|
T
|
hree
compounds, connected by their mention in the story of Jesus' birth, may provide
benefits beyond their gift of seasonal joy. Here, we investigate their healing
powers.
We will never know whether the three wise men
knew how healthful their gifts were.
When writing for a medical website, creating uplifting seasonal content
can be challenging.
There are many opportunities to write about medical dangers.
For instance, we could write about the physical impact of overeating or
overdrinking.
We could cover the increased risk of poisoningthe dog with
chocolate or the spike in heart attacks during the festive period.
This Spotlight, however, is a little less somber. The title was begging to
be written and, thankfully, there is much to say about gold, frankincense, and
myrrh's contribution to medical science.
First, a brief introduction to our triumvirate of seasonal compounds.
Gold, unarguably the most famous of the three, is a dense, soft, transition
metal. Frankincense and myrrh are both aromatic resins extracted from trees.
In brief, I will outline some of the potential health benefits that these
three compounds might offer. Although the evidence is sketchy in places, each
compound's tale is interesting in its own right.
Gold
One of the first things that spring to mind when considering gold is its
high price. Its monetary worth means that any health claims about gold should
be approached with caution — it would be of great financial benefit to any
company that could convince us that gold might save our lives.
There's more to gold than its high price.
Because of its high status, gold has been used as a medicine for thousands
of years.
The earliest documented use occurred in China around 2,500 years before
it was presented to the baby Jesus.
In medieval times, and still today, certain outlets promoted the
consumption of gold to alleviate depressive symptoms and migraines, while improving concentration and alertness.
In the 19th century, gold was considered nervine — an agent
that calms the nerves — and it was used to treat diverse conditions ranging
from alcoholism to epilepsy.
Many of the claims made about gold are baseless, but
not all.
Ingesting gold in its standard elemental form has no effect: It is inert
and impervious to the body's digestive juices — in other words, it passes
straight through and out the other side.
Some gold salts, though, can be processed by the body and have
anti-inflammatory properties. Some arthritis drugs include gold salts, such as sodium
aurothiomalate and auranofin.
Gold versus cancer
The isotope gold-198 is used in the treatment of some cancers. Gold is excellent at absorbing X-rays, and
loading tumors with gold can increase radiation therapy's efficiency. This means that less
powerful treatment is needed, minimizing damage to healthy tissue.
One study used an
intriguing approach; the researchers combined a green tea compound
with radioactive gold nanoparticles and used them to attack prostate
cancer.
The tea compound, called epigallocatechin-gallate, is easily absorbed into
tumors, and when radioactive gold is attached to the compound, it gets a free
ride to the heart of the tumor, where it can destroy the cells without damaging other
tissues.
According to the authors, their technique "may
provide significant advances in oncology for use as an effective treatment for
prostate and other solid tumors."
Frankincense
Frankincense is produced from trees of the genus Boswellia. It has an impressive pedigree and has been
traded on the Arabian Peninsula for around 6,000 years.
The aromatic resin is used in incense and perfumes; it produces a sweet,
earthy, and woody aroma.
Today, with a popular focus on well-being and alternative therapies,
essential oils and aromatherapy have given frankincense a rebirth in the West.
Modern peddlers assign it a fair few health claims, including the
reduction of acne, anxiety, colds, ulcers,
coughs, and even indigestion.
Although these claims lack evidence, not all of frankincense's health
benefits can be pooh-poohed out of hand. In 2008, BMJ published a review of seven randomized clinical trials, all of which
investigated the benefits of ingesting frankincense.
The author notes that "all the included trials
had flaws: The most common limitations were small sample size and incomplete
reporting of data."
Anti-inflammatory benefits?
However, there were some potential benefits seen in asthma, rheumatoid
arthritis, Crohn's
disease, knee osteoarthritis, and collagenous colitis, which is a
type of inflammatory bowel disease.
Unfortunately, because there were so few studies to assess, there was
little replication — they were nearly all looking at different conditions.
Frankincense is derived from the sap of
Boswellia trees.
The only exception was osteoarthritis.
The author also mentions the possibility of publication bias, saying that
"complementary medicine journals rarely publish negative results."
On a more positive note, the adverse effects of frankincense appeared to
be minor or nonexistent.
Historically, frankincense has been used as an
anti-inflammatory, and all of the conditions that are covered in the studies
above involve inflammation.
The main active ingredients of frankincense are alpha- and beta-boswellic
acid and some other pentacyclic triterpenic acids. Studies have shown that
these compounds reduce inflammation, so
there may well be some benefits for certain people with inflammatory
conditions.
Still, as the author of the review writes, "The evidence evaluated
here may be encouraging, but it is not convincing."
Is it safe?
Frankincense is widely available as a food additive and supplement and,
because there is no evidence of drug interactions or serious side effects, it
could become the basis of useful treatments in the future.
But as the author of the review dryly notes, "absence of evidence is
not the same as evidence of absence."
The author is also quick to inform the reader that many of the medical and
cosmetic claims made by companies who sell these products "are not
supported by the available evidence." The final words of the review say it
all:
"In
conclusion, it might be tempting to buy 'instant youth' in the form of a
[frankincense] product for Christmas, but sadly the evidence for this claim is
nonexistent."
Myrrh
Myrrh is also a compound derived from trees. It has been produced from the
sap of small, thorny trees belonging to the genus Commiphora for
millennia. Myrrh is most commonly used in perfume, incense, and religious
ceremonies.
This odorous sap was considered medicinal in many parts of the ancient
world. In traditional Chinese medicine, for instance, it was said to have a
number of benefits, including purging stagnant blood from the uterus.
In Ayurvedic medicine, myrrh tonic is considered
rejuvenating.
As with frankincense, myrrh is thought to be anti-inflammatory. It also
appears to be, to some degree, antibacterial. Today,
myrrh is used in many mouthwashes, gargles, and toothpastes.
Myrrh versus cancer
For instance, a study published in 2013 tested compounds derived from myrrh in
the laboratory. The researchers found that the compounds inhibited the
proliferation of prostate cancer cells.
Another study looked specifically at sesquiterpenoids extracted
from myrrh.
Myrrh resin hardens quickly once it is removed
from the tree.
Sesquiterpenoids are compounds widely found in plants and animals. They
often function as defensive chemicals or pheromones.
The researchers found that these compounds inhibited androgen receptor signaling
— a mechanism that supports the growth and migration of prostate cancer.
The authors conclude that "sesquiterpenoids
could be developed as novel therapeutic agents for treating prostate
cancer."
Other scientists believe that myrrh, when added to foods, might help reduce the risk of colon cancer. However, at this stage, not enough is known
about myrrh and its effects on the body to recommend this.
Pain relief and
wound healing
Aside from cancer, one study found that
a mixture of frankincense and myrrh alleviated neuropathic pain in mice.
Again, although this combination has been prescribed for pain for
thousands of years, the evidence is still scant.
Other scientists have investigated myrrh and its potential to speed up
wound healing. A study in mice, for instance, found that Commiphora extract promoted the migration of
fibroblasts — cells vital to the healing process. The authors write that myrrh
"might be effective in wound healing."
Another study investigated
the application of sage and myrrh oil to wounded rabbits. These authors also
found that wound healing was "accelerated."
As it stands, though, the evidence is patchy at best, and more work will
be needed before firm conclusions can be reached.
Also, we should mention that myrrh compounds appear to be antioxidants, but, since there is no evidence that antioxidant supplements have any benefits, we won't spend
too much time on it.
Final word
If nothing else, I hope that you have learned a smattering of
"interesting" facts to fall back on, should the conversation around
the Christmas tree dry up. I also hope that this article has enveloped in you a
strange, slightly medical Christmassy feeling.
No comments:
Post a Comment