Black Cumin was discovered in Tutankhamen's tomb, implying that it played an important role in ancient Egyptian practices. Although its exact role in Egyptian culture is not known, we do know that items entombed 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 in the Old Testament. Isaiah contrasts the reaping of black cumin with wheat: For the black cumin is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor is a cart wheel rolled over the cumin, but the black cumin is beaten out with a stick, and the cumin with a rod. (Isaiah 28:25,27 NKJV).

Easton's Bible Dictionary clarifies that the Hebrew word for black cumin, "ketsah," refers to "without doubt the Nigella sativa, a small annual of the order Ranunculaceae which grows wild in the Mediterranean countries and is cultivated in Egypt and Syria for its seed." Dioscoredes, a Greek physician of the 1st century, recorded that black seeds were taken to treat headaches, nasal congestion, toothache and intestinal worms. They were also used, he reported, as a diuretic to promote menstruation and increase milk production. The Muslim scholar al-Biruni (973-1048), who composed a treatise on the early origins of Indian and Chinese drugs, mentions that the black seed is a kind of grain called alwanak in the Sigzi dialect. Later, this was confirmed by Suhar Bakht who explained it to be habb-i-Sajzi (viz. Sigzi grains). This reference to black seed as "grains" points to the seed's possible nutritional use during the tenth and eleventh centuries.

In the Greco-Arab/Unani-Tibb system of medicine, which originated from Hippocrates, his contemporary Galen and Ibn Sina, black seed has been regarded as a valuable remedy in hepatic and digestive disorders and has been described as a stimulant in a variety of conditions, ascribed to an imbalance of cold humors. Ibn Sina (980-1037), most famous for his volumes called "The Canon of Medicine," regarded by many as the most famous book in the history of medicine, East or West, refers to black seed as the seed "that stimulates the body's energy and helps recovery from fatigue or dispiritedness." Black seed is also included in the list of natural drugs of Al-Tibb al-N abawi, and according to tradition, "Hold onto the use of the black seed for in it is healing for all illnesses except death." This prophetic reference in describing black seed as "having a healing for all illnesses" is not exaggerated as it at first appears. Recent research has provided evidence, which indicates that black seed contains an ability to significantly boost the human immune system - if taken over time. The prophetic phrase, "hold onto the use of the seed," also emphasizes consistent usage of the seed. Black seed has been traditionally used in the Middle and Far East countries for centuries to treat ailments including bronchial asthma and bronchitis, rheumatism and related inflammatory diseases, to increase milk production in nursing mothers, to treat digestive disturbances, to support the body's immune system, to promote digestion and elimination and to fight parasitic infestation. Its oil has been used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and boils and is used topically to treat cold symptoms. The many uses of black seed have earned for this ancient herb the Arabic approbation habbatul barakah, meaning "the seed of blessing."

Chemical Analysis

Black Seed brand Oil contains several ingredients (in significant amounts) with potential value. Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) Seed is rich in nutritional values. Monosaccharides (single molecule sugars) in the form of glucose, rhamnose, xylose, and arabinose are found in the black seed. The Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) Seed contains a non-starch polysaccharide component, which is a useful source of dietary fiber. It is rich in fatty acids, particularly the unsaturated and essential fatty acids (Linoleic and Linolenic acid). The EFAs, consisting of alpha-Linolenic acid (omega-3) and Linoleic acid (omega-6), are substances that cannot be manufactured in the body, and thus must be taken in as supplements or through high-EFA foods. Fifteen amino acids make up the protein content of the Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) Seed, including eight of the nine essential amino acids. Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized within our body in sufficient quantities and are thus required from our diet. Black seed contains Arginine, which is essential for infant growth. Chemical analysis has further revealed that the Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) Seed contains carotene, which is converted by the liver into vitamin A. The Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) Seed is also a source of calcium, iron, sodium, and potassium. Required only in small amounts by the body, these elements' main function is to act as essential cofactors in various enzyme functions.

Black Seed contains over 100 valuable components. It is a significant source of essential fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates and other vitamins and minerals. "The seeds are also rich in sterols, especially beta-sitosterol, which is known to have anticarcinogenic activity". Dr. Michael Tierra, L.AC. OMD.

Black Seed stimulates bone marrow and immune cells, protects normal cells against cell destroying effects of viruses, destroys tumor cells and raises the number of anti-bodies producing B cells. Cancer Immuno-biology Lab, Southern California

Black Seed proves to have an anti-histamine, anti-oxidant, anti-biotic, anti-mycotic and broncho-dilating effect. Study of Black seed oil on humans, American Scientists

Black Seed is a valuable source of protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, B1, B2, C and niacin as well as minerals such as calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Phytochemicals of Nigella Sativa seeds. Food Chemistry