A tree resin with a long medicinal history and a small, uneven evidence base. Swallowed, it lowers total and so-called bad cholesterol where levels are raised, and eases indigestion pain, burning and fullness. Weaker signals: lower blood pressure and blood sugar, modest weight and belly-fat loss, calmer bowel inflammation in the diagnosed. Main drawbacks: skin allergy, jaw strain from chewing. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Total cholesterol | 160–200 mg/dL | The primary endpoint moved in both placebo-controlled lipid trials |
| LDL cholesterol | 70–100 mg/dL | The particle validated against cardiovascular events |
| Fasting glucose | 75–90 mg/dL | Detects the modest glucose fall and guards against overshoot |
| HbA1c | 4.8–5.4% | Index of average blood sugar; improved in the gastroparesis trial |
| Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR | Insulin 2–5 µIU/mL; HOMA-IR below 1.5 | Index of insulin resistance; fell in the exercise trial |
| ALT, AST, GGT | ALT and AST 10–26 U/L; GGT below 20 U/L | All three fell in the long-term open study |
| hs-CRP | Below 0.5 mg/L | The general inflammation signal used in the mastic beverage trial |
| Faecal calprotectin | Below 50 µg/g | Gut-specific inflammation marker; diagnosed bowel disease only |
| Helicobacter pylori urea breath test | Negative | Confirms or excludes the infection mastic unreliably targets |
| Blood pressure | 110–120 / 70–78 mmHg | The hypertension trial's endpoint; most likely to overshoot |
Cadence: Lipid panel and fasting glucose at eight weeks, then six months and annually; home blood-pressure readings twice weekly for the first month on antihypertensive therapy