Boswellia serrata also known as Indian Frankincense is a herb that has been used for 4000 years in Indian Ayurvedic Medicine, it is an excellent anti-inflammatory with no known side effects. The active ingredient is known as Boswellic Acid.

Boswellia has been shown to reduce inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease like Ulcerative Colitis, and other autoimmune conditions. It works like this –

1. Boswellia blocks the lethal pro-inflammatory enzyme 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). A number of chemicals like 5-LOX released during the inflammatory response in the body contribute to the chronic inflammation in autoimmune disease. Blocking these pro-inflammatory chemicals reduces symptoms of inflammation and helps taper the autoimmune response.

1. The active ingredients of Boswellia, Boswellic acids, also decrease the activity of another pro-inflammatory enzyme known as human leukocyte elastase (HLE). HLE and leukotriene levels are increased in many inflammatory diseases and allergic reactions.

To date, Boswellia is apparently the only substance known to reduce levels of both HLE and leukotrienes.
In studies of patients with inflammatory bowel disease – ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, Boswellia reduced gastrointestinal inflammation and tissue damage.

In one particular study twenty patients with chronic colitis received Boswellia gum resin (900 mg per day for 6 weeks) and another 10 patients were given sulfasalazine (3 g per day for 6 weeks). Out of 20 patients treated with Boswellia, 14 went into remission (70% compared to 40% for sulfasalazine).

In another study on Crohn’s the safety and effectiveness of Boswellia extract was compared against mesalazine for the treatment of 102 patients with active Crohn’s disease in an eight-week randomized, double-blind study. The primary clinical outcome measured was the change in Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI). After treatment with Boswellia extract (3.6 g per day) the average CDAI was reduced by 90, compared to a reduction of 53 for the mesalazine group (4.5 g per day). The authors concluded that the Boswellia extract was as effective as mesalazine.

Considering the lack of side effects and safety profile of Boswellia, It would seem that this herb could well be a better option than Mesalazine.

So Boswellia seems to be safe to use and effective in treating Ulcerative Colitis. It also has no currently known drug interactions, so it is well worth taking if you have Ulcerative Colitis. Get some here.

Colitis Breakthrough!

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