Inflammation is one of today’s hot topics in health and wellness. One of the best products to reduce inflammation in the body is boswellia. It can be used safely every day to bring inflammation and oxidation into balance which can aid sufferers of a wide variety of ailments, including asthma, arthritis pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and cancer.

Boswellia is a tree that is native to India and its resin is harvested to make supplements. Frankincense and boswellia are sometimes used interchangeably as they are both subtypes of the Boswellia tree. They produce different medicinal components. Frankincense is used to refer to essential oil and boswellia the oral extract.

Many people associate inflammation with joint pain but it can be the source of many diseases in the body. Inflammation at the cellular level often occurs in a particular inflammation pathway called 5-LOX (5-lipoxygenase). 5-LOX inflammation is associated with allergies, COPD, arthritis, IBS, Crohn's disease and colitis. Boswellia is a great option for reducing inflammation in the lungs, helping reduce the symptoms of asthma and allergies. Inflammation can also damage brain cells and create conditions that promote Alzheimer’s. Boswellia has been shown to increase neuronal volume and boost learning and memory.

Problematic digestion can be caused by inflammatory triggers and boswellia can stop these triggers and aid in healing. When it comes to joints, boswellia doesn't mask the pain, it actually helps joints heal faster and keeps inflammatory damage from getting worse. Boswellia is one of the few botanical ingredients that has the ability to fight 5-LOX inflammation, even more so than the anti-inflammatory super stopper curcumin. As an added bonus, unlike conventional drugs, boswellia has virtually no side effects.

Join Mastel’s Health Foods in celebrating their 50th anniversary. Drop in and allow their experienced and very knowledgeable staff to help determine if boswellia is right for you.

Alina Hornfeldt is marketing manager at Mastel’s. Find her work at Instagram.com/MastelsHealthFoods.

Mastel’s is located at 1526 St. Clair Ave., St Paul. For more information, call 651-690-1692 or visit Mastels.com.