Frankincense

I recently returned from a retreat where I got to lead in prayer using frankincense. I love aromas and the many benefits essential oils impart! Here's a piece I came across a few days ago about some good of frankincense, even apart from its spiritual applications which are oft acknowledged.

(The following is from www.aromaconnection.org March 21, 2009)

"Frankincense Oil may be a treatment for bladder cancer: according to a study published this week in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2009, 9:6.

'Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri study induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity” scientists at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center have found in vitro evidence that frankincense oil (probably its constituent boswellic acid) can kill bladder cancer cells without affecting non-cancerous cells. In order to determine that frankincense was the effective oil, they compared it to sandalwood, fir, palo santo and hemlock oils which did not differentiate between the types of cells.' [They used a commercial frankincense oil that was not specifically controlled for origin and constituency, and the authors suggest that future studies should be more rigorous in determining these details.]

The study references numerous other studies that have found that frankincense has potential in treating cancerous cells.

[The abstract can be accessed at http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/9/6/abstract and a PDF of the full article is at http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1472-6882-9-6.pdf]"