Black Seed Oil and Black Cumin



Posted: Saturday, October 23, 2010

by Ben Mester
Plan B Publishing

I've been doing an extensive study on anti-inflammatory herbs recently, and I came across an oil that I hadn't heard of before called black seed oil, which has also been called black cumin. At first I thought it was just one of the many oils now constantly being extracted from seeds and explored by science. I found the opposite to be true, that black seed oil is something that cultures have been using for many hundreds of years for its health benefits. Black seed oil in fact has a history of 1400 years or so of use, and has been used to treat a host of different ailments, from things such as simple nervousness, to complex conditions like heart disease.

Black seed oil seems to be especially effective against respiratory ailments because it has an active agent that calms the nerves and is antispasmatic, and it also contains an active ingredient that helps support the bronchial tubes. But the reason why I'm intrigued by it is because it acts both as a detoxifier as well as an anti inflammatory. Those are two benefits which I've been researching heavily in recent days. Not only that, but black seed oil contains over 100 different nutrients that are all beneficial to the human body. This too I like, since one of my quests is to take as few supplements as possible.

As I mentioned earlier, there are over 100 nutrients in black seed oil that are beneficial to the body. And even though some medicinal practices with black seed oil direct the user to use it topically on the body, I like the idea better of ingesting it because then the body can use the valuable nutrients. So what's in black seed oil?

1. Fatty Acids. Black seed oil is literally a wealth of fatty acids, which are growing harder and harder to come by in the modern era. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find the right amounts and types of essential fatty acids in your standard diet. It contains both Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, making it very valuable. Why do I need fatty acids anyways? Fatty acids comprise the gray matter and working surface of your brain. If you have a deficiency in fatty acid intake, your brain function begins to suffer, which as you can imagine, can cause quite a few other problems.

2. Vitamins and Minerals. Black seed oil is rich in vitamins and minerals. It contains a host of different vital nutrients, things like thiamin, zinc, riboflavin, copper, plant proteins, and other vital nutrients.

Now that we've talked a bit about the big nutritional value of black seed oil, lets get a little bit into some of the various ailments that proponents claim it helps treat. The great thing about this supplement is that it's not only very nutritious, but it also helps soothe ailments. This is a very rare combination, to find something so nutritious, that can also alleviate disease. According to tradition and studies, black seed oil has been effective in treating:

1. Asthma and Coughing. As we talked about before, black seed oil has been used effectively in the treatment of certain respiratory conditions. One can rub black seed oil on their chest and back, inhale vapors of black seed oil and water, drink it in a tea, or take a tablespoon of it once or twice a day. I personally prefer drinking it in hot tea. The tea will help soothe the throat, and the vapors from inhaling the tea will help magnify the effect, as will the oil itself when it reaches the throat and stomach.

2. Heart Disease. Traditionally, black seed oil was seen as a heart healthy substance. Though it hasn't yet been fully verified and substantiated by science, black seed oil proponents claim that it has the power to cleanse the arteries and dissolve fats. The recommended way to consume it is in a cup of warm tea.

I hope you got some great information about black seed oil benefits. For more on healthy oils, check out another of my articles on pomegranate seed oil.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Mohd Tariq Salman
from Lucknow, India 1 year 189 days ago.
Black cumin (Nigella sativa) really has a lot of scientifically proven health benefits. In our own research leb, we found it to inhibit multiple antibiotics resistant bacteria and to have hepatoprotective activity against drug induced hepatotoxicity.
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