Black Seed, what is it?
Nigella sativa or Black Seed herb is a flowering herb native to the Middle East and southwest Asia. The seeds of the fruit are used as a spice, in confectionery, in food, and in liquors. Also known as Black Cumin, Kalonji, Habbat Al-Barakah or Seed of Blessing, in the traditional healing systems of the region, Black Seed is used as a natural digestive aid.
Why does it help boost your immune system?
The immune system boosting properties of Black Seed was noted in (Ibn Sina) Avicenna’s 1025 A.D. Canon of Medicine, who used the seed for stimulating the body's energy and speed recovery from fatigue.
Black Seed contains over 100 valuable components and is a significant source of fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates and other vitamins and minerals. Today it is used as a good source of energy, to detoxify and rejuvenate the body, aid in digestion, boost the body’s natural immune system and ease cough and colds, to name just a few.
Black Seeds anti-inflammatory properties for conditions such as rheumatism and inflammatory disease were studied in 1960 by a group of scientists from the Department of Pharmacy at Kings College in London. They tested black seed oil and its derivative thyomoquinone as an anti-inflammatory agent. What they discovered was that the Black Seed oil possessed antioxidant activity and it inhibited certain types of short lived local tissue hormone responsible for inflammation. The antioxidants in the oil helped to slow the cartilage degeneration. The inhibitory effect suggested to the researchers that other compounds in the oil might be responsible for the enhanced anti-inflammatory reactions in cells. They concluded that pharmacological properties of Black Seed and its derived products support the traditional use of Black Seed as a treatment for rheumatism and related inflammatory diseases.
With all the benefits of Black Seed, incorporating it into your daily routine is easy. To make a warm healthy tea mix black seed (crushed) and pure honey with warm water. This tea can also help when you have a cough and cold and to help ease intestinal gas.
While there is still more to be studied on the benefits of black seed, it seems as though it can be helpful for a wide variety of ailments. More importantly though, as with most nutritional and healthy substances it should be incorporated into an overall holistic approach to one’s everyday health so that its healing properties can help build the body's immune system over time, supplying it with the optimum resources it needs to help prevent and fight illness.