Christmastime.  I love this time of year.  A time to gather ‘round friends and neighbors and bask in the joyousness that the yuletide season brings.  The carolers singing, the jingle bells ringing, the gift giving…it doesn’t get any better.

Of course, the reason for the gift giving is to commemorate Jesus’ birth, for the three wise men brought him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

And while gold and frankincense are no doubt on many a Christmas list this year, save some room for myrrh.  Because according to new research, myrrh has cholesterol-lowering properties.

Before we get into the details of the study, it might be good to know just what myrrh is.

Myrrh is basically dried sap that comes off of several types of trees.  But before you go running for the nearest weeping willow, you won’t find myrrh seeping from any trees in your neck of the woods.  The only place you’ll find it is in Middle-Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Ethiopia.

For centuries people have been using myrrh for all sorts of health issues.  After processing, it’s used for anything from tooth aches, arthritis pain, menopause symptoms, healing of bruises, and relieving of cold symptoms.

But myrrh can also be used to help lower cholesterol levels.

Nadia Saleh Al-Amoudi of Al-Aziz University illustrated myrrh’s cholesterol-cutting capability after feeding animals a combination of plant derivatives like myrrh resin, halfa and fenu greek seed powder.  She then measured the animals’ blood concentration levels for cholesterol (HDL, LDL and VLDL) and triglycerides before and after the study.

When these plant derivatives were combined with their normal diet, all the animals’ cholesterol levels fell.  Triglycerides levels also fell.

High cholesterol is a problem for many Americans, often (but not always) due to their diet.  High cholesterol increases the risk of artery blockage, which influences how at risk someone is for the Triple H (heart attack, heart disease, and hypertension).  An estimated 107 million people living in the United States have high cholesterol.

Thankfully, cholesterol levels are successfully lowered through simple diet changes and supplementation.  You should already be well aware of the proper diet changes to make (e.g.  More fruits and vegetables, more fiber from whole grains, less meat-eating, etc.), but you may not be aware of what supplements to take.

Several supplement companies have myrrh oil supplements, like Nature’s Alchemy and NOW.  But there are other supplements to consider as well.

Apple pectin helps to lower cholesterol by binding fats.  Pectin is very high in fiber and is known for its cholesterol-lowering properties.  Another great choice is chromium picolinate.  Chromium picolinate has a range of usages (e.g. anti-depressant, reducing insulin resistance) and one of them is in the cholesterol realm.

Finally, the go-to supplement of them all, garlic.  Garlic is so multifaceted in its ability to heal so many health problems.

So, if you still have room left on your Christmas list, you might want to consider asking Santa for some miracle myrrh.  It was a precious offering as the first gift; its health properties make it just as precious a gift today.

Sources
en.wikipedia.org
sciencedaily.com
60daystolowercholesterol.com
Balch, Phyllis A. “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.” 4th Edition. New York: Avery