Frankincense and Myrrh Clinical Research Studies

At Wise Men Healing we are enthusiastic about current research findings on the ingredients of frankincense and myrrh and we're optimistic for future developments. Below we compiled a summary of about 60 clinical research studies on frankincense and myrrh grouped by their study areas.  The incentive to study plant-based resins is inherently difficult. Drug Companies are not able to patent simple frankincense and myrrh because they are freely available in nature, so there's little incentive for pharmaceutical firms to pour money into research on their effects.  Despite the lack of monetary incentive, our analysis reveals a steady increase in frankincense and myrrh research, indicating growing interest in these substances. Egypt, the United States, and Saudi Arabia are the most prolific countries in terms of research output⁽¹⁾ among which anticancer has been studied the most⁽²⁾.   Institutions that are committed to advancement of knowledge and understanding that have conducted clinical research trials on frankincense and myrrh, do so often devoid of financial motives. The findings don't always provide definitive answers due to smaller sample sizes but they usually are valuable for generating hypotheses, exploring new treatments, and providing insights that can inform larger, more definitive studies. 

Clinical Research Study Areas:

Anti Cancer  |  Pain Relief  | Neuropathy  | Arthritis |  Depression  |  Oral Care  |  Wound Healing  |  Under Arm Hygiene  |  Skin Care

 

Summary of Research Studies and Concluding Thoughts. 

There are many convincing frankincense and myrrh research studies above completed for anti-cancer, nerve pain relief, arthritis relief and there are also studies supporting topical treatments for many daily uses like under arm hygiene, oral care, rash relief, accelerated wound healing.  The common property of all these 60 research studies we repeatedly find is frankincense and myrrh's ability to calm inflammation.  The enzyme 5-lipoxygenase plays a key role in the effect of frankincense. It has been known for more than 40 years that this enzyme promotes the formation of leukotrienes, an important group of inflammatory mediators in the human body.  It has been commonly used to reduce swelling and alleviate the pain of inflammatory diseases or tumors, and to invigorate the circulation of blood in China and as an antiarthritic in Ayuredic medicine in India for thousands of years ⁽²⁾.  

Myrrh, as a traditional natural medicine, is an aromatic gum resin, which is the plant stem resinous exudate of Commiphora myrrha.  It has many medicinal powers and has been used widely in clinic for treatment of pain and inflammatory diseases, such as stomach complaints, skin infections, ache, dysmenorrhea, chest ailments, and so on, in India, China, Rome, and Greece ⁽³⁾. Pharmacological studies also have showed that myrrh possesses multiple activities, including anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, anesthetic, and antimicrobial effects ⁽⁴⁾.

Synergy

In the past, most of the studies on frankincense and myrrh focused on independent research, but recent studies demonstrate their combination has a synergistic effect when compared to using them separately⁽⁵⁾. After the combination of frankincense and myrrh forms a blend, a series of changes take place in their chemical composition, such as the emergence of new chemical components. At the same time, the pharmacological effects of the combination seem magically powerful, such as synergistic anti-inflammation, synergistic anticancer, synergistic analgesic, synergistic antibacterial, synergistic blood-activation, and so on.⁽⁶⁾

 

Natural

FDA-approved single-target drug preparations often have serious side effects.  Natural herbal medicines of frankincense and myrrh have the characteristics of multi-component, multi-link, and multi-target, which give them potential advantages in the treatment of chronic diseases with relatively low side effects.⁽⁶⁾  They can help treat symptoms of pain due to their anti-inflammatory properties, which also make them helpful for daily uses like skin moisturizing, oral care, rash relief and under arm hygiene.

Frankincense and myrrh may be taken orally or topically.  Cancer studies support ingested treatments. However, for antibacterial and many healing purposes, many studies support applying the oils topically. They are easily absorbed through the skin, but should be diluted with a carrier oil to penetrate and "carry" the essential oils deep through the skin.  

Side Effects

While frankincense and myrrh are generally considered safe for topical and oral use when used as directed, there are a few potential side effects and considerations to remember. Some individuals may experience mild skin irritation, redness, or rash when applying frankincense oil or products directly to the skin. It is advisable to perform a patch test before using it extensively, especially for individuals with sensitive skin. When used orally, there have been rare reports of gastrointestinal discomfort, such as stomach pain, acid reflux, or nausea.^{(7) (8)}

 

Patents

Drug Companies are not able to patent simple frankincense and myrrh because they are freely available in nature.  However they have been extracting and researching compounds from frankincense and myrrh called terpenoids and sesquiterpenes, both of which have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It's very possible one day a patent will be created on an extraction process for compounds in frankincense and myrrh much like Bayer derived Aspirin by creating a chemical reaction with willow bark; or morphine was derived from drying the seed pod of opium poppies. 

Our Experience

At Wise Men Healing we lack the budget and expertise to conduct a scientific research trial.  However our daily in the trenches experience has taught us what uses are likely to work for topical relief of pain and what will not.  Chronic pain is difficult to characterize because the experience of pain is highly complex. Chronic pain reorganizes neural networks and is unique to each individual. We publicly market our product for neuropathic pain, sciatic pain and postherpetic neuralgia and some common everyday uses like oral care, hair and scalp health, and rash relief.  However we have received enthusiastic feedback on less popular but specific nerve disorders like chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS).  Our results are unscientific but are formed from many years of listening to customers. Wise Men Healing CEO Chris Janota posts his phone number openly on our website and encourages our users to share their feedback with him.  Some of the positive feedback we receive came from the Charlotte Moore Clinic in Oakland, California that serves low income women integrative cancer care.  They report the Wise Men Healing Balm they stock in their pharmacy is very popular among women with chemo-induced neuropathy and is helping make their pain more manageable.

Above we are referencing clinical research on independent ingredients of frankincense and myrrh essential oils to help understand the effectiveness for their many uses.  These studies were not conducted on Wise Men Healing Balm.  Wise Men Healing Balm has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.