What Herb Has Been Called “The Cure for Everything Except Death?”
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- By Valerie Blankenship, RH, AHG
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That would be Nigella sativa, commonly known as Black seed or Black Cumin seed, used for over 3,000 years in Southern Europe, North Africa, Southwest Asia and the Middle East, where it has a long history of religious and medicinal use. Although I was aware of the digestive benefits of Black seed used as an oil, the full range of Black seed uses did not come onto my radar until 2021, when a member of an alternative medicine think-tank I was a part of introduced me more of its powerful and far-reaching properties.
What Herb Has Been Called “The Cure for Everything Except Death?”
By Valerie Blankenship, RH, AHG
That would be Nigella sativa, commonly known as Black seed or Black Cumin seed, used for over 3,000 years in Southern Europe, North Africa, Southwest Asia and the Middle East, where it has a long history of religious and medicinal use. Although I was aware of the digestive benefits of Black seed used as an oil, the full range of Black seed uses did not come onto my radar until 2021, when a member of an alternative medicine think-tank I was a part of introduced me more of its powerful and far-reaching properties.
One of the most important constituent in Black seed is Thymoquinone (TQ), which makes up 30-48 percent of the essential oil of black seed oil, is antioxidant, antihistamine, antimicrobial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory, as well as an immune modulator. Studies have shown it to protect the stomach lining, liver, kidneys and brain. Data shows TQ to have a low level of adverse effects and no serious toxicity. Black seed oil also contains the antifungal constituent thymol.
But some of the most interesting research that has been done on Black seed oil is for its potential benefits for the thyroid. A 2016 Iranian study looked at the therapeutic use of black seed oil in people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Participants between the ages of 22 and 50 received either 2 grams per day of black seed oil, or 2 grams per day of a placebo, for eight weeks. At the end of the trial, the group receiving the black seed oil saw a reduction in weight, compared to the placebo group. Perhaps even more exciting to me, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels reduced from an average of 6.42 mIU/l to 4.13 mIU/l in the group receiving the black seed oil. This was a huge reduction in the span of 8 weeks! T3 also improved from an average of 0.92 mmol/l, to an average of 1.06 mmol/l. Both of these changes were statistically significant.
This study also had a meaningful impact on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), a protein that stimulates the formation of blood vessels and plays a specific role in the normal function and development of thyroid cells. Since then, Black seed oil is one of the most cited plants being used for treatment of hypothyroid disorders. black seed oil has also been shown to have a gastroprotective effect on the formation of stress-induced gastritis. One study found that administration of black seed oil to rats suffering from ulcers and lesions in their guts, showed a healing effect in only 15 days.
This is where it gets interesting for those who suffer from thyroid disorders. It is well-known in herbal circles, that Hashimoto’s disorder is often triggered by gut imbalances, infections, and excess histamine. According to research, Black seed oil has the potential to reduce histamine by decreasing inflammatory cells such as eosinophils, as well as by inhibiting the IgE immune response. H Pylori is a bacterial infection in the stomach that is common in those with Hashimoto’s. TQ acts as a biofilm disruptor, meaning that it can break through the protective coating that H. pylori uses to protect itself, allowing antibacterial components to reach the H. pylori bacteria and eradicate the infection.
Blood sugar imbalances are another common issue for those with thyroid disorders, and must be addressed as an additional root cause of Hashimoto’s or hypothyroid. Studies have shown Black seed oil to have glucose-lowering properties and may be helpful in increasing insulin sensitivity in human and animal studies. In one 3-month clinical trial with 94 diabetes patients, the black seed oil group experienced reduced blood sugar, both in fasting blood sugar and post-meal blood sugar.
Caution: black seed oil is a blood thinner, and shouldn’t be taken by those who have a bleeding disorder and/or are on blood thinners.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Black seed is available as an oil, softgels, bulk seeds to make do it yourself capsules, and our own Black seed tincture, prepared on-site.
https://www.sagewomanherbs.com/black-seed-cumin-oil-8-fl-oz.html
https://www.sagewomanherbs.com/black-cumin-seed-oil-60-softgels.html
https://www.sagewomanherbs.com/black-seed-tincture.html
https://www.sagewomanherbs.com/black-seed-whole.html
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