Given the holyday season and my recent post on homestead first aid essentials (along with some prompting from a friend), I found this interesting article from Dr. Mercola:

“Benefits of Frankincense Oil

The health benefits of frankincense oil are mostly attributed to its anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, disinfectant, digestive, diuretic, and expectorant properties. It also has cicatrisant, carminative, cytophylactic, emenagogue, uterine, and vulnerary effects.

Frankincense oil is considered a tonic, as it benefits all the systems operating in the body, including the digestive, respiratory, nervous, and excretory systems. It also aids the absorption of nutrients and strengthens your immune system.¹⁶Frankincense oil has been found useful for certain health conditions, such as:

• Arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) – Research by Cardiff University scientists found that frankincense can inhibit the production of key inflammatory molecules, helping prevent the breakdown of the cartilage tissue that causes these conditions.¹⁷

In addition, Indian frankincense or boswellin, also a member of the Boswellia genus, has been found to significantly reduce inflammation in animal studies. It is actually one of my personal favorites, as I have seen it work well as a natural painkiller for many of my former rheumatoid arthritis(RA) patients.

• Colds and respiratory disorders – Frankincense oil can break up phlegm deposits in your respiratory tract and lungs, and can relieve bronchitis-related congestion.¹⁸
• Oral health problems – The antiseptic qualities of this oil can help prevent bad breath, cavities, toothaches, mouth sores, and other infections.¹⁹
• Digestive disorders – Frankincense oil speeds up the secretion of gastric juices, bile, and acids, and stimulates peristaltic motion to allow food to move properly through your intestines.²⁰
• Uterine health – Frankincense oil regulates estrogen production in women and reduces the risk of post-menopause tumor or cyst formation in the uterus (uterine cancer). It also regulates the menstrual cycle of premenopausal women.²¹

Frankincense is also being studied for its potential to treat cancer. Scientists have observed that there’s an agent in this oil that not only stops cancer from spreading, but also induces cancerous cells to close themselves down.^22“

Find more at: http://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/frankincense-oil.aspx