Frankincense and Myrrh / Gifts of the Wise

Herb Of The Week / Frankincense and Myrrh / Gifts of the Wise
Men

As you no doubt recall, frankincense and myrrh are two of three gifts
from the visiting Magi to the newborn baby Jesus. (The other gift was
gold of course). However few know of the rich history of frankincense
and myrrh and how they have been used since the beginning of recorded
history and maybe before. Even fewer are those who have experienced
their aroma and probably fewer still know of their medicinal value.


Their value (along with the value of many herbs and spices) rivaled
that of gold, the rarest silks, and the most precious of gems. To give
you an idea of the tremendous value of herbs and spices, Queen
Isabella of Spain's gambled by giving Christopher Columbus three fully
stocked ships based upon the speculation that he *MIGHT* find a
shorter route to import spices from the Far East, thus ensuring
Spain's continued reign as a superpower.


But for now we will consider their medicinal value.

Myrrh is the plant that we derive GUGGUL from. A phytochemical in
myrrh called guggulsterones (named after the Indian myrrh: guggul is
used to lower cholesterol. Frankincense yields boswellic acids (named
after the botanical source Boswellia). In both cases, the original
research and product development originated in India, as part of an
ongoing effort to investigate and make more useful the tradition of
Ayurvedic medicine.


Frankincense:
Is a milky-white resin produced by a scrubby, unlikely looking tree,
called BOSWELLIA, is an anti-inflammatory herb that the University of
Munich in Germany found very effective as a treatment for joint pain
and arthritis. The oil of boswellia (frankincense) is rejuvenating to
the skin, treating acne, bacterial and fungal infections, and to treat
wounds and scars. Thus, it is used in cosmetics, soaps, and perfumes.
Frankincense is also a natural insecticide and was used in ancient
Egypt to fumigate wheat silos and repel wheat moths. The resin was a
also key ingredient for embalming (mummification) of their dead. In
Arabia, the smoke of burning frankincense resin is used to repel
mosquitoes and sand flies.


Myrrh:
Guggul, the sticky gum resin from the mukul myrrh tree, also known by
the names Guggul, Indian Bdellium, and Guggulow plays a major role in
the traditional herbal medicine of India. (Ayurvedic Medicine) In the
early 1960s, Indian researchers discovered an ancient Sanskrit medical
text that appears to clearly describe Guggul for the symptoms and
treatment of high cholesterol. Subsequent tests in animals found that
Guggul gum both lowered cholesterol levels and also separately
protected against the development of hardening of the arteries.
Several research trials followed this discovery, culminating in
studies examining Guggul's effectiveness in humans. At present, a
moderate level of evidence suggests that Guggul can improve
cholesterol levels. The primary chemical constituents of Guggul
include phytosterols, gugulipids, and guggulsterones. A small
controlled trial compared oral gugulipid against tetracycline for the
treatment of acne, and reported equivalent results. Also, a study in
mice found potential anti-diabetic effects.

But most of the Myrrh used medicinally is found in herbal toothpastes
and mouthwashes to soothe mouth and throat irritations. It may have
slightly antibacterial effects, which could help to prevent infections
in irritated mouth tissue, as well. As a mouth rinse, myrrh is
approved for treating mouth inflammation by the German Commission E,
the German governmental agency that evaluates the safety and
effectiveness of herbal products used in Europe. Undiluted myrrh
tincture can also be applied directly to sores inside the mouth.


SO DON'T GO TO YOUR HEALTH FOOD OR HERBAL STORE ASKING FOR
FRANKINCENSE OR MYRRH.... ASK FOR GUGGUL FOR CHOLESTEROL OR BOSWELLIA
FOR INFLAMMATION. STRANGELY, YOU NEED TO ASK FOR MYRRH BY NAME IF IT
IS FOR TOOTHPASTE OR MOUTHWASH.


Interesting side note:
Together, the three gifts of the wise men represent three roles of
Jesus the Messiah: His kingly office is represented by gold, His
divinity by frankincense, and His manhood by myrrh. "They offered him
incense as their God; gold as their king; and myrrh, as united to a
human body, subject to suffering and death.


Those wise men were not your everyday kind of guys. The gifts that
they chose were extremely insightful and astute on their part. They
knew that the star they saw heralded the birth of a Messiah!


Also, it's clear that the providence of God is seen in these gifts.
The gifts of the wise men provided the means necessary for a long and
expensive journey into Egypt, (to escape the ill intentions of Herod)
and to sustain Joseph, Mary and Jesus in a foreign land where they
would stay for a considerable time.


Until next time remember .... most illness (upwards of 80% according
to experts) can be attributed to FOUR important factors that can
weaken your immune system and your ability to fight off disease:


By good utilization of search engine technology, we can look up
information as in depth as we desire in our own free time. As we
mention all the time, with every post, that you can research anything
mentioned in this newsletter by yourself. Some good search engines are
www.mamma.com or www.google.com. or www.dogpile.com or
www.askjeeves.com ...etc. By entering one or more keywords you can do
your own research.


1. Anxiety, depression, anger, resentment, guilt and other STRESS
factors
2. Improper and/or inadequate NUTRITION habits
3. A sedentary lifestyle that does not include enough EXERCISE
4. Not enough rest and quality SLEEP time

The United States Surgeon General warned Americans in a landmark 1988
report on Nutrition and Health that "diet related diseases account for
68% of U.S. deaths"


Remember, we ALWAYS recommend that you ALWAYS consult a professional
herbalist, naturopathologist or physician. We are just passing along
what we hope to be useful information.


Bye-Bye,

Q