Frankincense (Supplement) for Respiratory Health

Research suggests that frankincense has been noted in broader reviews of herbal and complementary approaches to respiratory health, though the available evidence specifically supporting its use for respiratory conditions is limited and largely contextual. The two studies available here are both review articles — one from 2002 examining a wide range of complementary therapies for conditions like asthma, allergic rhinitis, and COPD, and one from 2021 focusing on botanicals in the context of immune support and respiratory viral infections — neither of which focused specifically on frankincense as a primary subject of investigation. Studies indicate that while certain botanicals and complementary approaches show some promise for respiratory health, the overall body of evidence remains preliminary, and reviewers consistently emphasize the need for more rigorous, long-term clinical research before strong conclusions can be drawn. Readers should be aware that the current evidence base does not allow for firm conclusions about frankincense specifically for respiratory health, and these findings should be interpreted with that limitation in mind.