Theos is one of the most mysterious islands in Greece. It is near the west coast of Turkey and is said to be the birthplace of the poet Homer. In Homer's ode, Shios Island is called Plump Island.
Shios Island is also called "Frankincense Island" because there is a magical tree species-Frankincense Tree. Frankincense tree will secrete a crystal clear medicinal natural resin-aster mastic gum.
People call it "the tears of Theos".
The island is still using the ancient method to extract frankincense resin, completely by hand. Every spring and summer, the local people will cut the bark of the trunk in order from bottom to top, so that the frankincense tree will flow out milky juice, and the resin will seep from the wound and harden into translucent clots after contacting with air. Then, the complicated processes such as collection, cleaning and refining are carried out, and the yield of 10 tree is only 1 kg. Shios mastic gum is very rare and the most precious, and its value is equal to gold.
Shios mastic gum has a long history of application. The Greeks discovered that mastic gum was good for health 5000 years ago. They use mastic gum to treat indigestion, ulcers, stomach problems and chest pain. This traditional therapy has existed for centuries.
It is said that the Turks who once ruled here invented "chewing gum" made of mastic gum, which was very popular with local people. It is sweet to chew and can clean the mouth.
In modern times, people have found that Shios mastic gum is used more and more widely, including mastic wine, mastic candy, mastic toothpaste, mastic cosmetics and so on. Most importantly, through the continuous research of scientists, people are more and more aware of the inhibitory effect of Sios mastic gum on Helicobacter pylori, and it is safe and has no side effects. Helicobacter pylori can cause chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer and other upper gastrointestinal diseases, even related to gastric cancer and gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.
Every year during Easter in Greece, friends from all over the world will come to Shios Island to experience local customs, explore hidden villages and pristine beaches, feel the charming island full of frankincense, and get a glimpse of the mystery of local people keeping their stomachs healthy.