Health Benefits Of Black Seed Oil Health, health, health, health, and health. It is all we seem to hear about these days, how we can improve our health, how we can maintain it, how we can bring it to heights we never before thought possible. Well today, we're going to continue that trend and talk to you, our dearest readers, about Black seed oil. However before we dive into that, if you're really interested in health then you should subscribe to our channel and hit that notification bell as well. Trust us; we are the best place on the internet to find all sorts of tips about healthy living. But on with the show, as they say.
First off, what is black seed oil? Well, it comes from a plant called Nigella Sativa. It's a small flowering shrub with purple or white-tinged flowers, and it's found in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Western Asia. For thousands of years, the seeds of this plant have been used for remedies. Don't believe us? Well, listen to this report from HEALTH LINE: "Archaeologists even found black seeds in King Tut’s tomb, emphasizing their importance in history for healing and protection." However, modern scientists have found the importance and benefits of these seeds as well. Many, if not hundreds, of studies have been done on the health benefits of black seed oil. Pretty neat, huh? They're used in cooking too. They add flavor to breads, curries, and pickles. When eaten, the seeds have a bitter flavor that’s often compared to cumin or oregano. The black seed oil of the Nigella Sativa is called by many names. Some include: - black caraway - black cumin - black onion seed - kalonji Let's talk for a second about superbugs. It might seem off-topic for now but bear with us, we'll get to it.
There are a couple of things you should know about these deadly bugs. According to the NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH:
1) Strains of bacteria and viruses that are antimicrobial-resistant are becoming virtually impossible to treat, including HIV, tuberculosis, influenza, gonorrhea, malaria, and more.
2) Between 5 percent to 10 percent of all hospital patients develop an infection from superbugs.
3) More than 90,000 of these patients die every year, up from 13,300 patient deaths in 1992.
4) People infected with superbugs typically have longer hospital stays, require more complicated treatment, and don’t recover as well.
Scary, we know. So why do we even bring it up? Well, turns out, that black seed oil is great for protecting against those bugs. According to DR. AXE.COM: "The most promising research has been done connecting Nigella Sativa to multi-drug resistant bacteria. This is a really big deal because these so-called “Superbugs” are becoming a significant public health risk."
The people at the JAWAHARLAL NEHRU MEDICAL COLLEGE proved this in a recent study of theirs. They wanted to show "how potent black seed oil is against some of these superbugs and paired it against several antibiotics. According to the study, “Out of 144 strains tested, most of which were resistant to a number of antibiotics, 97 were inhibited by the oil of black cumin." So black seed oil might just protect us against some of the most terrifying bacteria and bugs to walk the earth, so that's good. What else... what else... oh, it has a litany of other health benefits.
Health benefits like: Lowering Blood Pressure. We've done a whole bunch of videos about blood pressure on this channel, so we're no strangers to how bad high blood pressure can be for you. Luckily, black seed oil is one of the things that can help you lower that. HEALTH LINE reports that "Taking black cumin seed extract for two months has been shown to reduce high blood pressure in people whose blood pressure is mildly elevated".
DR.AXE talks about a study done by SHAHREKORD UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES. They describe it like this: "Another older randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted with human subjects who had mild hypertension. There was a placebo group, a group that took 100 milligrams of black seed twice a day and a group that took 200 milligrams twice a day. After eight weeks of this, researchers found that the people who took the black seed supplement had their systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure decrease in “a dose-dependent manner.”
Additionally, the black seed extract supplement caused a “Significant decline” in both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol" How much do YOU need in order to feel better though?
According to good ol' DR. AXE: "0.5–2 grams of black seed powder daily for up to 12 weeks or 100–200 milligrams black seed oil twice daily for eight weeks." That's another thing black seed oil is great for– regulating cholesterol.
The UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY HOUARI BOUMEDIENE did a study where they showed a correlation between the two. It goes like this: "A study using an animal model published in 2017 found that an aqueous extract of Nigella Sativa not only had anti-diabetic effects on animal subjects, but it also helped with cholesterol. After six weeks of giving the diabetic animal subjects low doses of black seed, total cholesterol, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and glucose levels all came down while HDL (“good”) cholesterol increased."
But why does black seed oil reduce your cholesterol? Well, HEALTH LINE might have you covered there. They say that "Taking black seed oil has been known to reduce high cholesterol. It’s high in healthy fatty acids that can help you maintain healthier cholesterol levels. Examples of these fatty acids include linoleic acids and oleic acid. The levels of the oils can vary depending on where the black seeds are grown. People may also see results when consuming the crushed seeds."
Another thing these things are good for is reducing the symptoms of asthma. Are you asthmatic? Do you have trouble breathing occasionally? Do you ever suffer from the dreaded attacks? Well, then adding black seed oil to your life might be the right idea.
Let's start with a couple of words from VERY WELL HEALTH.COM, who start off this party by saying: "Preliminary research suggests that black seed oil may offer benefits to people with asthma. For example, a study published in PHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH in 2017 found that people with asthma who took black seed oil capsules had a significant improvement in asthma control compared with those who took a placebo."
HEALTH LINE also has a couple of things to say about the benefits of black seed oil on asthma patients: "The anti-inflammatory effects of black seed oil may extend to improving asthma symptoms. Its effect in reducing inflammation in the airways may also help with bronchitis symptoms." We'll continue with the words of HEALTH LINE, who assure us that black seed oil is great for your stomach.
They claim that "Eating black seeds or taking black seed oil is associated with relieving stomach pain and cramps. The oil can help to reduce gas, stomach bloating, and ulcers as well." It's also good for other gut-related things, such as the size of your gut.
As DR. AXE claims: "Black seed oil may reduce risk factors in women who are obese, according to a study. For the study, women consumed Nigella Sativa oil or a placebo while following a low-calorie diet for eight weeks. At the study's end, weight, waist circumference, and triglyceride levels had decreased by more in the group that took the Nigella Sativa oil."
VERY WELL HEALTH confirms this fact when they report that "Black seed oil weight loss claims actually do have some science behind them. The Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders published a study reviewing the literature for plants that have anti-obesity properties and discovered that black seed oil was among the most effective natural remedies on the planet" Finally, say you've got allergies and want to get rid of them. Well, considering they're good for asthma, it's probably good for your allergies too.
VERY WELL HEALTH says that "Black seed oil shows promise in the treatment of allergies. In a 2011 study published in the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OTOLARYNGOLOGY, black seed oil was found to reduce the presence of nasal congestion and itching, runny nose, and sneezing after two weeks." However, sometimes black seed oil can cause allergic reactions, especially if you're using it for skin care.
While DR. AXE.COM reports that "In a study conducted by Iranian researchers, Nigella Sativa was found as effective in improving quality of life and decreasing severity of hand eczema." they also say you could get an allergic reaction from the stuff. This is confirmed by HEALTH LINE, who says that "topical black seed oil can cause allergic reactions". However, this is right after they were talking about how good the stuff might be for caring for your liver. This is confirmed by VERY WELL HEALTH, who says that "In a recent animal model study, scientists discovered that black seed oil benefits the function of the liver and prevents both damage and disease".
And so, our list of the health benefits of the black seed oil is complete. What did you think? Are you going to add this stuff to your routine? Did we miss any of the best health benefits that have to do with this awesome stuff? Let us know what you think of black seed oil in the comments section below.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. You should never use content in my writing as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or another qualified clinician. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if indicated for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog. Thank you.