail to repeat in people.

In test tubes, extracts slow the growth of several bacteria and fungi. That is a dish, not a wound. Whether it clears an infection on skin or in the gut has not been tested.

The smoke itself has no proven medical action. Burning plant resin makes fine particles, and breathing smoke can irritate the airways.

What forms does Frankincense tree resin come in?

You will most often meet it as hard resin lumps, or as pieces of dried bark.

Burning is the common use. The resin is placed on hot coals as incense. The scented smoke is used in homes, markets and ceremonies.

In home medicine, bark or resin is boiled in water. The liquid is drunk, gargled, or used to wash skin. Powdered bark is also mixed into a paste and put on wounds.

Resin is sometimes chewed, in the way other tree gums are chewed. This is a traditional habit rather than a measured dose.

Capsules and tablets labelled boswellia are a separate product. They almost always contain Boswellia serrata. Read the botanical name on the label before you assume otherwise.

Essential oil sold as frankincense is also a different thing. It is a scent product. It is not made to be swallowed.

Where it comes from:

Boswellia dalzielii has a long record of use across the West African savanna belt. That belt runs through Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Benin, Ghana and nearby countries.

Hausa speakers called the tree hano. Resin and bark were traded in local markets and kept in most households.

Healers used bark decoctions for stomach pain, loose stools and fever. The resin was applied to wounds and sores. Smoke was used to scent rooms, to drive insects away, and in ritual.

The tree also held social meaning. Incense marked births, burials and prayer in many communities.

Ethnobotanists have recorded these uses in survey after survey since the mid twentieth century. The record is strong for the custom itself. It says nothing about whether the treatments worked.

None of this history amounts to a tested use, and none of it was gathered with safety checks in mind.

What does Frankincense tree resin help with?

• Joint pain and swelling: Traditional healers used bark and resin preparations for aching, swollen joints. In rats, extracts have reduced induced paw swelling. That is a standard animal test for inflammation. There are no published human trials of this species for joint pain. Small trials of the Indian species Boswellia serrata suggest modest help in knee osteoarthritis. Those results belong to that plant, not this one.
• Stomach pain and loose stools: Bark decoctions were a common home answer for belly pain and diarrhoea in West Africa. In animal studies, extracts slowed gut movement and protected the stomach lining from damage. Tannins in the bark may tighten tissue, which could firm stools. Human evidence is absent. Loose stools in a child, or stools with blood, need medical care rather than a home remedy.
• Wounds and skin sores: Resin paste and bark powder were put straight onto cuts, burns and sores. In test tubes, extracts slow the growth of several bacteria and fungi. A dish is not a wound, and nothing shows this speeds healing on skin. Unsterile plant material on an open wound can carry its own infection risk. Deep, dirty or spreading wounds need proper cleaning and a clinician.
• Fever, including during malaria: The bark was widely used in fever, and in areas where malaria is common. Some laboratory work reports activity against malaria parasites in culture. No human trial supports using it to treat malaria. Malaria can kill within days. Never use this resin in place of a tested antimalarial drug. Get tested if you have fever in a malaria area.
• Mouth and gum complaints: Chewing the resin and gargling bark water were used for sore gums and mouth ulcers. Lab tests show some activity against mouth bacteria. This has not been checked in people. A mouth sore that lasts more than three weeks should be looked at by a dentist or doctor.
• Scenting rooms and repelling insects: Burning the resin to scent a home and drive off insects is the oldest and plainest use. The scent is real and the custom is well recorded. Any insect effect is likely short and partial. It is not mosquito protection. In a malaria area, use nets and tested repellents instead.

Which foods are rich in Frankincense tree resin?

This is a tree resin, not a nutrient. No food contains it in any useful way.

What are the side effects of Frankincense tree resin?

• Nausea and stomach pain
• Heartburn or acid reflux
• Loose stools or, in some people, constipation
• Bitter taste and dry mouth
• Skin rash or itch where it is applied
• Cough, wheeze or sore eyes from the smoke
• Headache from heavy incense use in a closed room

Good to know:

Most reported problems are mild and settle when use stops.

That picture is drawn mostly from related frankincense species and from everyday use. Safety data for Boswellia dalzielii itself is sparse. Rare or slow harms could go unnoticed.

Smoke is the clearest hazard. Burning resin indoors makes fine particles that irritate the lungs, and that risk is real for anyone with asthma.

Stop and seek care for rash with swelling, trouble breathing, dark urine, or yellow skin or eyes.

How much Frankincense tree resin should you take?

• Recommended daily: No tested amount exists for Boswellia dalzielii. There is no standard extract, and no human trial has set a safe daily amount. Labels on Western boswellia capsules usually cite 300 to 400 mg of extract per capsule. Those products are the Indian species, Boswellia serrata. That figure does not carry across to this tree, and it is not advice for you. Traditional preparations were measured by hand and habit. Strength varied from batch to batch. If you are thinking about taking it, raise it with a doctor or pharmacist first, especially if you take any regular medicine.
• Best time of day: Time of day has not been studied and is unlikely to matter. Incense is usually burned in the evening, by custom rather than for any effect.
• With or without food: If a preparation is swallowed, food may ease stomach upset. Bark and resin are bitter and rich in tannins. On an empty stomach they are more likely to cause nausea.
• Time to effect: There is no reliable answer, because the effect itself is unproven. The scent of the smoke is immediate. Any other benefit may be slow, small, or absent. Treat "it may do nothing" as the honest starting point.
• How long to take it: No safe length of use has been studied for this species. Traditional use was usually short, for a passing complaint. Daily use for months has not been checked for harm to the liver or kidneys. If you use it at all, keep it short. Stop if the problem is not clearly better within a few days.