Turmeric or Frankincense? Two Classics Compared

A bright yellow root spice and an amber-coloured tree resin – at first glance, turmeric and frankincense have nothing in common. And yet on the shelf for mobility and joints, they often sit right next to each other, both carried by a millennia-old tradition from Ayurveda. If you want to stay active and are weighing the two against each other, you should know the botanical and practical differences.

In short: turmeric is the dried rhizome (the root tuber) of the yellow-root plant Curcuma longa; its characteristic compound is curcumin. Frankincense (Boswellia) is the dried resin of the frankincense tree; its typical compounds are the boswellic acids. Neither has any authorised health claims in the EU – so we describe them neutrally in terms of origin, compounds, forms and use.

The Key Points at a Glance

• Turmeric: a root spice (Curcuma longa), yellow in colour, with curcumin as its key compound – also a kitchen spice.
• Frankincense: a tree resin (Boswellia serrata/sacra), with boswellic acids as its key compounds – used almost exclusively as an extract.
• Bioavailability: curcumin is poorly absorbed – which is why it's combined with pepper (piperine) and fat; Boswellia is usually taken as a standardised extract.
• Both have a long tradition in Ayurveda and are used today in connection with mobility.
• No authorised claims – if you have persistent joint issues, please have them checked by a doctor.

What Is Turmeric – and What Is Frankincense?

Turmeric, also called yellow root or curcuma, is a member of the ginger family. What's used is the dried, ground rhizome – that knobbly root that gives curry blends their bright yellow colour. Its best-known compound is curcumin, a polyphenol from the group of curcuminoids. Turmeric is therefore both an everyday kitchen spice and a fixture in Ayurveda – a double life that no other medicinal plant quite leads.

Frankincense is something entirely different: the air-dried gum resin of the frankincense tree (genus Boswellia). When the bark is scored, the tree releases a milky resin that hardens in the air into the familiar granules. Its characteristic compounds are the boswellic acids. Beyond Ayurveda, frankincense also has cultural significance as incense – but for food supplements, what matters is the standardised Boswellia extract in capsule form.

This basic botanical difference – root tuber versus tree resin – already explains many of their practical quirks: why turmeric ends up in the kitchen and frankincense doesn't, why one stains everything bright yellow while the other smells aromatically resinous, and why each requires its own tricks for absorption in the body.

Why Many People Use Turmeric or Frankincense

The context in which both are used today is similar: they're often chosen by people who want to stay active and are focused on mobility and joints. Turmeric has the advantage of being an everyday spice – many people first encounter it in the kitchen and then add it as an extract. Frankincense is more specific and is used almost exclusively as a standardised extract in capsules. Both stand in the Ayurvedic tradition, where they were sometimes even used in combination. For a broader look at the topic, see our guide Nutrients for the Joints.

Understanding the Key Compounds: Curcumin and Boswellic Acids

If you really want to grasp the difference between the two plants, look at their characteristic compounds – because that's exactly what makes them so different. In turmeric, it's curcumin, a bright yellow polyphenol from the group of curcuminoids. It's the compound that gives turmeric its colour and its reputation. Its key quirk: curcumin is fat-soluble and is naturally poorly absorbed by the body – a fact that shapes the entire course of product development around turmeric.

In frankincense, it's the boswellic acids, a group of triterpenic acids found in the resin of the Boswellia tree. They too are fat-soluble, which is why Boswellia extracts are usually offered standardised to a specific content of these acids. The crucial practical point for you: with both plants, the total weight on the tub tells you little – what counts is the declared content of the respective key compound. A high-dose but unstandardised powder can contain less of the key compound than a smaller, cleanly standardised extract.

Turmeric and Frankincense in Direct Comparison

What Research Is Looking Into

With turmeric, scientific interest focuses heavily on curcumin – and on a very real problem: its low natural bioavailability. Curcumin is poorly absorbed by the body and quickly excreted again. Hence the many approaches using piperine (from black pepper), fat, or special extract formulations intended to improve absorption. With frankincense, the boswellic acids are the focus of research, particularly their role in certain metabolic pathways in the body. For both: these are research directions into compounds and mechanisms – we don't derive any concrete promise of effect for a product from them.

Forms, Bioavailability and Intake in Practice

With these two plants in particular, the formulation makes a surprising amount of difference. Turmeric as a plain kitchen spice contains only a small proportion of curcumin, which is also poorly absorbed. That's why supplements rely on concentrated extracts and on bioavailability tricks: combining it with piperine, taking it together with fat (curcumin is fat-soluble), or using special formulations. Anyone using classic turmeric powder in the kitchen traditionally combines it with pepper and oil – for exactly this reason. In practice, that means paying attention to the extract form and the curcumin content it contains, not just the total weight. Details on this in How to Take Turmeric Correctly with Pepper and Fat.

Frankincense is offered almost exclusively as a standardised Boswellia extract in capsules, usually with a declared content of boswellic acids. Since these are fat-soluble, taking it with a meal can make sense. Quality markers include the botanical species (such as Boswellia serrata) and a transparently stated degree of standardisation.

Two Ancient Traditions – The Same Focus

The fact that turmeric and frankincense are so often mentioned in the same breath today isn't a marketing coincidence – it has historical roots. Both belong to the established repertoire of Ayurveda, India's millennia-old system of healing, where they were sometimes even used in combination. In India, turmeric is both an everyday spice and part of traditional preparations – the famous "golden milk" made from turmeric, warm milk and fat is popular precisely because fat supports the absorption of fat-soluble curcumin. Frankincense, in turn, has a long cultural history extending beyond India across the entire Orient, both as incense and in traditional uses.

The context in which both are used today is similar: people who want to stay active and mobile reach for them. An interesting comparison is with a third classic from the same botanical neighbourhood: ginger, which is botanically related to turmeric. How the two yellow roots differ is covered in Turmeric or Ginger.

What to Look for When Choosing

With both plants, quality is what separates the wheat from the chaff. Look for a transparently declared content of the key compounds (curcumin or boswellic acids respectively), for the botanical species, and – at Scheunengut, naturally – for lab-tested, clean raw material. If you want to try both, don't dose them indiscriminately high; instead, go by the information on the label. How to recognise good-quality goods is covered in Recognising Turmeric Quality. Important for sensitive situations: if you have bile duct issues, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are taking blood-thinning or other medication at the same time, use should be checked with a doctor first. Turmeric and frankincense are no substitute for medical treatment.

Honestly Assessed: What's Established and What's Open

What's well established is the botanical origin, the characteristic compounds, and the long tradition of both plants. Less clearly proven is their concrete effect in humans – the evidence for both is not as clear-cut as advertising might suggest, and saying so honestly is part of the picture. If you have recurring joint or mobility issues, no plant is a substitute for having it checked by a doctor.

Suitable Products from Scheunengut

At Scheunengut, you'll find high-quality turmeric as powder and extract. If you're interested in the broader topic of mobility, it's worth a look at the Joints & Bones category, and a related botanical classic can be found in the Ginger category. More background is provided by our guides on Turmeric and Curcumin Effects, on Frankincense (Boswellia), on Taking Turmeric Correctly with Pepper and Fat, and on the comparison Turmeric or Ginger. How much turmeric makes sense is covered in Turmeric – How Much per Day, and an overview of mobility nutrients is given in Nutrients for the Joints.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between turmeric and frankincense?

Turmeric is a root spice (Curcuma longa) with curcumin as its key compound, and it's also an everyday kitchen spice. Frankincense is the dried resin of the frankincense tree (Boswellia), with boswellic acids as its key compounds, and it's used almost exclusively as a standardised extract in capsules. Botanically, they have nothing to do with each other – what they share is a long tradition in Ayurveda.

Can you take turmeric and frankincense together?

In principle, both are also traditionally combined in Ayurveda. What matters is not dosing them indiscriminately high, but going by the information on the label and choosing standardised extracts. If you have bile duct issues, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are taking medication at the same time – such as blood thinners – you should have the use checked with a doctor beforehand.

Why is turmeric combined with pepper?

Because curcumin, turmeric's key compound, is naturally poorly absorbed by the body and quickly excreted again. Piperine from black pepper and taking it together with fat are among the classic approaches to improving bioavailability. That's exactly why turmeric is traditionally combined with pepper and oil in the kitchen.

What should I look for when buying Boswellia extract?

Look for the botanical species (such as Boswellia serrata), a transparently declared content of boswellic acids, and a clearly stated degree of standardisation. Since boswellic acids are fat-soluble, taking it with a meal can make sense. Lab-tested, clean raw material is especially important with resins.