Boswellia Buyer's Guide

MODERATE EVIDENCE | WELL TOLERATED | BENEFICIAL FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS

Boswellia is a safe option for mild joint pain in osteoarthritis. For athletes, pairing boswellia with turmeric appears to have a benefit for tendinopathy and can be safely used with NSAIDs.

Boswellia has MODERATE EVIDENCE for osteoarthritis (PubMed)(PubMed).

Boswellia has WEAK EVIDENCE for skin health (PubMed).

Certified Products

USP Approved Supplements

There are no USP approved Boswellia supplements.

NSF Approved Supplements

There are no NSF Approved Boswellia supplements.

Informed Sport Approved Supplements

There are no Informed Sport approved Boswellia supplements.

Informed Choice Approved Supplements

There are no Informed Choice approved Boswellia supplements.

Other Good Options

• Life Extension, 5-LOX Inhibitor with ApresFlex, 100 mg, 60 Vegetarian Capsules
• Life Extension, ArthroMax® Advanced, NT2 Collagen™ & ApresFlex®, 60 Capsules
• NOW Foods, Boswellia Extract, 500 mg, 90 Softgels
• Thorne Research, Boswellia Phytosome, 60 Capsules

Other Options for those with dietary limitations

•  Solgar, Boswellia Resin Extract (Standardised, 350 mg, 60 Capsules)

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For Athletes

Verdict

For athletes under doping regulation, there are no tested products available.

For general use: Safe buy. Expect mild benefits. May have synergistic effects with turmeric for improving tendinopathy.

Best Product for Athletes

We can't recommend any boswellia product for athletes at this time. This is because none are tested for banned substances.

For non-athletes, we recommend Life Extension ArthroMax, which also contains collagen, boron and glucosamine sulfate for joint health.

For a single ingredient boswellia product, consider Life Extension Apresflex.

How to take 

Take 100-250 mg per day.

Warnings

May cause allergic skin reactions.

For Healthcare Practitioners

Mechanism of Action

Boswellia serrata consists of bark, leaf and gum resin, with the gum resin being the most commonly used in supplements. The active ingredients in boswellia are boswellic acid, alpha-boswellic acid and beta-boswellic acid (PubMed)(PubMed). In supplements, boswellia is standardised to 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid (AKBA) form (PubMed). The gum resin also contains p-cymene and alpha-thujene oils, phenyl propanoids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds.

For arthritis:
Boswellia contains boswellic acids, specifically AKBA, that inhibit 5-lipoxygenase and reduce leukotriene synthesis to reduce inflammation and pain (PubMed)(PubMed). Boswellic acid may decrease cartilage damage and glycosaminoglycan degradation. Boswellic acid may also reduce enzymes involved in arthritis, including glycohydrolase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase and beta-glucuronidase (PubMed)(PubMed)(PubMed). A double-blind RCT found that 100mg of 20% AKBA (Aflapin) was able to reduce osteoarthritis symptoms in 30 days (PubMed).
 

Boswellia may improve symptoms of tendinopathy, and is comparable to acetaminophen in reducing musculoskeletal pain when combined with turmeric (PubMed)(PubMed).

Interactions

Drug Interactions

CYTOCHROME P450 SUBSTRATES
Boswellia serrata may increase the levels of these medications.

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS
Boswellia may affect the mechanism of action of immunosuppressive drugs.