Mastic Resin in Traditional and Modern Medicine

Farzollah Gholizadeh and Fariba Bayrami

Saqqez, or mastic resin, is a dense, fragrant resin that seeps from the resin canals of the wild pistachio tree (Pistacia atlantica) and related species of the same family; the best-known relative is Chios mastic from Pistacia lentiscus. Since ancient times, traditional medicine has used it as a key remedy for strengthening the body’s vital organs, and modern biochemical and pharmaceutical research supports several of these traditional claims.

1. Properties and temperament in traditional medicine

In traditional medicine, knowing the quality and temperament of a remedy precisely is the foundation of treatment. All the classical reference texts describe natural mastic as hot and dry (usually in the second or third degree).

This means mastic is strong at dissolving excess moisture, clearing sticky phlegm and raising the natural warmth of the organs. Fresh mastic is more balanced in its dryness; dried, old mastic creates strong dryness in the body (third degree) and is more astringent.

2. The main benefits in traditional medicine

Old sources describe mastic as a tonic for the body’s main organs:

• Strengthening the stomach and digestion. With its mild astringency, mastic tones the stomach wall and removes slackness and weakness from its tissue. It also dries excess moisture and phlegm in the digestive tract, improving digestion and greatly reducing chronic wind and bloating.
• Strengthening the liver. The liver needs proper natural warmth to work well, and excess moisture from poor eating makes it sluggish. As a cleanser, mastic clears cold moisture from the liver and helps improve metabolism.
• Strengthening the nerves. Old texts say regular use corrects the stomach’s temperament and stops vapours rising from the stomach to the brain, reducing nervous weakness and the lethargy caused by excess phlegm.
• Mouth, teeth and gums. Chewing mastic strengthens the gum tissue directly and freshens the breath.
• Lungs and chest. Mastic acts as a softener in the chest: it thins thick phlegm, makes it easier to clear, and soothes the airways.

3. The benefits of chewing natural mastic

Chewing natural mastic (without industrial sugar or flavourings) starts useful processes in the body:

• For the mouth and teeth: it increases saliva, protects tooth enamel from acids, mechanically lifts plaque from the tooth surface and lowers the number of decay-causing bacteria.
• For the stomach: it stimulates the salivary glands, so enzyme-rich saliva reaches the stomach and the first stage of digestion starts more strongly.
• For the jaw and face: it increases local blood flow in the chewing muscles and jaw joints, helping to strengthen the chewing muscles.

4. Modern scientific findings

Modern laboratory analyses show that mastic contains terpenoid compounds, masticadienoic acids and essential oils. These give it:

• Antibacterial activity: it acts directly against Helicobacter pylori (the main cause of stomach and duodenal ulcers) and reduces the growth of anaerobic bacteria in the mouth.
• Anti-inflammatory activity: it dampens inflammatory pathways and blocks factors that trigger inflammation in the cells lining the digestive tract.
• Antioxidant activity: it clears free radicals and protects the stomach lining from oxidative stress caused by medicines or alcohol.

5. Harms, side effects and precautions

Despite its many benefits, too much mastic, or using it wrongly, can cause side effects:

• In people with a hot temperament, constant use can cause hot flushes, strong thirst, a dry mouth and throat, and heat-rash-like spots on the skin.
• Risk of constipation: because it is strongly astringent, swallowing mastic regularly can dry the helpful moisture in the bowel and cause severe constipation.
• Jaw joint strain: people with inflammation or arthritis of the jaw joint, or with very sensitive teeth, should avoid chewing it for long (more than 15 minutes).

6. How best to take it, and a famous traditional recipe

In general: to benefit safely for digestion and oral health, chew a small piece of natural mastic (about the size of a chickpea) for 5 to 15 minutes after a main meal, once a day. People with a hot temperament do better taking it with a little rose water, sekanjabin (vinegar and honey syrup) or sweet almond oil, to balance its nature.

The golden recipe for the stomach: one of the most successful and well-tried traditional formulas for indigestion and severe bloating is a mixture of natural mastic + strained honey + ajwain powder + cumin powder. The spices speed the clearing of wind, while the mastic forms a protective layer and helps the stomach tissue recover.

For natural product makers: mastic is a valuable raw material. It can be used in organic toothpastes for gum strength, herbal mouthwashes, digestive capsules against wind, and health-focused natural chewing gums for better digestion.

Sources

1. Mahboubi M. Pistacia atlantica Kurdica gum, a review on its traditional uses and modern pharmacological properties. J Tradit Complement Med. 2017;7(4):412–421.
2. Paraschos S, Magiatis P, Mitakou S, et al. In vitro and in vivo activities of Chios mastic gum extracts and constituents against Helicobacter pylori. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2007;51(2):551–559.
3. Al-Habib A, Al-Mansour E, Al-Sahan M, et al. Effect of Chios mastic gum on salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli. J Altern Complement Med. 2009;15(12):1325–1329.
4. Aksoy A, Duran N, Koksal F. In vitro and in vivo antimicrobial effects of mastic gum against oral pathogens. J Clin Periodontol. 2006;33(12):915–918.
5. Arzani MA. Tibb-e Akbari. Vol. 1, pp. 112–115.
6. Aghili Khorasani MH. Makhzan al-Adviyah. Ed. MR Shams Ardakani. Tehran: Tehran University of Medical Sciences; 2008, pp. 450–454.

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