Supplement · Grade B

Boswellia and medications.

Not yet catalogued in the Distil interactions database. We surface that distinction explicitly.

Boswellia is in the Distil supplement database, evidence Grade B. The page below lists every medication we have explicitly assessed it against.

Boswellia, standardised to its active boswellic acid AKBA, works through 5-lipoxygenase inhibition, a different anti-inflammatory route to curcumin's NF-kB pathway and omega-3's prostaglandin effects, which is why the three are often combined. Doses are 100 to 250mg of AKBA at 30 to 40 percent strength, or 900 to 1,200mg of standard boswellia. The Grade B evidence is strongest for osteoarthritis pain and physical function, with one well-known trial reporting improvement within a week at the higher dose, plus support for IBD, back pain and asthma where the same pathway is relevant. It is generally very well tolerated, with mild stomach upset the main complaint. On interactions, there is only a theoretical mild blood-thinning effect at high doses, so anticoagulant users should be mindful, but its antiplatelet potency is rated negligible to low, well below omega-3 or ginkgo. It pairs naturally with curcumin and omega-3 for joint and inflammation goals. A reasonable, low-risk option for joint discomfort.

We have not yet completed an explicit assessment of medications for Boswellia in the Distil interactions database. We surface this distinction deliberately: the Distil checker tells you when we have explicitly assessed a pair and when we have not, because both are useful information. If you take Boswellia alongside a medication, the checker below will surface anything already in our database, and the missing-item form at the bottom of the page routes uncatalogued pairs into our next curation pass.

What this list does not say. Pairs not flagged here are not implicitly safe. They are either not yet in our database, or fall outside our inclusion scope. Use the checker below to surface any medication, and submit a missing item if you take something we have not catalogued.

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For adults over 18. This tool gives evidence-graded information, not medical advice. Always discuss changes with your GP, especially if you take any medication, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a serious health condition.

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Your supplements

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Your medications

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How we decide

How we grade severity, choose what's in scope, and what we exclude.

Every call on this page is reasoned. We publish the full rubric for severity tiers, the medication inclusion logic, the evidence grades we accept, and what we deliberately leave out. About three thousand words. Worth reading once if you use this tool more than occasionally.

Read the full methodology

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If a supplement or medication you take isn't in our autocomplete, tell us. We go through what people flag every week and add what's missing.

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Distil's interactions database is reviewed and updated every quarter. We grade evidence transparently and publish our methodology, including every database change, at /about/methodology. This tool is information, not a substitute for clinical judgement. If you take medication and supplements together, your GP or pharmacist can review your full regimen against your medical history. If you want a full personalised stack reasoned against this same database, the Distil report is the next step up.