This week, we will continue our examination of the active ingredients in Itis, a new supplement formulated to target inflammation due to Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia, and the chronic infections that typically accompany such conditions.
Our focus today is on boswellia serrata, a plant that is indigenous to India and areas of Pakistan. Boswellia extract has been shown to inhibit the production of a group of pro-inflammatory enzymes–called lipoxygenases–in addition to the activation of nuclear factor-kappaB, a key transcription factor in the inflammatory response. In a recent study of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), boswellia proved effective in reducing painful swelling, increasing range of motion, and significantly decreasing measurements of Crohn’s disease activity. Similar studies have demonstrated boswellia’s effectiveness in reducing brain inflammation, the implications of which are particularly exciting for patients with impaired cognitive function, commonly referred to as “brain fog.”
In the next post, we will examine the role of tumeric root extract (curcumin) in preventing inflammation.
http://www.altmedrev.com/publications/13/2/165.pdf