Medicinal use of Chios Mastiha / Mastic Gum

Medicinal use   of   Chios Mastiha

Mastic  Mastiha shrub — Pistacia Lentiscus  var. Chia

Mastic has been used as a medicine since antiquity and is still used in traditional folk medicine of the Middle East. In Ancient Greece it was given as a remedy for snakebite, and in India and Persia was used to fill dental cavities. The first century Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides mentions the healing properties of mastic in his book De Materia Medica. Hippocrates wrote that the mastic is good for prevention of digestive problems and colds and Galenus suggested mastic was useful for bronchitis and improving the condition of the blood. For more everyday applications, mastic was highly valued in medieval times by sultans’ harems, as a breath freshener and tooth whitener.    Mastic contains antioxidants, and also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. A Nottingham University study published in the New England Journal of Medicine claims that mastic can cure peptic ulcers by killing Helicobacter pylori bacteria. Other studies have indicated mastic has only a modest ability to eliminate H. pylori, but also suggested that refining mastic by removing the polymer poly-β-myrcene may make the active components, in particular isomasticadienolic acid more available and effective. Mastic may also have some value in preventing tooth decay and gingivitis as chewing mastic reduces oral bacteria levels.   Regular consumption of mastic has been proven to absorb cholesterol, thus easing high blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attacks. Mastic oil is widely used in the preparation of ointments for skin disorders and afflictions.   It is also used in the manufacture of adhesive bandages.
Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org

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