Sep 10, 2021

Does Turmeric Boost Your Immune System? Assessing the Scientific Studies

Turmeric is a spice that comes from the rhizome (root) of the plant Curcuma longa. This plant – a member of the ginger family – has a long history in Ayurvedic medicine and Indian cuisine. For centuries, proponents have sworn by turmeric as a treatment for inflammation, digestive concerns, skin conditions, and other medical issues. ¹

You may identify turmeric by its rich, pungent smell or the yellowish-gold color for which it's famous. This color comes from curcumin, the primary active ingredient in turmeric – which is also responsible for many of its medicinal properties. However, turmeric is not entirely reliant on curcumin (we'll touch more on this in a moment). As such, both curcumin and turmeric are featured in studies worldwide, seeking to understand their healthful properties in more detail. ¹

But does turmeric boost your immune system and address specific medical concerns?

Possible Health Benefits of Turmeric

In the proper doses and combinations, turmeric, turmeric extract, and curcumin extract all provide some measure of potential health benefits—many of these result from curcumin's activity in the gut and bloodstream. However, curcumin only comprises less than 8% of turmeric's total makeup, while the rest is made up of proteins and sugars. ¹

Moreover, curcumin has very low bioavailability (the body’s ability to absorb and use a compound), which means that getting enough curcumin to be beneficial through raw turmeric is difficult. But that doesn’t mean the benefits aren’t there. ²

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties

If you’ve ever read anything about turmeric, you likely know that it’s famous for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities. These properties have been well-studied in turmeric, and in particular in curcumin extract. For instance, one expansive review study examined the available evidence and noted that:¹

Turmeric, via curcumin, improves systemic markers of oxidative stress
Curcumin increases serum activities of other antioxidants, thereby increasing the benefit
Curcumin appears able to bind with or otherwise remove “free radicals” and other reactive atoms from the body
These antioxidant effects help reduce inflammation in the body and the brain
Curcumin inhibits molecular pathways that lead to increased inflammation

These impacts on oxidation and inflammation lead to a whole host of benefits. For instance, turmeric's ability to reduce inflammation has made it a prime candidate for arthritis research. While studies on dosage and mechanism are ongoing, the science suggests that turmeric may positively impact those who have arthritis and similar systemic diseases. ¹ ⁶

Furthermore, turmeric's ability to snatch up free radicals and reduce inflammation has led to strides in the field of metabolic research. There is some evidence to suggest that turmeric may be able to reduce insulin sensitivity and blood pressure. At the same time, it's been shown to help lower unhealthy cholesterol while increasing healthy cholesterol levels in the body. While these findings are early, they've guided scientists to study turmeric in the realm of Metabolic Syndrome and obesity. ¹ ⁶

But this isn’t all that turmeric can do. Research indicates that this spice has plenty of other effects. Some of these may help us round out an answer to our question: does turmeric boost your immune system, and thereby your health?

Additional Benefits of Turmeric

Another way that turmeric benefits the body is how it affects aging. In clinical studies, turmeric has been shown to increase activity in the parts of the brain that control processing, memory, and learning. This leads to turmeric counterbalancing the brain’s advancement into old age. ³

Turmeric also appears to have positive benefits in relation to Parkinson’s disease. This degenerative condition affects one’s fine motor skills, which leads to difficulty walking, balancing, and coordinating movements. While turmeric is by no means a cure for Parkinson’s, studies have found that turmeric extract may have “dose-dependent therapeutic effects” on the disease.⁴

Until now, we’ve mostly discussed how turmeric works via curcumin and turmeric extract. But pure turmeric is also packed with proteins, sugars, and other compounds that lend additional or additive benefits. And in studying pure turmeric, studies have found that, unusually, it can also inhibit fungal activity. One study in particular examined turmeric’s effect on eleven species of fungi and found that: ⁵

Eight compounds in turmeric inhibited fungal growth
One of these components, curdione, had the strongest effects as a single molecule
Turmeric was most effective when all eight compounds worked together

So, Does Turmeric Boost Your Immune System, Really?

There are several ways that a drug, spice, or food may “boost your immune system.” Some may promote white blood cell activity to fight off invaders. Others may directly attack bacteria and microbes themselves. Activities like exercising and eating well aren’t drugs, per se, but they allow your body to function better overall, which may lead to fewer bouts of sickness and disease.

With such vague and varied categories to work with, we’ve decided to apply our own interpretation, so you know what we’re looking for. To that end, and for this article, we’re defining “boost your immune system” to mean:

Promoting good health, such as low rates of infection
Increasing cell or organism longevity
Boosting immune system activities such as white blood cell production or reducing stress

Using this umbrella of features as our guide, we can now examine the evidence and determine that, yes: turmeric does boost your immune system.

Just in our examples above, we can see that turmeric increases cognitive function, improves our body’s response to insulin, and inhibits harmful fungal growth. All of these activities help increase longevity, promote good health, and reduce stress on the body. ²³

Additionally, modern science has shown that turmeric’s long-touted abilities to improve inflammation and overall health are well-founded. Via curcumin, turmeric has been shown to positively impact how our bodies deal with oxidation, manage inflammation, and uses cholesterol. While the exact mechanisms are still being studied, this evidence further proves that turmeric can help boost your immune system. ¹⁶

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