Black cumin: A Traditional Natural Remedy
Black cumin, or Nigella sativa (N. sativa), is a flowering plant valued for its range of medicinal properties. Its seed extract and oil have been used for centuries as a natural…
Black cumin, or Nigella sativa (N. sativa), is a flowering plant valued for its range of medicinal properties. Its seed extract and oil have been used for centuries as a natural treatment for many conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and digestive complaints. Much of this activity is attributed to thymoquinone, the main constituent of black cumin seed oil, which has hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer effects.
How black cumin may help against cancer
Black cumin activates a self-destructive mechanism in cancer cells and inhibits their growth and proliferation by affecting their genetic pathways. Studies have shown effects across various types of cancer, including leukaemia, brain tumours, and liver, breast, kidney, stomach, prostate and bladder cancers, as well as melanoma.
It may also complement conventional treatment. Black cumin can be used synergistically with different chemotherapy regimens, enhancing their effectiveness while reducing side effects and the problem of drug resistance. In addition, it enhances the activity of natural killer (NK) cells — a type of immune cell — in fighting cancer cells.
How black cumin is taken
Black seed oil can be taken in either capsule or liquid form. The dose recommended for an anti-cancer effect is 1,000–2,000 mg per day.
What the research suggests
There are many studies on the anti-cancer effects of black cumin. Several explain how it causes the death of cancer cells and set out the mechanisms by which it acts on them. Others review its wider use as a natural remedy, explore the biological properties of thymoquinone, its main constituent, and describe how it enhances the effect of NK cells on cancer.
- How black cumin causes the death of cancer cellsncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- The various uses of black cumin as a natural remedyncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- The mechanisms of black cumin on cancer cellsncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- The biological properties of thymoquinonencbi.nlm.nih.gov
- How black cumin enhances the effect of NK cells on cancerpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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