Most people associate frankincense with the story of the three wise men who visited the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. But now the aromatic substance has a new claim to fame: Frankincense can kill cancer cells.
Researchers from Leichester University have discovered that a compound extracted from frankincense, acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA), kills cells from advanced ovarian cancer. Even more impressive, the compound killed cells that had been resistant to chemotherapy.
It’s still early in the research phases—this study has not been peer reviewed or replicated
yet—but this could herald a major breakthrough in ovarian cancer treatment. In 2013, there were an estimated 22,240 new cases and 14,030 deaths of ovarian cancer in the United States. Because it’s hard to detect in early stages, ovarian cancer is often beyond treatment by the time it’s diagnosed. If the AKBA treatment is approved for clinical use, it could save many thousands of lives every year in this country alone.
A 2008 study also pointed to frankincense’s cancer-fighting properties. Researchers found that frankincense oil suppressed the growth of the cancerous cells but left healthy bladder cells alone. Researchers conducted the tests in Petri dishes, but they concluded that injecting frankincense oil into patients with bladder cancer could induce death in the cancer cells.
These studies underscore a point that we here at United Patients Group have brought up again and again: natural remedies for even the most life-threatening diseases are out there. We need more research into the incredible compounds made by Mother Nature, and more funding directed toward alternative treatments.
United Patients Group is leading the charge; we have already called on powerful people to
help get funding for research into the cancer-killing effects of cannabis. We fully believe that alternative treatments for cancer are more effective and less expensive than traditional treatments—and they don’t come with the often-horrible side effects.
We’ll be watching the research on frankincense as it develops, and as soon as we hear about the next phase of this research, we’ll be sure to share it with you.
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