Black Seed is used in many naturopathic products today.  It is known for its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and has an immune-enhancing effect on human T-cell production.  It is rich in amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, fixed and volatile oils, alkaloids, saponins* and crude fiber as well as minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron and sodium.

*Saponins are glycoside compounds often referred to as a “natural detergent” and are known to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

People who understand natural food diets know that seeds are a hugely important source of vital nutrients.  Seeds are fertilized, ripened ovules of plants and are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, vegetable proteins and unsaturated fats.

Black Seed is not well known in the West although is used extensively elsewhere in the world and has a 3,000 year old history.  References to Black Seed can be found in some of the oldest religious and medical texts.  It is also known as Black Cumin Seed.

Black Cumin differs from the Cumin we commonly use as a kitchen herb. It is indigenous to the Mediterranean and it also cultivated in Saudi Arabia, along parts of the North African coast and in Asia.  The common English name for Nigella Sativa is ‘Love in a Mist’.

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Black Seed was found in Tutankhamen’s tomb, implying that it played an important role in Ancient Egyptian practices. Its exact role we don’t know but items embodies with a King were carefully selected to assist him in the afterlife.

The earliest written reference to Black Seed is found in the Book of Isaiah 28:26,27   Avicenna, the renowned Persian philosopher and physician who wrote the classic text The Canon of Medicine refers to Black Seed as the seed “that stimulates the body’s energy and helps recovery from fatigue or dispiritedness.”  An ancient Arabic proverb states: “Hold onto the Black Seed, for in it is healing for all illnesses except death.”

These passages are the inspiration for Unani Tibb Middle Eastern medicine which recognises Black Seed as a natural remedy for maintaining and storing body heat and dryness.

In Unani Tibb it is believed that a reduced metabolic rate (innate heat) is the cause of most illnesses.  The body, in losing energy also loses its ability to dispose of toxins, resulting in a greater chance of contracting illness.   Many natural health practitioners believe that Western diet tends to produce phlegm (wetness).

Traditionally Black Seed has been used in the Middle and Far East as a panacea for a variety of ailments including bronchitis, asthma, headaches, rheumatism and related inflammatory conditions, digestive disturbances, insomnia and parasite infection.  It is also used for increasing milk production in nursing mothers and bolstering immunity. Its oil is used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and boils and it is used topically to treat cold symptoms. The Arabic text Medicines of the Prophets lists as many as fifty illnesses for which Black Seed has effective healing qualities.  Its many uses have earned it the Arabic honour Habbatul Barakah - The Seed of Blessing.

Over 150 research papers have confirmed many of the healing properties attributed to Black Seed, especially in regard to allergies, asthma, fungal infections and immune disorders. The prophetic reference to Black Seed having a remedy for every illness may not be as exaggerated as it first appears.  Recent research has provided evidence that Black Seed can significantly boost the immune system, especially if taken over time.

Among the hundreds of biologically active compounds in Black Seed are the volatile oils of thymoquinoline and dithymoquinone.  These phytochemicals strongly inhibit an enzyme that contributes to pain and prevents the release of histamine from mast cells.  Histamine often causes an allergic reaction and is associated with respiratory conditions such as bronchial asthma.

The compounds in Black Seed Oil have also been demonstrated to inhibit tumour cells in laboratory experiments – even those resistant to anti-cancer drugs.  One study showed that when incubated with Black Seed extract, cancer cells were unable to produce chemicals necessary for blood vessel growth. Without a blood supply, a tumour cannot grow.

Human studies also verify the immune-boosting action of Black Seed.  Subjects who took Black Seed capsules displayed a 72% increase in helper to suppressor T-cell ratio, as ell as in increase in NK (natural killer) cell function activity.  These findings suggest that Black Seed could play an important role in the treatment of cancer, AIDS, and other immune deficient states.

It can also be found in many market places.  I’m not sure I would be entirely happy with the quality of Black Cumin found in supermarkets today so look for somewhere more reliable to source it. You can crush the seeds to use in drinks, curries or as a pepper substitute.  Black Seed also comes as a honey syrup that can be added to drinks, cereals, yoghurt and desserts.

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