What is Black Seed Oil?

Native to Southern Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia, Black seed oil is gaining reputation for its healing properties with a rich cultural background and history of use in traditional medicinal practices such as Ayurveda. In many cultures Black Seed is revered as one of the greatest forms of healing medicine available. It was mentioned that black seed is the remedy for all diseases except death in one of the Prophetic Hadith. Traditional

What are the potential health benefits of Black Seed Oil?

applications of Black Seed Oil include reducing blood pressure, a tonic for the liver, a urinary-flow stimulant, pain reducing action, antibacterial action, appetite stimulant and use in skin disorders. Black seed has also been used for anti-diabetic action and for intestinal parasites. Most of the therapeutic benefits may be attributed to the thymoquinone content (30%-48%), which is a major active component of Black seed oil. Thymoquinone is known to be particularly beneficial for respiratory health. Black seed also contains water soluble triterpenes and saponin, a potential anticancer agent. The seeds reported to contain a fatty oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids, mainly linoleic acid (50-60%), oleic acid (20%) and dihomolinoleic acid (10%). These fatty acids are used local hormones the body produces to regulate inflammation and in located and cell membranes[i].

Lung protective properties and asthma support

Black seed oil benefits are seen to control symptoms in asthma [ii]. Black seed also contains nigellone which is thought to be beneficial in the treatment of many lung conditions [iii].

Antimicrobial activity

A clear inhibition of the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, H. pylori and various strains of Candida Albicans [iv] [v]
[vi].

Antioxidant activity

It was suggested that dietary supplementation of black seeds extracts inhibits oxidative stress [vii]. Oxidative stress can lead to the production of free radicals. When there are more free radicals present than can be kept in balance by antioxidants, the free radicals may begin damaging fatty tissue, DNA, and proteins in your body. This damage commonly leads to diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Anti-diabetic activity

N. sativa and TQ may prove clinically useful in the treatment of diabetics and in the protection of pancreatic cells against oxidative stress [viii]. An improvement of carbohydrate metabolism was seen in diabetic rats [ix].

Cell-protective benefits

The effects of different N. sativa seed extracts as an additional cancer therapy to primary care, was seen in human breast cancer cells [x]. Black seed oil also caused an anti-inflammatory effect which inhibited the growth of many types of tumors in studies [xi].

Anti-inflammatory and pain relief

Studies showed black seed oil to result in improvements in allergic rhinitis symptoms, osteoporosis and general encouragement of anti-inflammatory pathways, via the special types of fatty acids black seed oil contains [xii] [xiii]
[xiv].

Immune benefits

Studies show black seed oil enhances the action of immune cells such as natural killer cells and other white blood cells. It also stabilises immune pathways such as the T-helper cell ratio [xv].

Organ function and protection

Studies show Black seed to protect the function of organs such as the heart, stomach, liver and kidneys [xvi].

Brain health

Long term use of Nigella sativa increased the happiness-promoting hormone serotonin levels in brains of rats and proved to enhance learning and memory [xvii].

Long-term use of black seed is as yet unconfirmed, however studies suggest there are no risks of toxicity associated with long term, moderate use. It may be worth checking any interactions in concomitant medications with your GP as Black Seed may potentially either raise or lower the amount of medicines taken up within the digestive tract and via minor alterations of metabolic processes in the liver (1).