(Editorial note 8/13/2023): while animal studies have shown that black cumin seed can stop the growth of tumor cells and reduce the incidence of tumors, we have clarified that there needs to be more clinical human studies to measure efficacy in people)
Black seed oil can help many issues, making it a beneficial alternative to modern medicine. The oil is made from black cumin seeds and has few side effects. It is aromatic, flavorful, and easy to find uses for this oil.
Black seed oil contains the phytonutrients thymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, and thymol. These three phytonutrients are the reason for the many beneficial uses of black seed oil. Learning the benefits of this oil can motivate you to start using it in your daily life.
As you incorporate the oil into your life, you’ll experience many health and beauty benefits. It also contains antioxidants, allowing it to be a leading beauty ingredient. The history of using black cumin seed oil dates back over 2000 years, but new research shows the reason for its popularity.
Why Black Seed Oil Can Be Good for You
When you use black seed oil, you can eat it with other foods or apply it directly to your skin. The way you use it will depend on the benefits you’re hoping to get from it. Once you know the benefits of the oil, you’ll want to start using it immediately.
1. Black Seed Oil Promotes Weight Loss
According to the Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, this oil contains anti-obesity properties. Studies indicate that people who supplement with this oil experience fewer risk factors for obesity.
Further scientific reviews compared a seed oil supplement to a placebo and found promising results. The study group that received a supplement lost more weight than those taking a placebo.
Supplementation has been proven to decrease waist circumference and body mass index. During that study, it was also reaffirmed that seed supplementation has no severe side effects. As one of the best natural remedies for weight loss, it is an effective way to live healthier lives.
2. It Helps Treat Infections
Research shows that black seed oil can help treat infections, superbugs, and staphylococcus aureus. Staph infections, including MRSA, are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, but this oil can help. The oil can help slow down infections, helping get them under control before they spread.
Some of the properties in this oil have antifungal properties, too, allowing it to kill yeasts and molds. It contains phytochemicals that help you heal and overcome infections that interfere with your health.
Additionally, this seed oil can help with allergies and sinus infections. The oil can improve your symptoms if you suffer from nasal congestion, itching, runny nose, or sneezing. It helps because it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihistaminic, immune-modulator, antimicrobial, and analgesic effects.
Further studies show that oil can be more effective than pharmaceutical antibiotics. The study compared it to Amoxicillin, Gatifloxacin, and Tetracycline; the oil proved to work better in many cases.
3. It Helps Fights Cancer
(Editorial note 8/13/2023): while animal studies have shown that black cumin seed can stop the growth of tumor cells and reduce the incidence of tumors, there need to be more clinical human studies to measure efficacy)
This oil’s phytochemicals and antioxidant capabilities have been shown to fight cancer in animal studies. Scientists studied the anti-tumor activity and found that the phytochemicals thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone decreased tumor cells by approximately 52%.
Other research shows that the oil helps kill leukemia, pancreatic, breast cancer, and brain tumor cells. Thymoquinone is the most abundant part of the oil, and it triggers programmed cell death in unhealthy cells. The anti-inflammatory properties also help it fight cancer.
While an oil supplement shouldn’t replace traditional cancer treatments, it can be used simultaneously. Make sure your doctor knows that you are supplementing to ensure it doesn’t interfere with anything.
4. Black Seed Oil Protects Your Skin
Studies show that this oil can be as effective as a skin cream for improving skin conditions. It helps improve symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, acne, and other uncomfortable ailments. The oil helps improve your quality of life as it decreases the severity of your issues.
One difference between store-bought creams and this natural oil is that the oil doesn’t have side effects. When you buy skin creams, you risk being allergic or sensitive to at least one of the ingredients. Using the oil ensures that you don’t use chemicals or other ingredients that could irritate your skin.
5. It Boosts Fertility
Researchers found that this oil can improve fertility in men. They did studies using infertile males as their test group to determine if the oil could help them. The results showed that most men in the test group experienced improved sperm count, sperm motility, and semen volume.
6. It Improves Liver Health
As one of the essential organs in your body, you must take care of your liver. Your liver processes the toxins that enter your body. Plus, your liver bile digests fats and promotes a healthy mind and body.
Pharmaceutical medications can damage your liver function, but this oil doesn’t do that. It can help you process toxins without interfering with your liver health.
Additionally, this oil can help heal your liver from the effects of alcohol consumption or disease. It speeds up the healing process and helps your body process toxins more effectively.
7. It Helps Maintain Cholesterol
One of the best science-backed reasons to try seed oil is that it helps maintain cholesterol. One study shows that after six weeks of an oil supplement, diabetic subjects experience decreased cholesterol.
The decrease included total cholesterol but showed a significant decline in LDL cholesterol, which is the unhealthy cholesterol that you want to avoid. Because of the reduced cholesterol, there was also a decrease in glucose levels. Plus, the HDL cholesterol levels increased, which is good cholesterol.
When you maintain healthy cholesterol levels, it improves your heart health in addition to promoting overall health. Test subjects that took black seed supplements showed improved systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
8. Black Seed Oil Helps Fight Disease
Researchers have found that this oil helps fight diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. It causes regeneration of cells, increases serum insulin concentrations, and decreases serum glucose.
Black seed oil is one of the few substances on the earth that helps treat and prevent diabetes. It improves glucose tolerance just as well as prescription drugs do. Plus, it doesn’t cause the adverse effects that pharmaceutical medications cause.
This oil helps with diabetes because it improves blood sugar and cholesterol levels. When those levels improve, diabetes symptoms and side effects also get better.
Additionally, this oil helps treat rheumatoid arthritis. Some who take supplements every day for one-month experience improvements in their symptoms. The test subjects also experience decreased inflammatory markers in their blood and less swelling in their joints.
9. It Improves Your Hair Health
While the health of your hair isn’t as essential as your physical health, it is still vital. If you want your hair to look good and healthy, this oil can make all the difference. The oil comes in store-bought hair care products, but you don’t have to buy those chemical-laden options.
This seed oil improves the appearance of your hair, but it also benefits your scalp health. The oil contains nigellone, an antihistamine that helps with hair loss. It also has antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
All those benefits make it easy to see why the oil improves your hair health. It promotes the overall health of your scalp but also reduces dandruff and dryness.
How to Add Black Seed Oil to the Menu
You can use this oil in the kitchen in a few different ways. It has a strong, spicy, bitter taste, but there are enjoyable ways to use it. You can add it to your chai tea, drizzle it in soup, or add it to curries and stir-fry dishes.
Another delicious way to use the oil is to use it on your salad. You won’t have to use a lot of it, and it’ll add plenty of flavor to your vegetables. Another option is to use it on your roasted vegetables and meat.
You can also use the oil topically by diluting it with a carrier oil such as coconut, almond, or jojoba oil. When determining how much to use, aim for using one or two drops of seed oil with a tablespoon of carrier oil.
When using the oil to improve your scalp and hair health, you can add it to your shampoo. Adding it to your shampoo ensures it reaches every part of your scalp and hair. Be careful not to let it get into your eyes because it can irritate sensitive areas.
Final Thoughts on Science-Backed Reasons to Try Using Black Seed Oil
Black seed oil is a common ingredient in beauty and healthcare products, but not many people know. It is a natural ingredient that you can use without other chemicals and harmful components. Once you know all the science-baked reasons for using it, you’ll quickly want to make it a regular part of your life.
You can cook with the oil, add it to your food, or apply it directly to your skin. It’s a versatile option; you don’t have to worry about undesirable side effects. The oil has been used for thousands of years without causing harm and is comparable to pharmaceutical products.
With all the benefits of black seed oil, you’ll want to start using it immediately. The benefits are too plentiful to ignore, from preventing and treating diseases to helping your immune system.
