Some essential oils improve health by improving the vitamin D receptor

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Assessment of endocrine disruption potential of essential oils of culinary herbs and spices involving glucocorticoid, androgen and vitamin D receptors - March 2018

Food & Function 9(3), DOI: 10.1039/C7FO02058A
Iveta BartonkovaIveta moulin at email.cz, Zdenek Dvorak
Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic

Essential oils (EOs) of culinary herbs and spices are consumed on common bases. They are multicomponent mixtures of compounds with already demonstrated biological activities. Taking in account regular dietary intake and the chemical composition of EOs, these may be candidates for endocrine disrupting entities. Therefore, we examined the effects of 31 EOs of culinary herbs and spices on the transcriptional activities of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), androgen receptor (AR) and vitamin D receptor (VDR). Using reporter gene assays in stably transfected cell lines, weak anti-androgen and anti-glucocorticoid activity was observed for EO of vanilla and nutmeg, respectively.
Moderate augmentation of calcitriol-dependent VDR activity was caused by EOs of

• ginger,
• thyme,
• coriander
• lemongrass.

Mixed anti-glucocorticoid and VDR-stimulatory activities were displayed by EOs of

• turmeric,
• oregano,
• dill,
• caraway,
• verveine and
• spearmint.

Remaining 19 EOs were inactive against all receptors under investigation. Analyses of GR, AR and VDR target genes by the means of RT-PCR confirmed VDR-stimulatory, but not anti-glucocorticoid and anti-androgen effects of EOs. In conclusion, while we observed minor effects of several EOs on transcriptional activities of GR, AR and VDR, the toxicological significance is very low. Hence, 31 EOs of culinary herbs and spices may be considered safe, in terms of endocrine disruption involving receptors GR, AR and VDR.

# = not tested. VitaminDWiki wonders why

Essential Oils Tested (did not include Frankincense - see below)

• basil (Ocimum basilicum-, flowering top),
• bay leaf (Laurus nobilis-, leaf),
• black pepper (Piper nigrum-, fruit),
• caraway (Carum carvi-, seed),
• cardamom (Elletaria cardamomum-, fruit),
• cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicumlverum; bark),
• cloves (Eugenia caryophyllus-, bud),
• coriander (Coriandrum sativum-, leaf),
• cornmint (Mentha arvensis-, flower),
• cumin (Cuminum cyminum; fruit),
• dill (Anethum graveolens-, fruit),
• fennel (Foeniculum vulgare-, flowering top),
• ginger (Zingiber officinale-, rhizome)
• jasmine (Jasminum officinalis; blossom),
• juniper (Juniperus communis ssp communis-, twig and berries),
• lemongrass (Cymbopogon citra- tus-, flower),
• lovage (Levisticum officinale-, root);
• marjoram (Origanum majorana-, flowering top),
• nutmeg (Myristica fragrans-, fruit),
• oregano (Origanum compactum; flowering top),
• peppermint (Menthax piperita-, flower),
• rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ct cineole; flowering top),
• sage (Salvia officinalis-, flowering top),
• spearmint (Mentha spicata-, flower),
• star anise (Illicium verum\ fruit),
• tarragon (Artemisia dra- nunculus; flowering top),
• thyme (Thymus vulgaris ct thymol; flowering top),
• turmeric (Curcuma longa-, root),
  Note: reported in 2010
• vanilla (Vanilla fragrans Auct-, oleoresine), and
• verveine (Lippia citriodora-, leaf),

The paper can be read after activation a 2 week free trial to DeepDive
The founder of VitaminDWiki has had a DeepDive account since about 2014

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This Essential Oils study was found as a result of following up on Frankincense article in Mercola

Top 11 Reasons to Start Using Frankincense Oil Jan 2019
The study identified many help benefits of Frankincense
The benefits seemed to be a subset of Vitamin D benefits
Searching for Frankincense and "Vitamin D" or "Vitamin D Receptor" did not quickly find any results.
However, when searching for "Essential Oils" and Vitamin D" I found the paper on this page

• "Frankincense essential oil — commonly referred to as the King of Oils — is made from the resin of either the Boswellia sacra or Boswellia carterii tree"
• "Substances found in frankincense essential oil have been scientifically shown to speed wound healing, reduce inflammation and stress, boost immune function, improve oral and uterine health, treat respiratory issues and digestive disorders, promote sleep and fight cancer"
• "Several studies have demonstrated that alpha-pinene, a bioactive ingredient in frankincense oil, induces cell death in cancer cells, including malignant melanoma cells, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer cells"
• "Its main chemical constituents are alpha-pinene, octanol, linalool, octyl acetate, bornyl acetate, incensole and incensyl acetate. Monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes are thought to be the most valuable elements of frankincense oil"

Frankincense Health Benefits
1. Speeding up wound healing8
2. Fight the appearance of stretch marks, age spots and wrinkles9
3. Reducing inflammation and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis10 and bronchial asthma11,12
4. Reducing stress hormones13,14
5. Boosting immune function15,16
6. Improving oral health by preventing bad breath, cavities, toothaches, mouth sores and other infections17,18
7. Supporting uterine health in women by regulating estrogen production. It also helps regulate the menstrual cycle in premenopausal women19
8. Treating respiratory issues such as colds, allergies, asthma and bronchitis by reducing phlegm buildup and congestion20
9. Promoting sleep21
10. Improving digestion and treating digestive disorders such as chronic colitis, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease22
11. Fighting cancer23,24,25,26,27,28

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Effects of Frankincense Compounds on Infection, Inflammation, and Oral Health - Aug 2019

Natural compounds, in recent years, have attracted significant attention for their use in the prevention and treatment of diverse chronic diseases as they are devoid of major toxicities. Boswellic acid (BA), a series of pentacyclic triterpene molecules, is isolated from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata and Boswellia carteri. It proved to be one such agent that has exhibited efficacy against various chronic diseases like arthritis, diabetes, asthma, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, etc. The molecular targets attributed to its wide range of biological activities include transcription factors, kinases, enzymes, receptors, growth factors, etc. The present review is an attempt to demonstrate the diverse pharmacological uses of BA, along with its underlying molecular mechanism of action against different ailments. Further, this review also discusses the roadblocks associated with the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of this promising compound and strategies to overcome those limitations for developing it as an effective drug for the clinical management of chronic diseases.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Includes link to studies of the following diseases
Arthritis
RA-derived bone loss disease
Alzheimer's disease
Asthma
Atherosclerosis
Breast cancer
Bladder cancer
Brain cancer
Cervical cancer
Colon cancer
Cognitive impairment
Ehrlich tumor
Glioma
Glioblastoma Myeloid
Leukemia
Liver cancer
Lung cancer
Melanoma Meningioma
Myocardial injury
Pancreatic Cancer
Parkinson’s Disease
Prostate cancer
Psoriasis
Pulmonary arterial hypertension
Chikungunya (virus)
Diabetes
Ischemia-reperfusion
Gastric injury’
Gastric ulcer
Hepatic injury
Hepatotoxicity
HSV-1 infection
Lleocecal adenocarcinoma
Renal intestinal fibrosis
Urogenital toxicity
Neuroinflammation

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Alternate name for Frankincense = Boswell...

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An Update on Pharmacological Potential of Boswellic Acids against Chronic Diseases - Aug 2019

Natural compounds, in recent years, have attracted significant attention for their use in the prevention and treatment of diverse chronic diseases as they are devoid of major toxicities. Boswellic acid (BA), a series of pentacyclic triterpene molecules, is isolated from the gum resin of Boswellia serrata and Boswellia carteri. It proved to be one such agent that has exhibited efficacy against various chronic diseases like arthritis, diabetes, asthma, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, etc. The molecular targets attributed to its wide range of biological activities include transcription factors, kinases, enzymes, receptors, growth factors, etc. The present review is an attempt to demonstrate the diverse pharmacological uses of BA, along with its underlying molecular mechanism of action against different ailments. Further, this review also discusses the roadblocks associated with the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of this promising compound and strategies to overcome those limitations for developing it as an effective drug for the clinical management of chronic diseases.
 Download the PDF from VitaminDWiki
Study was cited 175 times as of Nov 2023

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Reviving the Ancient Healing Wisdom of Frankincense (Boswellia) - Nov 2023

GreedMedInfo

• "A few of its best known therapeutic roles today include treating chronic health conditions like asthma, arthritis, cancer, and gastrointestinal issues. It has also been shown to reduce edema (swelling) from brain tumors after patients underwent radiotherapy"
• "Boswellia has also proven to be efficacious in other chronic illnesses like inflammatory bowel diseases. Collagenous colitis, which falls under the IBD umbrella, is characterized by chronic diarrhea and is typically treated with a polypharmacy approach."

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The risk of 40 diseases at least double with poor Vitamin D Receptor as of July 2019

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VitaminDWiki - Vitamin D Receptor table shows what increases VDR activation

Compensate for poor VDR by increasing one or more:

Increasing	Increases
1) Vitamin D supplement  Sun Ultraviolet -B	Vitamin D in the blood and thus in the cells
2) Magnesium	Vitamin D in the blood  AND in the cells
3) Omega-3	Vitamin D in the cells
4) Resveratrol	Vitamin D Receptor
5) Intense exercise	Vitamin D Receptor
6) Get prescription for VDR activator    paricalcitol, maxacalcitol?	Vitamin D Receptor
7) Quercetin (flavonoid)	Vitamin D Receptor
8) Zinc is in the VDR	Vitamin D Receptor
9) Boron	Vitamin D Receptor ?, etc
10) Essential oils e.g. ginger, curcumin	Vitamin D Receptor
11) Progesterone	Vitamin D Receptor
12) Infrequent high concentration Vitamin D Increases the concentration gradient	Vitamin D Receptor
13) Sulfroaphane and perhaps sulfur	Vitamin D Receptor
14) Butyrate especially gut	Vitamin D Receptor
15) Berberine	Vitamin D Receptor

Note: If you are not feeling enough benefit from Vitamin D, you might try increasing VDR activation. You might feel the benefit within days of adding one or more of the above

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