Code: 141

Weight: 0.05kg

The gummy extract of Pistacia lentiscus, also known as mastic, has been shown in two double blind studies to heal peptic ulcers. Mastic has been shown to kill antibiotic-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori.

MASTIC PROVIDES A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO FIGHTING BACTERIA
The use of mastic as an antimicrobial agent may provide part of the solution to this problem. The ancient plant extract offers a new and potentially valuable alternative for dealing with the steadily growing population of "super" bacteria. When mastic-leaf extracts were tested on a range of pathogenic microorganisms, they were found to reduce the colonies of various species significantly.⁴

In addition to being effective against many different strains of the ulcer-causing bacterium H. pylori, mastic also inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus (a common cause of skin infections) and E. coli (a common cause of food poisoning). Mastic has also been found to inhibit the growth of other dangerous bacteria, such as Salmonella enteritidis, Pseudomonas fragi, and Sarcina lutea.⁴In addition, mastic extracts were found to have antifungal properties and to destroy such harmful species as Candida albicans (a common cause of fungal infections of the skin and mucous membranes).

When mastic-leaf extracts were
tested on a range of bacteria, they
were found to reduce the colonies
of various species significantly.

Mastic also has antioxidant properties deriving from a class of chemical compounds called phenolics, which are found in the leaves as well as the resin of the mastic tree.⁸Studies have shown that mastic's antibacterial and antifungal effects are related to these compounds, and it has been suggested that the phenolics may disrupt the enzyme systems involved in the production of energy for both bacteria and yeasts (which are fungi). Phenolics also damage microbes by altering their structural components.⁹We know from other studies that mastic is effective against H. pylori because it creates a chink in the bacterium's armor, its cell wall.¹⁰Traditional antibiotics generally work by preventing the synthesis of bacterial cell walls or by interfering with the bacterium's protein and nucleic acid metabolism. Because mastic's antibiotic properties work on entirely different principles, they provide a whole new line of defense.

Mastic Gum has a fascinating history which is being backed up by modern scientific research carried out at Barnet General Hospital, UK and University Hospital, Nottingham, UK and reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, Ref: www.nutricology.com/newsletter/masticgum.htm., Ref: Huwez FU, Al-Habbal MJ. Mastic in treatment of benign gastric ulcers. Gastroenterol Japon 1986; 21:273-4. No undesirable effects have ever been attributed to Mastic Gum.

References

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2. Scannapieco FA, Genco RJ. Association of periodontal infections with atherosclerotic and pulmonary diseases. J Periodontal Res 1999 Oct;34(7):340­-5.
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4. Iauk L, Ragusa S, Rapisarda A, Franco S, Nicholosi VM. In vitro antimicrobial activity of Pistacia lentiscus L. extracts: preliminary report. J Chemother 1996;8:207-­9.
5. Grossi SG, Genco RJ. Periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus: a two-way relationship. Ann Periodontol 1998 Jul;3(1):51-­61.
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7. Whitney CG, Farley MM, Hadler J, Harrison LH, Lexau C, Reingold A, Lefkowitz L, Cieslak PR, Cetron M, Zell ER, Jorgensen JH, Schuchat A, Facklam RRN. Increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in the United States. N Engl J Med 2000 Dec 28;343(26):1917-­24.
8. Abdul-Rahman A. Mastiche as an antioxidant. J Am Oil Chem Soc 1975;52:423.
9. Conner DE, Beuchat LR. Sensitivity of heat-stressed yeasts to essential oils of plants. Appl Environ Microbiol1984;47:229­-33.
10. Huwez FU, Thirlwell D, Cockayne A, Ala'Aldeen DA. Mastic gum kills Helicobacter pylori. N Engl J Med 1998 Dec 24;339(26):1946.