The short version: most supplement pairings are sold on a story. This one has actually been tested together in people. Two clinical trials gave boswellia and curcumin as one product to adults with osteoarthritis for 12 weeks, and both reported less pain. The trials were small, used specific extracts, and used more curcumin than most labels contain. Here is what they found and how to read a label against them.
Why boswellia and curcumin get paired
Boswellia is a resin from the Boswellia serrata tree, also called Indian frankincense. Curcumin is the main active compound in turmeric root. Both have long histories in traditional medicine, and both are studied for inflammation and joint comfort.
They come from different plants and are thought to act on inflammation through different routes. The idea behind the pairing is that together they cover more ground than either one alone. Unlike a lot of supplement logic, that idea has been put to a test.
The trial that compared curcumin alone with the combination
The most useful study is a 2018 trial by Haroyan and colleagues in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. It enrolled 201 adults aged 40 to 70 with osteoarthritis and split them into three groups for 12 weeks:
- A curcumin extract alone
- Curcumin combined with boswellic acid, the active fraction of boswellia
- A placebo
Each group took a 500 mg capsule three times a day. That works out to about 1,000 mg of curcuminoids a day in both active groups, plus about 450 mg of boswellic acid a day in the combination group.
Both active groups did better than placebo on tests of physical performance. Only the combination group also did better than placebo on the WOMAC joint pain score, a standard questionnaire for osteoarthritis. The authors concluded that the combination was the more effective of the two. Both products were well tolerated.
The trial that compared it with a prescription drug
A 2013 study by Kizhakkedath in Molecular Medicine Reports gave 30 people with knee osteoarthritis either a curcumin and boswellia capsule twice a day or celecoxib, a prescription anti-inflammatory, for 12 weeks. Each capsule held 350 mg of turmeric extract and 150 mg of boswellia extract standardized to 75 percent boswellic acids and 10 percent AKBA.
Pain and walking distance improved in both groups, and the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. In plain terms, the combination did about as well as the drug in a small study. Two cautions: only 28 people finished, and the extracts were supplied by the company that makes them.
What these two trials do and do not tell you
- They are short. Twelve weeks says nothing about a year of use.
- They are small. 201 and 30 people. Encouraging, not settled.
- They used specific extracts. Both stated exactly how much curcuminoid and boswellic acid each capsule held. A generic product may not match.
- They were about osteoarthritis. Neither tested gout, uric acid or rheumatoid arthritis.
The U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health puts curcumin for osteoarthritis the same way: the early evidence is positive, and better studies are needed. For boswellia on its own, our write-up of the boswellia trials covers a pooled analysis of seven of them.
The absorption problem, and black pepper
Curcumin is poorly absorbed on its own. A 1998 study by Shoba and colleagues in Planta Medica found that when volunteers took 2 g of curcumin with 20 mg of piperine, the active compound in black pepper, the amount reaching the blood rose about 20 times compared with curcumin alone. That is why many curcumin products include black pepper extract, often under the brand name BioPerine.
How to read a boswellia and curcumin label
- Curcumin amount. The trials used roughly 700 to 1,000 mg of turmeric extract or curcuminoids a day. Check how far a label is from that.
- Boswellia standardization. The percentage of boswellic acids or AKBA tells you more than the milligrams. Our guide on the AKBA percentage explains why.
- An absorption aid. Piperine or another delivery system, and how much.
- Daily total, not per capsule. Both trials dosed two or three times a day.
For the rest of the panel, see how to read a supplement label.
How it shows up in Daily Detox
MicroFree Daily Detox contains boswellia serrata extract at 400 mg, curcumin extract at 150 mg and BioPerine at 5 mg per serving, alongside quercetin, berberine, milk thistle, tart cherry and bromelain, with every dose printed on the panel.
Held against the trials: the boswellia is close to the 300 mg of extract a day in the smaller trial, but the label does not state a boswellic acid or AKBA percentage. The curcumin is well below the trial amounts, and the BioPerine is lower than the 20 mg used in the absorption study. Those are the numbers to weigh if curcumin is the main reason you are looking.
Safety and interactions
NCCIH says conventional oral turmeric or curcumin is likely safe in recommended amounts for up to two or three months. Possible side effects include stomach upset, nausea, acid reflux, diarrhea and constipation. It also says highly bioavailable curcumin formulations may harm the liver in some people, and lists piperine as one way bioavailability is raised. Stop and talk to a doctor if you notice fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, dark urine or yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Turmeric supplements may be unsafe during pregnancy. Boswellia was well tolerated in both trials above. If you take any prescription medicine, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting either one.
FAQs
Can you take boswellia and curcumin together?
Two clinical trials gave them together for 12 weeks and reported they were well tolerated. If you take medication, check with your doctor first.
Is the combination better than curcumin alone?
In the one trial that compared them directly, the combination improved joint pain scores against placebo and curcumin alone did not. That is one study of 201 people, so treat it as a promising result rather than a final answer.
How much did the trials use?
About 700 to 1,000 mg of turmeric extract or curcuminoids a day, and 300 to 450 mg of boswellia extract or boswellic acid a day, split into two or three doses.
Does it help gout?
It has not been tested in gout. Both trials were in osteoarthritis. If you have gout, your doctor is the right person to ask.
Sources
- Haroyan A, Mukuchyan V, Mkrtchyan N, et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin and its combination with boswellic acid in osteoarthritis: a comparative, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2018;18:7. DOI
- Kizhakkedath R. Clinical evaluation of a formulation containing Curcuma longa and Boswellia serrata extracts in the management of knee osteoarthritis. Molecular Medicine Reports. 2013;8(5):1542-1548. DOI
- Shoba G, Joy D, Joseph T, et al. Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers. Planta Medica. 1998;64(4):353-356. PubMed
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Turmeric. Updated April 2025. nccih.nih.gov