The Safety of Boswellia

Also called Indian frankincense, boswellia is a resin obtained from a plant. Despite its use in alternative medicine to treat conditions like asthma, arthritis and Crohn's disease, boswellia has the potential to pose side effects in some patients.

Background

• Boswellia is used both orally as a dietary supplement and topically as a skin cream. The long-term effects of boswellia are unknown, but the resin is generally considered safe as most of its side effects don't usually pose any serious health risks.

Types of Side Effects

• Oral boswellia has the potential to cause abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea, while topical preparations of the herb sometimes cause skin rashes.

Risks

• Some patients develop serious allergic reactions to boswellia, causing shortness of breath, wheezing and chest pain, reports the Physicians Desktop Reference. Because allergic reactions have the potential to be life-threatening in some cases, seek medical attention if you experience any sign of a hypersensitivity to boswellia.

Expert Insight

• The National Center for Complementary and Alternative and Medicine cautions that it's unknown whether boswellia is safe when taken in combination with prescription medications.

Considerations

• If you are pregnant or nursing or have a history of gastritis, it may not be safe for you to take boswellia, cautions the Physicians Desktop Reference.