Supplement
Boswellia is a resin from the Boswellia tree whose boswellic acids block 5-lipoxygenase, an enzyme that helps produce inflammatory leukotrienes in the body. People look at it mainly as supportive care around brain tumors, where it may reduce swelling, and the reported result was a smaller tumor size, though the evidence is limited. That finding came from a single person, and in osteoarthritis, C-reactive protein showed no clear difference in 98 people.
Sources: PMID 14669258
- Updated
- How we grade
- 13 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 4
- Outcomes
- 10
- Graded outcomes
- 0031
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin Elasticity Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 1 study | 15 people | ||
| Skin Quality | Improves (the measure goes up) | 15 people | ||||
Brain Tumor
- Brain Tumor Size: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Tumor Size Moderate Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Moderate effect | 1 person |
Asthma
- Asthma Symptoms: improves
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asthma Symptoms Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | 2 studies | 80 people | |||
Key findings
- Asthma SymptomsImproves (the measure goes down)
- Skin ElasticityImproves (the measure goes up)
- Brain Tumor SizeImproves (the measure goes down)
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Third-party tested Boswellia products. The evidence above is limited, so read it before you buy.
- Grade C
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Studies cited
13 studies from PubMed
- A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical study evaluates the early efficacy of aflapin in subjects with osteoarthritis of knee
- Comparative efficacy and tolerability of 5-Loxin and AflapinAgainst osteoarthritis of the knee: a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical study
- A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of the efficacy and safety of 5-Loxin for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee
- Clinical evaluation of Boswellia serrata (Shallaki) resin in the management of Sandhivata (osteoarthritis)
- A standardized Boswellia serrata extract shows improvements in knee osteoarthritis within five days-a double-blind, randomized, three-arm, parallel-group, multi-center, placebo-controlled trial.
- Oral herbal medicines marketed in Brazil for the treatment of osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Oral herbal therapies for treating osteoarthritis.
- Efficacy of curcumin and Boswellia for knee osteoarthritis: Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Efficacy evaluation of standardized Boswellia serrata extract (Aflapin(Ⓡ)) in osteoarthritis: A systematic review and sub-group meta-analysis study.
- Efficacy of Extracts of Oleogum Resin of Boswellia in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- Herbal interventions for chronic asthma in adults and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
- Effects of Boswellia serrata gum resin in patients with bronchial asthma: results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week clinical study
- Effects of topical boswellic acid on photo and age-damaged skin: clinical, biophysical, and echographic evaluations in a double-blind, randomized, split-face study