Frankincense

Well known as one of the three gifts given to the Christ child at birth, Frankincense has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years.  The Bible contains over 52 references to frankincense. It is also mentioned in the famous Ebers Papyrus, the oldest of known medical records, with a date going back to the 16th century B.C. where it is included in an ancient Egyptian list of 877 prescriptions and recipes.

There are several species of Frankincense with somewhat different origins and properties.  Two most regarded for therapeutic properties are Boswellia carteri, which grows in Somalia, and Boswellia sacra, or Sacred Frankincense, which grows in Oman.  According to the definitive work, The Plants of Dhofar, Boswellia sacra is the only species which grows in Oman and is the most prized, and this species does not grow anywhere else.  Other species, including Boswellia freereana are popularly sold in the marketplace in Oman and have therefore been described as "from Oman", but they do not grow there. Only one company, Young Living, has worked with the Oman government to obtain the proper permissions for distilling and exporting Boswellia sacra, previously reserved only for royals, although at least a couple other companies claim to offer this species.  

Dr. Mahmoud Suhail and Dr. H.K. Lin have worked extensively in conducting research using Boswellia sacra and Boswellia carteri essential oils.  Both these species are known to contain Boswellic acids, although these are not found in Boswellia freereana, which is primarily known for its pleasing fragrance.  

Some scientists have claimed that the molecules of the Boswellic acids are too large to be captured in the distillation process, and believed that frankincense oils shown to contain boswellic acids must have been altered to add them back in.  However, subsequent research and a study published in December 2012 on PubMed involving both Dr. Suhail and Dr. Lin have shown that proper testing with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) clearly demonstrates that the boswellic acids are indeed captured during the distillation where less sensitive tests or inferior equipment will not detect them.

 

For more information on the leading essential oil companies, their history, testing, and quality standards, check out the 45 page Young Living/DoTerra report.

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These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and this information is for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.