Boswellia is a tree that is native to India, Africa, and Arabia. It is commonly used in the traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda.
Olibanum is another word for boswellia. It refers to a resin or "sap" that seeps from openings in the bark of several Boswellia species, including Boswellia serrata, Boswellia carterii, and Boswellia frereana. Of these, Boswellia serrata is most commonly used for medicine.
Boswellia is taken by mouth for brain injury, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, swelling of the fluid-filled pads in the joints (bursitis), and swelling of tendons (tendonitis). It is also taken by mouth for ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease that affects the colon (collagenous colitis), Crohn's disease, and abdominal pain.
It is used for asthma, hay fever, sore throat, syphilis, painful menstruation, pimples, bruises, headache, diabetes, and cancer. Boswellia is also used as a stimulant, to increase urine flow, and for stimulating menstrual flow.
Boswellia is applied to the skin to tone the skin and decrease wrinkles. It is also used to reduce skin damage caused during radiation treatments for cancer.