Boswellia and joints
What 4 graded rows on boswellia agree on for joints, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Boswellia page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Boswellia page, with its PubMed record.
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Boswellia and joints
4 rows · 1,910 peopleSplit. 2 rows found an improvement, 1 found no difference and 1 had mixed results.
- BGrade B× 1
- CGrade C× 1
- DGrade D× 2
- Rows
- 4
- Trials
- 22
- People
- 1,910
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade B, is a meta-analysis of 545 people (2020) and found an improvement.
The 2 rows that found an improvement were larger: a median of 303 people, against 120 people for the row that found no difference.
Only the 2 rows that found an improvement include pooled reviews of several trials (1 of 2); the row that found no difference is a single study.
The row that found no difference is newer (2023) than the 2 rows that found an improvement (2010 to 2020).
The best grade is B among the rows that found an improvement, and D among the row that found no difference.
1 row with mixed results is left out of this comparison.
The rows
2 improved · 1 no difference · 1 mixed- BGrade BOsteoarthritis pain and stiffness · Improved
Meta-analysis, 7 studies · n 545 · 2020 · People with osteoarthritis in 7 trials
Varied across trials · Varied across trials
VAS and WOMAC pain, stiffness and function scores improved versus placebo or comparator.
- DGrade DKnee osteoarthritis pain and function · Improved
RCT · n 60 · 2010 · Adults with knee osteoarthritis
100 mg/day · 90 days
Pain and function improved with both extracts versus placebo, from as early as 7 days with Aflapin.
- DGrade DPersistent knee pain in adults over 40 · No difference
RCT · n 120 · 2023 · Adults aged 40 and over with persistent knee discomfort (Spain): boswellia 29, omega-3 31, both 30, placebo 30
4 tablets a day, each 12.5% boswellia extract (mg not stated) · 8 weeks
Only the omega-3 product reduced pain significantly versus placebo; boswellia alone improved sleep latency, and boswellia plus omega-3 improved WOMAC quality of life.
- CGrade CKnee osteoarthritis pain and function (13-trial meta-analysis) · Mixed
Meta-analysis, 13 studies · n 1,185 · 2024 · People with knee osteoarthritis in 13 randomised trials (850 in the WOMAC analysis, 1,185 in the pain-score analysis)
Varied across trials · Varied across trials
Pooled WOMAC (p = 0.0865) and VAS pain scores (p = 0.3966) did not differ significantly from controls because trials varied widely; in the subgroup compared with placebo, WOMAC scores were lower with boswellia.