Frankincense Essential Oil and Cancer
Frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
It happened again. I received a phone call asking to purchase Frankincense essential oil to help their animal with cancer. I take a deep breath before I ask, “Where did you get this information?” their reply, “The internet.” I take another deep breath and explain that Frankincense essential oil is not proven to treat cancer in humans or animals. Some will listen to why this is the case, and others will argue that it must be true because they read it on the internet. I then ask them to send me the link to the clinical documents that state this to be true. I have never received one, and there is a reason for this; the documents do not exist.
The truth, is that there are no clinical studies on Frankincense (Boswellia sp.) essential oils, that the essential oil does not contain the anti-tumorigenic constituent boswellic acid; only the resin contains this chemical constituent.
“What has been tested is not the frankincense essential oil you buy from a health food store, but the plant resin or gum produced by the Boswellia tree, which has been used in traditional medicine in many African and Arabian countries with reported anti-inflammatory and immunity-boosting properties.” iHeard
The internet can take you down a slippery slope giving you information that appears legitimate, but the truth is that it is in appearance only. And, this type of false information can cause harm to you and your animal.
I know how easy it is to read a sentence that states frankincense kills cancer tumors and get excited over this discovery. However, if this is a legitimate study, you must read the entire paper, and most likely, you will read another sentence stating it was an in-vitro study. In vitro is Latin for “in glass.” It describes medical procedures, tests, and experiments that researchers perform outside of a living organism.
Why is this important to know?
“In vitro testing occurs in a laboratory and usually involves studying microorganisms or human or animal cells in culture. This methodology allows scientists to evaluate various biological phenomena in specific cells without the distractions and potential confounding variables present in whole organisms.
In vitro testing is a straightforward research methodology. Researchers can perform more detailed analyses and examine biological effects in a larger number of in vitro subjects than they would in animal or human trials.
However, although petri dishes and test tubes provide controlled environments for in vitro testing, they cannot replicate the conditions that occur inside a living organism.
As a result, it is necessary to interpret in vitro data with caution, as these results do not necessarily predict the reaction of an entire living being.” Medical News Today
Don’t find yourself sliding down the slope of misinformation on the internet—question what you are reading and do your research. There is truth on the world wide web. But, first, you have to weed through the nonsense and this can be time-consuming. I hope this information has been helpful, and remember to keep on educating yourself.
FrogWorks' coursebook, "Working With Plants and Essential Oils for You and Your Animals," gives you the knowledge and guidance to make the right decisions when working with plants and essential oils.