Do you know about the fascinating properties of Black Seed Oil?

Black seed oil is derived from black seeds, but just what are black seeds? They are very small, jet black seeds gathered from plants of the Nigella species.

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For centuries, people have known about plants from the Nigella group, and have used them for their medicinal properties. The earliest record of the medicinal properties of the black seeds is from the first century B.C., when they were used to treat digestive problems and as an antidote to scorpion bites.

The three most commonly used species of Nigella are:

Sativa, ciliaris, and damascena

There are over 20 species of Nigella in total. Sativa is used worldwide, while ciliaris is used in the Middle East and Asia and damascena is used in Europe. All three plants have similar properties. In everyday life, the most common names used for Nigella plants are black seed plant, black seed cumin plant, or black cumin. Sativa has blue or white flowers, damascena has blue flowers and ciliaris has yellow ones.

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Black cumin seeds have often been called a panacea, which means “a cure for everything”, because they have such a large spectrum of potential benefits.

Research on black cumin indicates the presence of anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties in the seeds.

Inflammation

In general, inflammation serves as a canvas on which the majority of the diseases affecting humanity can grow.

In the present time, even Alzheimer’s dementia, which was thought to be a purely degenerative disease, has shown signs of very slow inflammation found around the neurons. Therefore, anything that can reduce inflammation can potentially help with reducing the symptoms of many diseases.

Oxidative stress

The same holds true for oxidative stress

When inflammation and injury sets in living tissues, molecules caring oxygen, with highly damaging qualities, are formed.

If the body is not capable of clearing those molecules rapidly, tissue injury can occur. Therefore, any substance that can reduce oxidative stress can potentially help with reducing the symptoms of many diseases.

The main antioxidant in black seeds is called thymoquinone. Apart from antioxidants, the seeds are rich in protein (up to 19%), certain amino acids (arginine, glutamic acid, leucine and lysine), minerals (copper, zinc, phosphorus and iron), soluble fibers (up to 8.9%) and quercetin, all of which are substances that can be beneficial to the body.

All over the world, and for centuries, non-traditional medicine has used black seeds for various conditions. For example, in China they have been used to treat asthma and noise in the ears; in Palestine — asthma and skin infections; in Iran — menstrual pains; in India — diabetes and digestive problems; in Pakistan — infections; in Malaysia — malaria, in Algeria — diabetes and high blood pressure; in Morocco — allergies, diabetes and high blood pressure; in Serbia — parasitic infections and urinary problems and much more…

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In addition, there are many controlled studies suggesting the presence of medicinal properties in the seeds.

The results of controlled studies are considered the gold standard in medicine.

Among many possible benefits, black seeds have the potential to:

Enhance memory in mice and in humans (Sahak et al. Evid Based Complement Alternat Mod, 2016; Sayeed et al. J. Ethnopharmacol, 2013)

Reduce symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (Hadi et al. Avicenna J. Phytomed, 2016).

Lower cholesterol and LDL — the “bad” lipids (Asgary et al, J Funct Foods, 2013).

Improve diabetes (Kaatabi et al. Fundam Clin Pharmacol, 2015).

Reduce the size of vitiligo (discoloration) spots (Ghorobanibirgani et al. Crescent Med J, 2014).

Improve psoriasis when used topically. One study reported a complete cure, excellent or good results in 85% of the participants with only an 18% relapses rate after the end of the trial in the group using topical ointment together with black seed capsules (Jawad et al. J Clin Exp Invest 5, 2014).

Increase the number of spermatozoids in men with infertility issues.

And much more…

Most studies were done using doses between 500 mg and 1 gm taken twice a day. The duration of most of the studies was between two to four months with the exception of one study that lasted one year.

The available forms of black seeds on the market are capsules, powders, oils and whole black seeds that are sold in some grocery stores as a spice.

Side effects

All of the above controlled studies suggest the relative safety of black cumin seeds in the doses indicated in the studies, which, as I have said, in the majority of the cases was between 0.5 gm and 2 gm. However, there have been studies that use doses up to 5 gm a day with no serious side effects reported.

In short-term use (no more than two to three months), the intake of black seeds appears relatively safe, but the long-term side effects are not well known since we do not have enough data to extrapolate. Allergic reactions and stomach upset have been reported as well.

However, I always look into the rare reports of side effects associated with a substance. I found a single report of a diabetic woman who developed kidney failure six days after taking 2.5 gm of the black seed capsules each day for six days (Arslan et al. J Integr. Med, 2013).

On the other hand, it has also been reported that the black cumin seeds combat renal injury (Hayatdavouri et al. Avicenna J. Phytomed, 2016 and multiple other reports). This indicates to me that doses above 2 gm a day are probably not as safe as the doses below 2 gm a day, since some people may react with organ damage as happened to the reported kidney failure patient. This data suggests that the side effects of black cumin seeds are likely dose-related, as is the case with many other ingested substances.

The conclusion is that small amounts of black cumin seeds used to spice your food are probably relatively safe, if not ingested on a regular basis for periods longer than two months. But you need to know that black seeds are not one of those supplements that you can pop into your mouth in large quantities and by yourself. It will be wise to seek guidance from a medical professional to avoid problems. Since, the side effects are likely dose-dependent, if I were to use black seeds for myself, I would not start with more than 500 mg once or twice a day in order to test my body’s response to the substance. I have a rule of thumb with herbs – to always stay 50% below any dose reported to be associated with serious side effects. Furthermore, if a herb has serious side effects at low doses, I just do not use it at all.

Always remember,

that while it is wonderful to benefit from the positive effects of something, you should always carefully weigh the benefits against the potential side effects.

Of course, the effects of such a potent substance during pregnancy and lactation cannot be determined, and therefore, should be avoided.

In addition, the seeds are known to interfere with some medications and can cause problems not only by themselves, but by decreasing or increasing the blood levels of some important remedies such as blood thinners, heart rate regulators and others. Be smart. If you are going to take black seeds, do so under medical supervision.

Enjoy this marvel of nature with a smile - and with caution.

From my heart

Dr. Ani

Disclaimer:

Though I am a medical doctor and I share my experience and knowledge with you, please be advised that I am not your medical doctor, so you will need to seek and follow the directions of the medical professionals involved in your case. This article is purely informational and cannot be taken as medical advice.

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