Mastic: benefits, dosage, contraindications
Other name(s)
Mastic tree, mastic, Chios mastic
Scientific name(s)
Pistacia lentiscus
Family or group:
Plants
Active ingredients:
Triterpenic acids
Indications
Scoring methodology
EFSA approval.
Digestive disorders ✪✪✪✪✪
Clinical research conducted with adults suffering from functional dyspepsia (digestive disorders without an apparent cause) indicates that consuming 350 mg of mastic gum orally, three times a day for three weeks helps relieve symptoms. Participants notably reported a reduction in stomach pain and heartburn, as well as a potential improvement in gastroesophageal reflux symptoms.
Posologie
Oral: gum, resin
1050 mg
powder, dry extract
Is Chios mastic gum effective in the treatment of functional dyspepsia? A prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Chios mastic gum (Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia, Anacardiaceae): A review
Gastric ulcer ✪✪✪✪✪
Clinical research conducted in adults with duodenal ulcers shows that taking mastic powder at a dose of 1 g per day orally for 2 weeks improves symptoms and ulcer healing compared with placebo. In addition, preliminary clinical research shows that taking mastic powder at a dose of 1 g twice a day for 4 weeks may help improve symptoms and ulcer healing in patients with a gastric ulcer.
Posologie
Oral: gum, resin
1 - 2 g
powder, dry extract
Gastroesophageal reflux ✪✪✪✪✪
Mastic gum has been found to be beneficial in the management of gastroesophageal reflux, providing notable relief of symptoms such as heartburn. Its use may help improve the quality of life of people suffering from this common digestive condition.
Posologie
Oral: gum, resin
1050 mg
powder, dry extract
Is Chios mastic gum effective in the treatment of functional dyspepsia? A prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial
Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Chios mastic gum (Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia, Anacardiaceae): A review
Crohn's disease ✪✪✪✪✪
Preliminary clinical research shows that taking 2.22 g of mastic per day for 4 weeks improves symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss and non-gastrointestinal symptoms by 39% compared with baseline values in patients with active Crohn's disease. The validity of these results is limited by the absence of a control group.
Posologie
Oral: gum, resin
2 g
powder, dry extract
Helicobacter pylori infection ✪✪✪✪✪
Initial clinical studies indicate that consumption of mastic gum, at doses of 0.35 or 1.05 g three times a day for two weeks, eliminated the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in about one-third of patients, five weeks after the end of treatment. However, it is important to note that the use of mastic gum alone, or in combination with pantoprazole, a stomach medication, was less effective at eradicating H. pylori than the use of a standard combination of pantoprazole, amoxicillin and clarithromycin, drugs commonly used to treat this infection.
Posologie
By mouth: gum, resin
1 - 3 g
powder, dry extract
Wound ✪✪✪✪✪
Mastic gum is traditionally used for the symptomatic treatment of minor skin inflammations and as an aid to healing minor wounds. Used in semi-solid preparations containing 9-11% of the powdered plant material to be applied in a thin layer to the affected area up to 3 times a day.
Posologie
Topical: gum, resin
poultice, cream
Properties
Antimicrobial
There is in vitro evidence of the antibacterial and antifungal activity of mastic extract. In humans, chewing mastic gum has antibacterial effects in the mouth and can reduce the growth of certain pathogens that cause cavities and tooth decay. It could therefore be used as a natural alternative product for the prevention of periodontitis. Mastic gum also has antibacterial effects against Helicobacter pylori. Several studies have shown its potential effectiveness in eliminating many other foodborne pathogens and microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus plantarum, Pseudomonas fragi, and Salmonella enteritidis.
Usages associés
Anti-inflammatory
The anti-inflammatory properties of mastic gum may explain its various health benefits. In animal experiments, mastic gum has been observed to reduce inflammation associated with conditions such as edema (swelling caused by fluid accumulation) and asthma. This reduction in inflammation appears to be due to decreased levels of certain proteins (cytokines) and enzymes that contribute to inflammatory responses, as well as reduced activity of neutrophils and eosinophils, two types of immune cells involved in inflammatory processes. Moreover, a pilot study in patients with Crohn's disease showed encouraging results. After four weeks of treatment with mastic capsules (six capsules per day, each capsule containing 370 mg of mastic), there was a significant decrease in the disease activity index as well as plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), two markers of inflammation.
Usages associés
Beneficial role of Pistacia lentiscus aqueous extract in experimental colitis: anti-inflammatory and potential therapeutic effects
Gastroprotective
Mastic gum has been studied for its potential beneficial effects in the prevention of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Some researchers suggest that mastic may have antisecretory properties, that is, it may help reduce the production of gastric juices. In addition, mastic may have cytoprotective effects, meaning that it could protect the cells of the gastric mucosa from damage. Studies in animal models indicate that mastic may protect this mucosa, particularly during treatments with stomach-irritating drugs such as aspirin, although this effect has not yet been confirmed in humans. Mastic gum also shows antibacterial effects against Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium often associated with gastrointestinal disorders, which may contribute to its stomach-protective properties. Human studies have shown that mastic can help alleviate the symptoms of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. This efficacy may be due to a reduction in the production of inflammatory cytokines, proteins that play a key role in inflammatory processes. In patients, mastic intake has been associated with a decrease in fecal lysozyme, an important marker for the diagnosis and assessment of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases.
Usages associés
Safe dosage
Adults (18 years and older): 1 g - 2 g
- Single dose: 0.5-1 g, twice a day - Daily dose: 1-2 g
Precautions
Pregnant women: avoid
Insufficient data.
Breastfeeding women: avoid
Insufficient data.
Children: avoid
Insufficient data.
