Myrrh, about which we normally know little other than that it is one of the three gifts that the Three Wise Men of the East brought to Jesus at his birth, is a powerful resin with wide medicinal usesespecially for its useful properties in the care of the mouth and teeth.

From the myrrh tree Commiphora molmol Engl. (Commiphora myrrha (Ness) Engl.) you get the medicinal resinto which different properties and applications are attributed, as we will soon see. Its essential oil is also used in aromatherapy.

The tree is, in reality, a large, thorny shrub, of the same botanical family as incensethe burseraceae, which can rise up to 4 meters high, with gnarled branches, leaves divided into three unequal lobes and small white or pink flowers grouped in conical inflorescences.

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Myrrh is native to the northeast of the African continent, from Ethiopia and Djibouti to Tanzania. There are different very related species, such as Madagascar myrrh wave scented myrrh C. erythraea.

Myrrh: properties

The resin is used from myrrh, which is obtained by incision from its trunk and branches. It is a yellowish resinvery viscous and also very aromaticwhich comes to take very diverse forms when harvested, such as prisms, cubes, sheets, granules or drops. In some African countries, they are sold as «tears» of myrrh.

Myrrh resin contains, in fact, gumresins composed of comphoric acids, esters, proteins and carbohydrates such as xylose and arabinose, among others; an essential oil with germacran derivatives, eugenol, humulene, caryophyllene, guayan and other volatile substances of a different nature; and also phytosterols, bitter principles, sesquiterpene alcohols (elemol), formic and acetic acids.

Among the properties of myrrh the following stand out:

• Antiseptic and antibacterial properties
• analgesic properties
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Expectorant, febrifuge and antispasmodic properties
• Astringent, healing and vulnerary properties (which promote the healing of sores and wounds)
• Emmenagogue properties (which promote menstruation)

What is myrrh used for?

Due to its properties, these benefits and applications are mainly attributed to myrrh:

Myrrh for mouth care

Myrrh shows a powerful antibacterial and analgesic effectso it is used to combat bacterial infections which are located in dental plaque and in the mucous membranes of the mouth or gums. Specifically it is used for:

• Relieve the dental pain and the inflammation.
• Reduce gum inflammation moderate gingivitis and stop the bleeding.
• Cure thrush mouth ulcers, sores on the walls of the mouth and inflammation of the tongue.
• Relieve pain after tooth extraction.

In the form of a rinse or mouthwashmyrrh can also be used to neutralize infectious foci in the upper respiratory tract, such as tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

Myrrh for digestive problems

Remedies with myrrh have been intended to relieve gastrointestinal spasmsthe diarrhea and the ulcerative colitisin multipurpose treatments.

It has also been recommended to facilitate the expulsion of intestinal parasites, as support in conventional treatments.

As for the myrrh essential oilhave been tested for the treatment of different bacterial infections located in the digestive tract, such as those produced by bacterial strains of the genera Escherizia, Enterobater, Staphylococcus and Bacillus. For this use, it is It is essential to have advice from a specialist doctor.

myrrh for skin

Natural remedies are prepared with myrrh for repair skin affected by infections after bites of insects, in minor burns and scalds, bruises and minor bleeding.

Other uses

Some sources attribute to myrrh a slight hypoglycemic effectuseful to incorporate as support in antidiabetic treatments.

How myrrh is used for medicinal purposes

Myrrh is part, as an ingredient, of many elixirs, toothpastes and mouthwashes. We can also use it in the following presentations:

• The powdered myrrh decoction for digestive problems.
• The decoction of myrrh in powder or granules, applied in a rinse or mouthwash, to reduce inflammation and disinfect the respiratory tract, in pharyngitis and laryngitis; or to treat inflammation in the oral mucosa and to stop bleeding gums.
• The myrrh tinctureavailable in herbalists, to apply in washes or gargles in the treatment of different dental and oral ailments.
• He liquid myrrh extract in mouthwashes.
• He myrrh essential oil for the treatment of digestive infections, as a support to conventional treatments.

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Home remedies with myrrh

We tell you how to prepare a mouthwash for thrush and gingivitis, as well as an analgesic infusion for toothache.

Mouthwash with myrrh

This mouthwash can be used to treat canker sores, mouth ulcers and gingivitis.

• Ingredients: Myrrh, ratany, plantain, sage and loosestrife, all of them in the form of liquid extract (about 5 g of each).
• Preparation: Mix the different extracts well and add about 50 g of molasses or cane honey to form the mouthwash.
• How to use it: It is applied by dabbing on the affected area or as a complete mouth rinse, up to three times a day.

Infusion for toothache

This herbal tea is used for its analgesic properties, in the form of a rinse.

• Ingredients: Powdered myrrh, ratany, poppy, oregano, cloves and marshmallow.
• Preparation: Mix all the plants in approximately equal parts except the cloves, and add two tablespoons of this mixture plus two cloves for every half liter of water. Boil for 5 minutes and let it cool for a couple more minutes.
• How to use it: Once well filtered, it is applied in complete mouth rinse as long as the pain persists.

Precautions and contraindications

To use myrrh in antidiabetic treatments, you must necessarily have the approval from the doctor who takes you. The myrrh lowers blood sugar levelsso you have to be pay attention to possible imbalances.

Myrrh should be taken in weighted doses, and always avoid high doses, in any case.

He myrrh essential oil is contraindicated in pregnancyin the lactationin children under 12 years oldin people with liver or heart failure and in patients with neurological pathologies diverse.

Myrrh: spiritual and magical use

The history and myth surrounding myrrh are well known. When the Three Wise Men of the East passed through Bethlehem to pay their respects to the newborn Jesus of Nazareth, they brought him three products as a gift, gold, frankincense and myrrhas recorded in an episode from the Old Testament.

This aromatic resin has been used since ancient times in funeral rituals, to embalm pharaohs in the Ancient Egyptas an offering to the god Ra, but also in initiation rituals and in sumptuous weddings of Antiquity. Myrrh – often referred to as myrrh incense – is believed to ward off evil spirits and neutralize negative perceptions, in magic ceremonies.

On the other hand, the myrrh in censers or dispersersit is considered that facilitates meditation and helps connect with the sphere of the sacred.

By Jordi Cebrián, journalist specialized in phytotherapy