The only time time of year one hears about, sees or smells Frankincense is Christmas time, as Frankincense was among the gifts the Three Wise Men gave to the baby Jesus. But if Frankincense is truly as effective in treating osteoarthritis as its stated to be by those researching its healing powers, grown adults will be wishing it were Christmas all year ‘round from now on.

This is because frankincense, according to researchers, relieves arthritis sufferers of their daily aches and pains – a heartening finding for those who don’t want to be beholden to prescription drugs that are costly and riddled with side effects. And the side effects associated with arthritis medications is one of the primary reasons why researchers from the University of California-Davis set out to discover what impact Frankincense had on osteoarthritis sufferers.

As the prefix indicates (i.e. “osteo”), osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that affects the bones, be them in the neck or back, knees or hips, hands or feet. Wherever it is, it’s painful, to the point where it can hurt just to move (if one can even move with any great range, as osteoarthritis causes stiffness in the joints). It is the most common form of arthritis in America today (there are over 100 arthritis-related diseases) – affecting approximately 20 million people on annual basis.

The researchers looked at a specific kind of Indian Frankincense called Boswellia serrata and discovered that when it is combined with a naturally-occurring compound called AKBA – the most densely populated compound found in the Frankincense plant – it significantly reduced the inflammation in the joints of the participants. A portion of the 70 participants either received a placebo or took the B. serrata extract as a dietary supplement for the length of the study, which was 90 days.

Best of all, there were no observed side-effects from the participants taking the extract. Even better than that (would that make it “bestest” of all?), participants started feeling reduced pain in as little as seven days. Score? Natural Health Alternative – 1135, Pharmaceutical Drug Alternative – 0.

Despite the lack of side effects observed, the researchers want to conduct more studies on Frankincense before labeling it as safe to take over the long-term. See, due diligence – one of many differences between the natural health world and money-hungry pharmaceutical companies whose products have often caused far more hurt than help (Remember what happened to Vioxx? Or the warnings Avandia had to issue?).

I don’t advertise or promote one Boswellia serrata supplement more than another. You can find a wide range of Boswellia serrata supplements at online retailers like organicpharmacy.org, and vitamins.com, both of which offer a fairly wide variety of Boswellia serrata providers like Nature’s Way and Pure Encapsulations. They’re also readily available at local vitamin shops and retailers like The Vitamin Shoppe and GNC.