Black seed

Nigella sativa · उपकुञ्चिका

Seeds & Grains. Middle Eastern & Unani, Ayurveda and African.

Also called Kalonji, Black cumin, Nigella, Habbat al-barakah

Spanish: Comino negro

Sanskrit: उपकुञ्चिका (Upakunchika)

Can lower blood sugar

Tiny black seeds from a flowering plant, used as a spice and in traditional remedies for many complaints.

Did you know? The plant belongs to the buttercup family, and its pale blue flowers grow inside a ring of leafy bracts.

What it may help, and how strong the proof is

Blood sugar. Several small trials in type 2 diabetes found modest drops in blood sugar. Studies are short and vary in quality.
Early proof
Breathing & asthma. Small trials in asthma found mild gains in symptoms and breathing. Results are mixed.
Early proof
Blood pressure. A few small trials found small blood pressure drops. Larger trials are lacking.
Early proof

Parts of the body

Pancreas & blood sugar, Lungs, Heart & vessels

Traditional use

Arabic (Unani) and Ayurvedic medicine have used the seed and its oil for coughs, digestion and skin problems. Cooks across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia use it in breads and pickles.

How it is classified

Herbal actions: Carminative, Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant. Energy: warming.
Ayurveda: Calms Vata and Kapha. Can raise Pitta. Taste (rasa): pungent, bitter. Energy (virya): heating. After digestion (vipaka): pungent.

How people take it

Seeds are sprinkled on bread or added to curries. Oil is taken by the spoon or as capsules. Studies used different daily amounts, and no safe dose is set.

Food, oil and capsule.

Where to get it

The plant is grown in Southwest Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and parts of Africa. Whole seeds are sold in spice shops, and oil or capsules are sold in supplement stores. Pick brands that test for purity.

Be careful

Safe as food. Some people get stomach upset, and the oil can cause skin reactions. Avoid medicine amounts in pregnancy, since the seed has a long history as a period-starting remedy.

Avoid if: pregnancy; low blood pressure; before surgery.

Mixing with other things

Works well together
Traditional remedies mix the seed or its oil with honey.
Use caution
Blood pressure medicine (lisinopril, amlodipine, losartan)
May add to the blood pressure lowering effect of medicines.
Use caution
Diabetes medicine (metformin, insulin, glipizide, Ozempic)
May lower blood sugar. Watch your levels if you take diabetes medicine.
Worth knowing
Blood thinners (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Plavix, daily aspirin)
May slow platelet clumping in lab tests. Human data are limited.

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The honest take

Black seed has many small trials, but most are short, weak, or run by the same few research groups. The best evidence is for small changes in blood sugar and blood pressure. Big claims about cancer or infections are not proven in people.