There are thousands of herbal remedies that have been implemented in traditional medicine over many centuries. However, perhaps no other herb has received quite as much attention as black seed.
In this article, we’ll go over the benefits of black seed, including its beneficial nutrients and bioactive compounds. We’ll also look at black seed’s safety and history.
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What is Black Seed?
Black seed, also called black cumin or Nigella sativa, is a flowering plant found in many parts of the world. Specifically, it is native to Southeastern Europe (particularly the Mediterranean), Southwestern Asia, and Northern Africa.
This flowering shrub produces fruits that contain many tiny black seeds, which is where it gets its descriptive name.
Black seed contains numerous nutrients and bioactive compounds and is a significant source of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
One of the most well-known bioactive components of Nigella sativa is thymoquinone, which offers many potential health benefits.
Black seed also contains many other beneficial nutrients besides thymoquinone, including:
- Iron, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals
- B-complex vitamins (e.g thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid)
- Linoleic acid
- Palmitic acid
- Stigmasterol and other phytosterols
- Tocopherols
- Glycosides
- Essential oils
Health Benefits of Black Seed:
Black seed evidently has many different nutrients and compounds, and research has identified quite a few potential health benefits of black seed and its compounds.
It is particularly exciting to see a significant amount of human clinical research involving Nigella sativa.
Overall, black seed benefits the body in the following ways:
1. Anti-Diabetic Properties
Due to its various nutritional compounds, research suggests that black seed benefits blood sugar and has other anti-diabetic effects.
First, in a placebo-controlled clinical trial with 114 type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients, those who supplemented with Nigella sativa had significantly improved markers of blood sugar balance. Specifically, they had lower levels of fasting blood sugar and HbA1C (a marker that measures your average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months).
In a randomized trial, supplementing with black seed oil and a hypoglycemic drug resulted in significantly lower HbA1C levels in 99 metabolic syndrome patients after 20 days.
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