7 health benefits of black seed oil
The benefits of black seed oil are varied and have many nutrients that are essential for the overall health of the whole body and also for beauty. Furthermore, out of the 630 peer-reviewed scientific articles that have been published on the benefits of Black Seed Oil , one fact is clear: there are few issues that it cannot help the body overcome. With virtually no side effects, the healing ability of black seed is truly unbelievable and boggles the minds of most Americans who have never heard of it!
Benefits of Black Seed Oil:
The uniqueness of Southwest Asian Nigella sativa seeds is first realized by the many names to which it refers:
- black cumin
- black caraway
- black sesame
- onion seed
- Roman coriander
“Black seed” is actually more of a description than a proper name, but it is preferred because it helps to distinguish it from caraway and cumin. Many health experts claim that it is, in fact, a real panacea; able to help treat everything from allergies to hypertension .
Quite possibly, more promising research has been done linking Nigella sativa to multidrug-resistant bacteria. This is a big deal because so-called “superbugs” are becoming a significant public health risk. According to the National Institute of Health:
Bacteria and viruses that are resistant to antimicrobials are becoming virtually untreatable; including HIV, staphylococcus, tuberculosis, influenza, gonorrhea, candida and malaria. Between 5 and 10% of all hospital patients develop a superbug infection.
More than 90,000 of these patients die each year, compared to 13,300 patient deaths in 1992. People infected with superbugs often have longer hospital stays, require more complicated treatment, and don’t recover either.
A study conducted by researchers has determined how Black Seed Oil can be used against some of these superbugs and compared it to various antibiotics such as amoxicillin, gatifloxacin and tetracycline. According to the study, “of the 144 samples tested, most were resistant to various antibiotics, 97 were inhibited by Black Seed Oil .”
Next to oregano oil, few things on the planet can boast of the potency of these microbes. The study found that black seed oil was effective against bacteria such as P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, which are resistant to multiple drugs.
The key to understanding why black seed oils benefit the body in this way is because it is rich in three key natural chemicals: thymoquinone (TQ), thymohydroquinone (THQ) and thymol.
The power behind the benefits: Phytochemicals
In an effort to offer a solution to the growing problem of antifungal resistance that people have with yeast and fungus, a recent study was conducted with the aim of determining whether Black Seed Oil could help. Scientists tested thymol, TQ and THQ against 30 human pathogens and were surprised to find that:
- Each compound showed 100% inhibition for the 30 pathogens evaluated.
- Thymoquinone was the best antifungal compound against all dermatophytes and yeasts tested, followed by thymohydroquinone and thymol.
- Thymol was the best antifungal against fungi, followed by TQ and THQ.
What this study tells us is that Black Seed Oil carries a very unique chemical compound that is not only effective individually but more importantly collectively.
It is essentially proven that fungi and bacteria cannot exist in the presence of these phytochemicals. No wonder why researchers are looking to solve the superbug problem with Black Seed Oil .
Thymoquinone – An active ingredient in black seed, researchers have been investigating TQ since the 1960s. It is well known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties that have been reported to aid in encephalomyelitis, diabetes, asthma and carcinogenesis.
Interestingly, thymoquinone acts as a free radical or an effective superoxide radical scavenger, as well as preserving the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase.
Both glutathione peroxidase and S-transferase are touted to be great detoxifiers and help greatly in cellular antioxidant defense systems because they protect the liver from toxins.
Thymohydroquinone – Similar to thymoquinone, thymohydroquinone is one of the most potent natural acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors on the planet. AChE inhibitors are chemicals that impede enzyme activity, which increases the amount of time and amount of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine remains active in the brain.
To give you an idea of their usefulness, pharmaceutical grade acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are used medicinally to treat a wide range of conditions, including:
- Apathy
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Autism
- Glaucoma
- Insanity
- Myasthenia gravis
- neurodegenerative problems
- Postural Tachycardia Syndrome
- Schizophrenia
- Parkinson disease
Considering that pharmaceutical treatment for these diseases comes at a great cost to the patient, she offers much hope to millions of people who want to learn that these safe plant-based solutions are a viable alternative!
Thymol – The active ingredient that gives thyme essential oil its medicinal properties, thymol is a naturally occurring monoterpene that contains several useful qualities. For example:
- It is commonly used as a tuberculocide and virucide to kill tuberculosis and various viruses.
- It is used as a medical and general purpose disinfectant.
- It is a fast-degrading and non-persistent pesticide.
- It is also used in food flavorings, perfumes, mouthwashes and even cosmetics.
Benefits:
Of the many ways that black seed oil benefits the body, the seven benefits that stand out in the scientific literature emphasize its ability to prevent cancer, diabetes, obesity, hair loss, skin diseases, and infections like MRSA. So, now check out the 7 Health Benefits of Black Seed Oil:
1. Treating cancer:
Croatian researchers evaluated the antitumor activity of thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone in mice and found that the two phytochemicals present in Black Seed Oil can result in a 52% decrease in tumor cells.
Being rich in chemicals, black seed is unique in that it can prevent and treat cancer through a variety of mechanisms:
- anti-proliferation
- apoptosis induction
- cell cycle arrest
- Generation of reactive oxygen species
- anti-metastasis
- anti-angiogenesis
The antitumor effects of thymoquinone were also investigated in xenograft tumor mouse models for colon, prostate, pancreas and lung cancer. The combination of thymoquinone and chemotherapeutic drugs could produce greater therapeutic effect, as well as reduce thymus toxicity.
2. Liver health:
The liver is one of Organs most important organs in the body. Almost all toxins are processed by the liver, and liver bile is critical to digesting fats and keeping your mind and body happy and healthy.
Those who have struggled with poor liver function due to medication side effects, alcohol consumption or illness, Black Seed Oil can greatly speed up the healing process. In a recent study, scientists found that black seed oil benefits liver function and helps prevent damage and disease.
3. Diabetes:
Researchers point out that Black Seed Oil “causes gradual regeneration of pancreatic beta cells, increases reduced serum insulin concentrations, and lowers elevated serum glucose.” This is actually pretty profound because black seed is one of the few substances on the planet that is suggested to prevent type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
In fact, according to the study, black seed “improves glucose tolerance as efficiently as metformin; yet it has no significant adverse effects and has very low toxicity.” This is HUGE because metformin, one of the most commonly prescribed type 2 diabetes drugs, can cause a number of side effects, including:
- Swelling
- constipation/diarrhea
- skin flush
- Gas/Indigestion
- Asia
- Headache
- nail changes
- metallic taste in the mouth
- Dor muscular
- Stomachache
4. Accelerate weight loss:
A study was published that systematically reviewed the literature of plants that have anti-obesity properties and found that Black Seed Oil was among the most effective natural remedies on the planet.
Considered for the treatment of obesity, black seed is a wonderful anti-inflammatory agent that is known to help people lose weight in the same way it helps diabetics.
Specifically, by decreasing these weight gainers, Black Seed Oil has helped millions in shedding excess weight:
- Appetite
- Glucose absorption in the intestine
- hepatic gluconeogenesis
- blood glucose levels
- Cholesterol
- triglycerides
5. Good for hair:
Probably one of the most unique benefits of Black Seed Oil is its incredible ability to help restore hair loss. Nobody understands why this happens, but it’s not too hard to guess that it has something to do with its powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
By strengthening hair follicles, there is good reason to see how Black Seed Oil can promote hair root strengthening.
6. Improve skin health:
Produced in the retina, choroid and epidermis, melanin are pigments that protect the skin from damage. It is the main chemical responsible for giving color to our eyes and skin individually. Known to promote and inhibit melanogenesis (melanin production), the benefits of Black Seed Oil on the skin and other cells are profoundly healing.
For example, in a study by Iranian researchers, black seed was found to be as effective as Betamethasone skin cream in improving quality of life and decreasing the severity of hand eczema. When considering that Black Seed Oil has virtually no side effects, Nigella’s benefits actually far exceed medical intervention!
7. Treats infections:
Of all the superbugs that Black Seed Oil can kill, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important. MRSA is affecting hospitals and nursing homes around the world because common staph infections are becoming resistant to generic antibiotics.
The elderly population is especially at risk because it is often associated with invasive procedures such as surgery, IV tubes, and artificial joints. Mainly due to weakened immunity, the growing elderly population has made MRSA a global public health risk.
Fortunately, one of the strongest benefits of Black Seed Oil can help. Pakistani scientists caught several MRSA bacteria and found that each was sensitive to N. Sativa, proving that Black Seed Oil can slow or stop MRSA from spreading out of control.