Cumin (Black) {Nigella sativa}
Black cumin is also called nigella, black caraway, small fennel and in Sanskrit upakuncika, karavi, and krishnajiraka
Ayurveda Characteristic and Uses
- Effect on doshas – Balances Vata and Kapha, increases Pitta
- Taste – Pungent, bitter
- Energetics – Heating
- Main Traditional Action: Anti-ashthmatic, expectorant, gastrointestinal remedy
- Other Traditional Uses: Stimulates uterus contracting, used for dysmenorrhea and to adjust menstrual cycles, analgesic, strengthens agni, antiseptic, anthelmintic, lactoagogue (increases milk production for lactating mothers), anti-allergic, and beneficial for eczema.
Modern Research
Black cumin and its components have been extensively studied and shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, anxiolytic, antitumor, gastroprotective, chemoprotective, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, antihypertensive, anticonvulsant, and immunomodulatory effects. Its has also been shown to have effects on cardiac hemodynamics and adrenergic responsiveness, improves glucose intolerance, may be used to ameliorate the alteration in the lipid levels caused by diseases or toxic agents, triggers apoptotic cell death in human colorectal cancer cells, may helps in lung tissue damage, reduce inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and effective in long-term treatment of opioid dependence, helping in withdrawal effects significantly.