Black seed oil is an extract that comes from the seed of a flowering plant called Nigella Sativa. It is known by many names: Black sesame, roman coriander, black cumin, onion seed and black caraway. Most often, it is simply called black seed – mainly because of the way it looks.
This seed has been known for its medicinal qualities for thousands of years. The earliest record of black seed being used was back in the time of ancient Egypt. Proof of this lies in the tomb of King Tut – which means it was used more than 3,000 years ago. Even the great Prophet Mohammed referred to the black seed as “a remedy for all diseases except death.” Arabs call this the Habbatul barakah or the “seed of blessing.”
But what exactly are the benefits of using black seed oil? Here are the different ailments that it can help with.
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Cough
- Bronchitis
- Hypertension
- Headaches
- Toothaches
- Intestinal worms
- Nasal congestion
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- Various infections (abscesses)
- Diarrhea
- Colic
- Constipation
- Kidney and liver ailments
- Hemorrhoids
- Flu
- Rheumatism
- Emphysema
- Swine flu
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Various skin conditions
The list can go on and on when it comes to the ailments that black seed oil can help with. There is no doubt about its medicinal benefits. It is quite effective in boosting a person’s immune system. But beyond that, there are also other uses for it. For instance, some women can swear that this is an effective alternative for birth control pills. It can also help start menstruation and even increase the milk flow of breastfeeding mothers.
The reason why black seed oil is so medicinally valuable is because of its therapeutic elements. The important ingredients of the Nigella Sativa seed includes proteins (8 to 9 amino acids), saponin, alkaloid, fixed oil, and essential oil. The noted nutritional components of this seed also include vitamins, carbohydrates, fats and other mineral elements.
There are various ways that you can use black seed oil. You can mix it with other oil extracts, honey, yogurt, and even your morning beverage. You can also rub a small amount and place it on your skin to help heal any cuts or skin allergy that you may have.
You may also perform oil pulling.
Oil pulling is a therapeutic practice that is said to be part of a healing system in India known as Ayurveda. Having originated more than 3,000 years ago, Oil Pulling is proven to be effective in, primarily, improving the oral health of a person.
The process of oil pulling is actually very simple. Also known as oil swishing, this practice involves literally swishing oil in your mouth for 10 to 20 minutes. When you do, you will notice that the oil will start to turn milky in substance. That is an indication that it is doing its cleansing work well.
This practice, depending on what oil you will swirl in your mouth, can help cure around 30 systemic diseases. In most cases, only one type of oil is swirled around the mouth. However, you can feel free to mix it with other essential oils to improve the taste.
This traditional Indian remedy can prevent bleeding gums, tooth decay, cracked lips, and throat dryness. Oil pulling therapy can fight against both clinical and microbiological gingivitis that is induced by plaque in the mouth.
Oil pulling can use various extracts like sunflower oil, olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil or black seed oil. All of these extracts have their own strengths and can help heal a multitude of ailments. Black seed oil is a popular choice for those who practice oil pulling because of its various therapeutic elements.
The best time to perform oil pulling is in the morning – specifically first thing when you wake up. In case you want to do it twice a day, you need to wait at least 4 hours after you have eaten. You are allowed to drink liquids until 1 hour before you want to perform oil pulling.
You can start with 1 teaspoon and then gradually increase the quantity until you reach 1 tablespoon. Most people dislike the taste of black seed oil, if you feel like it is making you gag, you can add another type of oil – like sesame, sunflower, castor, oregano or olive oil to help make it taste better. Although it is advised that you swirl the oil in your mouth for at least 10 minutes, it is okay to start with 5 minutes if you find it hard. You can gradually make it longer as you do it everyday.
Some people, especially those who are in a hurry in the morning, choose to do this while they are showering. Multi tasking will help you find time to do this every morning. However, be very careful that you do not swallow when it has already turned milky. You need to spit it out because it contains a lot of live bacteria and organisms that can be poisonous. You would be swallowing the harmful bacteria and organisms that were just cleansed from your body.
If you are finding it hard to not swallow, that simply means you have a lot of the black seed oil in your mouth. It is okay to spit it out and start with a smaller amount. If you are ready to spit it out, try not to spit the milky substance in the sink. First of all, it is still oil. It can clog your sink. Not only that, the milky substance is poisonous. It is better to spit it out in the toilet or the trash can.
Although black seed oil pulling can help you with various ailments, it is important that you do not ignore other oral hygiene practices. You still need to brush your teeth and floss.
Because of the therapeutic elements in black seed oil, you need to expect that you will feel a bit lethargic after oil pulling. This is a normal reaction. In case you are just about to start, it is advised that you detox at least two weeks before. That way, you will not feel the rush of bad toxins as you swirl the black seed oil in your mouth.
John M. is a health and nutrition enthusiast and a contributor at NutritionFox.com. If you’d like to connect please do so by liking and/or following their Facebook and Twitter.
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3642442/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4387228/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25847566
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/black-seed-remedy-everything-death
http://draxe.com/black-seed-oil-benefits/
http://theblessedseed.blogspot.com/2011/03/black-seed-is-herb-that-has-been-used.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3931197/
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/oil-pulling
