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A teaspoon a day may keep cholesterol away.
A popular spice used to flavor curry dishes like paneer is packed with health-boosting nutrients that can lower cholesterol and protect the immune system.
And new research out of Japan finds that the flavorful seeds also show potential for fighting fat.
Nigella sativa, better known as black cumin, is rich in bioactive compounds and has been used for centuries to treat illnesses like asthma, high blood pressure, inflammation, coughs, headaches and more.
A flowering plant found across South Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean, its therapeutic powers stem from its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
A new study from Osaka Metropolitan University suggests the seeds could also reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol — and increase “good” HDL cholesterol.
After consuming 5 grams of powdered black cumin seed every day for eight weeks, participants in the study had significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels.
Daily consumption of black cumin powder also reduced overall cholesterol levels.
The study highlighted 23 fatty acids in the black cumin seeds, the majority of them unsaturated fatty acids with anti-inflammatory and fat-reducing properties.
“This study strongly suggests that black cumin seeds are useful as a functional food for preventing obesity and lifestyle-related diseases,” said corresponding study author Akiko Kojima-Yuasa, an associate professor of the Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology at Osaka Metropolitan University.
After examining the cellular structure of powdered black cumin seeds, researchers believe they stop the formation and growth of fat cells.
One bioactive compound in particular, thymoquinone, may be responsible for blocking the formation of fat cells, as well as improving metabolism.
In fact, a study from 2021 found that 45 women taking daily black seed oil lost weight and had reduced body fat, BMIs and appetites.
Black cumin seed, in powder or oil form, has been shown to reduce inflammation that may be linked to long-term conditions like heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.
While the initial data is promising, researchers plan to learn more about black cumin’s health effects.
“We hope to perform longer-term and larger-scale clinical trials to investigate the effects of black cumin on metabolism,” Kojima-Yuasa added. “We are particularly interested in investigating its effects on insulin resistance in diabetes and inflammatory markers.”
