BLACK SEED OIL

Nigella sativa or its common name, Black Seed Oil (BSO) has been used for centuries to treat humans and animals. The seeds and their main ingredient, thymoquinone, are proven effective against numerous chronic illnesses, neurological and mental illness, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, infertility, and infectious diseases due to bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral infections. There have been limited studies of its use against HIV/AIDS with good results thus far. Treasured by different civilizations for so long, numerous ongoing studies are unveiling more benefits.

BSO in Folk Remedies

BSO is a spice and tastes like a mix of black pepper and caraway seed. Known by herbalists as “The herb from heaven,” BSO has been used in Far East Asia, all over Arabia, Europe, and Africa. The prophet Mohammed described the seed as “Hold on to use the black seed, as it has a remedy for every illness except death.” BSO is mentioned for its curative property in the Holy Bible and labeled as Melanthion by Hippocrates and Dioscorides.

BSO Today

Antioxidant

After two months and paired with Allium sativum, BSO significantly reduced levels of oxidative stress compounds in the blood of 30 post-menopausal women. The study also found that compounds that help reduce oxidative damage increased.

Antidiabetic

After one month, a significant reduction of fasting blood glucose and several other compounds was observed in diabetic rats. The rats also showed decreased inflammation of the pancreas. When BSO was paired with cinnamon the rats showed significantly stabilized blood glucose levels, lipids, and kidney functions. The scientists added Metformin and saw a substantial reversal of pancreatic cell injury. They also noted antidiabetic activity after three months.

A controlled trial of 99 diabetes patients receiving 1.5 and 3 ml/day of BSO for 20 days showed meaningful reductions in A1C and blood sugar levels. Another group paired BSO with their hypoglycemic agents and also saw substantial reductions in their A1C and blood sugar levels.

Cholesterol

Different doses of Black seeds were evaluated in patients with high cholesterol. A one g/day increased HDL levels after three months, but two and three g/day significantly reduced total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL and raised HDL.

Hypertension

Numerous antihypertensive drugs used to stabilize blood pressure are only effective in 40 – 60% of patients and typically need to be paired with another agent to achieve the desired outcome.

There have been mixed results in the studies of BSO for hypertension. The group on two g/day of Black seed for a year displayed a noticeable reduction in systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial BP, heart rate, total cholesterol, and LDL. The group on 300mg for 4 weeks showed no significant reduction in blood pressure.

Neuroprotective

Several studies are looking into BSO for its medicinal and therapeutic potential in treating neurological disorders like depression/anxiety, Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, and Opioid dependence/tolerance with very promising results. See this link for more info--> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6535880/table/tab1/?report=objectonly

Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic

Many medical conditions result in chronic pain and existing anti-inflammatory agents produce severe adverse events. Studies on rats, guinea pigs, and mice administered BSO show promising anti-inflammatory responses. Forty female patients with RA took 500mg twice per day, and their condition improved. Chronic inflammation is associated with several illnesses and BSO may be an option that needs further development.

Antimicrobial

BSO has displayed strong antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic actions. Thymoquinone, from the seeds, is very effective against many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. BSO inhibits pathogenic strains of yeasts, dermatophytes, and other fungi. BSO suppresses the viral load in a murine model. There have been instances of HIV-positive patients reducing their viral load to undetectable levels after using BSO for a year. The seeds have a destructive effect against all stages of certain parasites and may become an antimalarial drug.

Anticancer

See the attached link to view the effects of BSO on different types of cancer --> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6535880/table/tab2/?report=objectonly

Male Fertility

Many causes of male infertility are related to oxidative stress which BSO significantly reduces. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 68 Iranian infertile men, half received 2.5 mL of black seed oil, the remaining received a placebo twice per day for two months. The amount and the motility of sperm and the content of semen volume were raised significantly in the BSO-treated group compared with the placebo group.

BSO is beneficial for numerous health-related issues and should become a part of everyone's life. Additional studies of it and its compounds make for an exciting future.

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6535880/

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/black-seed-oil-benefits