Unlike aluminum Christmas trees, these herbs have a long running spot in holiday tradition stretching back to biblical times. Even then, people may have been clued into the medical benefits of myrrh, incense, and various spices and foods associated with the holidays. Today, researchers are investigating whether some of these spices do indeed offer precious gifts for our health. Even that candy cane and orange in your stocking may affect your well being, say experts. In their studies, scientists believe that they have found both positive and negative effects of cinnamon, ginger, peppermint, myrrh, cranberries, oranges, garlic, and even gold.
Myrrh is a tall spiny tree found in the Middle East, northeastern Africa, and India.
In ancient Egypt, it was used for embalming and treating leprosy and syphilis. It was even used as a cosmetic. In India, it has been used for 2,000 years for treating hardening of the arteries - a cause of heart disease. Now Phillippe Szapary, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, is studying whether a gummy resin from the myrrh bush can lower cholesterol. In one study, the alternative medicine specialist and his team are using capsules containing gugulipid, an extract of the resin, to test 90 people for their reaction to the substance.