Roll Call

“Black Seed Oil?”Here!Nigella sativa oil

Plant

Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.

As a supplement

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.

Black seed oil is pressed from the seeds of Nigella sativa, a flowering plant traditionally used in Middle Eastern and South Asian cooking and folk medicine. Its main studied constituent is thymoquinone.

Why it’s used

Taken to support general metabolic health, including blood sugar and cholesterol markers, and sometimes for its anti-inflammatory reputation.

What the evidence says

There is no NIH ODS fact sheet for black seed oil. A number of small human trials and systematic reviews report modest improvements in blood sugar or lipid markers, but studies are generally small, short, and of variable quality, and thymoquinone content is not standardized across products.

Context

Trials have used a range of oil or seed powder doses over weeks to a few months, with inconsistent standardization of active compound content, making it difficult to compare results or identify an effective amount.

Rumors

  1. Black seed oil helps you lose weight.

    We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.

    What was measured is not yet noted.

    Who’s saying this

    • Natural Grocers — a retailer: natural grocery and supplement store chain
      How we know who this is
      • “Margaret and Philip Isely, struggling, idealistic young parents, started Natural Grocers with $200 and a dream—a dream that everyone should be able to afford a healthy and active lifestyle.” (their page)
      • “They would return a week or so later, discuss nutrition and take orders for supplements, bread, and other natural nourishing whole foods.” (their page)

  2. Black seed oil boosts the immune system.

    Unresolvedhealth and safety evidence

    What was measured is not yet noted.

    Who’s saying this

    • Erbology — a brand
      How we know who this is
      • “Here at Erbology, we love finding out about different functional foods from around the world.” (their page)

  3. Black seed oil cures every disease except death.

    Does not supporthealth and safety evidence

    What was measured is not yet noted.

    Who’s saying this

    • Erbology — a brand
      How we know who this is
      • “Here at Erbology, we love finding out about different functional foods from around the world.” (their page)

  4. Black seed oil lowers high blood pressure.

    Unresolvedhealth and safety evidence

    Studied in: hypertensive and normotensive adults.

    Measured as a biomarker.

    Who’s saying this

    • Natural Grocers — a retailer: natural grocery and supplement store chain
      How we know who this is
      • “Margaret and Philip Isely, struggling, idealistic young parents, started Natural Grocers with $200 and a dream—a dream that everyone should be able to afford a healthy and active lifestyle.” (their page)
      • “They would return a week or so later, discuss nutrition and take orders for supplements, bread, and other natural nourishing whole foods.” (their page)

  5. Black seed oil can damage the kidneys and cause dangerously low blood sugar.

    Does not supporthealth and safety evidence

    Studied in: rats (animal studies).

    Measured as a biomarker.

    Who’s saying this