Kalonji seed also known as black cumin seed or Nigella sativa is an important herb that has been traditionally used for various medicinal purposes. It is extremely nutritious and offers numerous health benefits.

Nutritional profile

• It contains desirable amount of carbohydrates and fibre
• It is composed of various important amino acids as well
• It contains fat too. It is mainly consisting of unsaturated fatty acids
• It is packed with various imperative micronutrients and especially rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, B vitamins, iron and magnesium

Biological activity                     

Antioxidant activity

It is packed with antioxidants that help in decreasing oxidative damages of cells by reducing the concentration of free radicals within body as a result promotes overall wellbeing

Anti-inflammatory activity

• Its phytonutrient components especially thymoquinone are responsible for exerting anti-inflammatory activity that helps in preventing inflammation
• It plays vital role in delaying the onset of inflammatory events within body by decreasing the concentration of inflammatory markers as a result helps in lowering the risk of developing chronic inflammatory diseases

Anti-carcinogenic activity

• Thymoquinone component of kalonji seed exhibits anti-carcinogenic activity that helps in decreasing the prevalence of carcinoma
• Its oxidative stress reducing capacity is also considered as an important factor responsible for lowering the susceptibility of cancers
• It has the ability to fight against cancer cell. It basically hinders the growth of malignant cells by inducing apoptosis
• It is extremely effective against bladder cancer cells
• It may also decrease the prevalence of lung, prostate, skin, colon, cervical and pancreatic cancer

Antimicrobial activity

• Disease causing microbes or pathogen is responsible for developing several infectious diseases that can affect the health in an adverse manner. Consumption of kalonji seed is very helpful for decreasing the prevalence of infectious diseases as it exerts potent antimicrobial activity, which helps in hindering the growth of microbes within body
• It has seen that kalonji seed is really very effective against the strain of Staphylococcus aureus

Hypotensive activity

• Consumption of kalonji seed is considered as one of the most important natural remedies for hypertension
• It exerts potent hypotensive activity that helps to maintain blood pressure at check

Hypolipidemic activity

• We all know that increase fat percentage in body is responsible for increasing the risk of developing metabolic syndromes

• Now a day cardiovascular disease becomes more prevalent among people and hypercholesterolemia is considered as one of its leading causes thus it is better to keep the cholesterol level in check in order to lessen the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases
• Consumption of kalonji seed is extremely useful for decreasing cholesterol concentration within body hence helps in reducing the risk of developing metabolic disorders especially cardiovascular diseases
• It especially helps in decreasing the concentration of LDL, VLDL and triglyceride in body whereas helps in increase HDL concentration. Its consumption is thus thought to be very effective for obtaining a healthy lipid profile

Health benefits

Role on digestive health

• Individual suffer from gastrointestinal disorders should try kalonji seed as it is composed of an important substance named thymoquinone that acts as a potent preventive measure for various gastrointestinal disorders
• One of the most important benefits of consuming kalonji seed is that it helps in promoting regularity. It is better to consume kalonji seed or kalonji seed oil with black tea or hot water for preventing constipation
• It is also very effective for improving the symptoms of stomach ulcer as it helps in preserving the lining of the stomach and also helps to protect the lining from damages as a result helps to reduce the prevalence of ulcer formation
• It helps to protect the stomach lining against the detrimental effects of alcohol as well

• It also helps to improve the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease

Role on hepatic health

• We all know that liver is one of the most important organs of our body. It plays several vital roles that help in promoting our overall wellbeing like it helps in metabolism, it helps to eliminate toxins from body, it is also related with metabolizing drugs etc
• Moreover we should keep the liver healthy in order to obtain a good health status and it can be easily done by consuming kalonji seed as it helps to protect the liver from damages and injuries as a result helps in promoting its activity
• Its hypolipidemic activity is also considered as an important feature responsible for improving hepatic health as it helps to decrease the prevalence of hepatic cell necrosis by inhibiting fat deposition within hepatic cells, which significantly decreases the prevalence of fatty liver disease as well as gall stone formation

Role on oral health

• It plays vital role in promoting overall oral health and hygiene
• Its antimicrobial activity is responsible for hindering the growth of those microbes, which are responsible for oral infections as a result it helps to reduce the susceptibility of oral infections

• It is considered as one of the most important remedies for dental pain
• It helps to prevent bleeding gums
• It is also associated with making the teeth stronger
• Moreover consumption of kalonji seed or application of kalonji seed oil along with curd on the gum is really very helpful for improving the overall oral health

Role on renal health

• Consumption of kalonji seed is very useful for promoting renal health and functionality
• It has seen that consumption of kalonji seed significantly reduces the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy
• It is also very useful for decreasing the concentration of serum urea as well as serum creatinine
• It helps to reduce the prevalence of renal calculi too
• Its consumption is also very effective for reducing the risk of developing renal infections

Role on memory

• It plays vital role in elevating the intelligence level
• It is better to consume kalonji seed along with little bit of honey in empty stomach for better brain functioning
• As per Ayurveda consumption of kalonji seed with mint leaves is considered as one of the most effective ways for boosting up the memory
• It is also associated with reducing the prevalence of neurological disorders especially Alzheimer’s disease

Role on skin

• It is very effective for making the skin healthy and supple as it contains various nutrients that help in nourishing the skin
• It helps to improve skin texture as well as glow
• It is also associated with preventing premature aging

Role on hair

• Consumption of kalonji seed is really very useful for promoting hair growth
• It helps to make the hair strong and shiny
• It is also related with preventing hair loss

Therapeutic uses

It has been extensively used for various therapeutic purposes, which include –

• It acts as an imperative therapeutic substance for diabetes as it helps in decreasing blood sugar concentration
• It is used for preventing obesity
• It also used for reducing the prevalence of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and heart attacks
• Its iron content helps in preventing anemia
• It also helps to improve the health and activity of connective tissues

Culinary uses

It is widely used in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines. It can also be used in various ways, like –

• It can be used as a flavoring agent for curries
• It can be also used to add flavor to breads
• It can be used for preparing oatmeal

• It can also be used for preparing smoothie
• It can be consumed with yogurt as well

Amin, B. and Hosseinzadeh, H., 2016. Black cumin (Nigella sativa) and its active constituent, thymoquinone: an overview on the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Planta medica, 82(01/02), pp.8-16.

Datta, A.K., Saha, A., Bhattacharya, A., Mandal, A., Paul, R. and Sengupta, S., 2012. Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.)–a review. Journal of plant development sciences, 4(1), pp.1-43.

Ramadan, M.F., 2007. Nutritional value, functional properties and nutraceutical applications of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.): an overview. International journal of food science & technology, 42(10), pp.1208-1218.

Shabana, A., El-Menyar, A., Asim, M., Al-Azzeh, H. and Al Thani, H., 2013. Cardiovascular benefits of black cumin (Nigella sativa). Cardiovascular toxicology, 13(1), pp.9-21.

Yimer, E.M., Tuem, K.B., Karim, A., Ur-Rehman, N. and Anwar, F., 2019. Nigella sativa L.(black cumin): a promising natural remedy for wide range of illnesses. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2019.