What is Black Seed Oil?
Nigella sativa is a small flowering shrub with purple or white-tinged flowers that grows in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and western Asia. Some additional names for black seed oil include: black caraway, black cumin, black onion seed, kalonji.
What is Black Seed Oil good for?
Black seed oil, also known as Black Currant Seed Oil or Black Cumin Seed Oil, has proven to be a factor in treating some of the most common health conditions, including high blood pressure and asthma. It also shows strong antifungal activity against yeast that can overgrow in the body and lead to candidiasis. Examples of other black seed oil health benefits include:
As a remedy for high blood pressure: Taking black seed oil for two months has been shown to reduce high blood pressure in people whose blood pressure is mildly elevated.
As a remedy for high cholesterol: Taking black seed oil has been shown to reduce high cholesterol. It’s high in healthy fatty acids that can help you maintain healthier cholesterol levels. Examples of these fatty acids include linoleic acids and oleic acid. The levels of the oils can vary depending on where the black seeds are grown. People may also see results when consuming the crushed seeds.
As a remedy for symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: Taking oral black seed oil may help to reduce inflammatory rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
As a remedy for decreasing asthma symptoms: The anti-inflammatory effects of black seed oil may extend to improving asthma symptoms. Its effect in reducing inflammation in the airways may also help with bronchitis symptoms.
As a remedy for an upset stomach: Eating black seeds or taking black seed oil is associated with relieving stomach pain and cramps. The oil can help to reduce gas, stomach bloating, and the incidence of ulcers as well.
Black seed oil is also thought to have anticancer properties. It may help fight against skin cancers when applied topically.
How to Take Black Seed Oil for Weight Loss?
There are many different ways you can take black seed oil, many of which will help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism. The B vitamins in this oil kick-start the body’s energy metabolism, helping to increase passive fat-burning. This can help you to burn more calories than you consume, thus creating a calorie deficit, leading to gradual weight loss.
Black Seeds contain high levels of phytosterols, which when ingested, phytosterols limit how much cholesterol is absorbed by the body.
Black Seed has also been found to support healthy blood sugar balance. It does this by increasing how sensitive, cells are to both insulin and glucose, thus ensuring that your body responds well to them. As well as it’s anti-inflammatory properties that help to cut down on the triggers that lead to diabetics eating foods that they shouldn’t. As anyone that is a diabetic is aware, low insulin levels create cravings for carbs and sweets and high insulin levels can cause nausea, extreme thirst and fatigue.
In addition to phytosterols, Black Seed also contains extremely high quantities of oleic acid, approximately 2500% more oleic acid than extra virgin olive oil. Oleic acid makes your body more efficient at using fat as fuel, which means you burn more fat, faster. It also accelerates fat burning within muscle cells for even more weight loss benefit.
Furthermore, black seed oil is able to curb the appetite, and has a slight anorexic effect on the body, suppressing the desire to consume more food. If you are trying to cut down on your total calorie intake, using this oil can be a great way to stay on track and not overindulge.
Some of the most popular means of consuming black seed oil for weight loss include the following:
The simplest and most effective way to take Black Seeds is in oil form. You can add the oil to a glass of water, orange juice, or smoothie. Mixed with honey or drink it straight out of the bottle.
Mixing a teaspoon of the oil into yogurt or mixing it into a homemade salad dressing.
Adding Black Seed Oil to milk/orange juice in the morning is also a way to get your daily dose.
Recommended Dose: The recommended dose is between 1 and 3 tablespoons per day, but it’s better to start with a smaller amount and monitor your body’s reaction to the oil.
How I Use Black Seed Oil for Weight Loss?
I use Black Seed Oil mostly at night, to thoroughly digest my food. In the past, I would wake up and have problems with hard stool in the bathroom. I’m a sucker for hot wings and too many wings will give me acid reflux. Before going to sleep, I would take two tablespoons of Black Seed Oil. When waking up, I would feel like I have an upset stomach and the stool easily comes out, saving me time and a headache (jk). I have not had an acid reflux event since I began taking Black Seed Oil.
Black cumin seed oil was used in folk medicine as an anti-emetic, reduce indigestion, loss of appetite, bloating, and diarrhea. Black cumin seed oil is known to help with liver detoxification, intestinal dysbiosis, reduce inflammation in the intestinal tract, improve the quality of life for diabetics, reduces the formation of biofilm, and calms an overactive Th1/Th2/Th17 dominant immune system. Black cumin seed oil also improves anxiety, which many people suffer from with digestive issues, by improving the regulation of the neurotransmitter GABA.
Alternative names for thyroxine
T4; tetraiodothyronine; thyroxin
What is thyroxine?
Thyroxine is the main hormone secreted into the bloodstream by the thyroid gland. It is the inactive form and most of it is converted to an active form called triiodothyronine by organs such as the liver and kidneys. Thyroid hormones play vital roles in regulating the body’s metabolic rate, heart and digestive functions, muscle control, brain development and maintenance of bones.
How is thyroxine controlled?
The production and release of thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, is controlled by a feedback loop system that involves the hypothalamus in the brain and the pituitary and thyroid glands. The hypothalamus secretes thyrotropin-releasing hormone which, in turn, stimulates the pituitary gland to produce thyroid stimulating hormone. This hormone stimulates the production of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine, by the thyroid gland.
This hormone production system is regulated by a feedback loop so that when the levels of the thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine) increase, they prevent the release of both thyrotropin-releasing hormone and thyroid stimulating hormone. This system allows the body to maintain a constant level of thyroid hormones in the body.
What happens if I have too much thyroxine?
The release of too much thyroxine in the bloodstream is known as thyrotoxicosis. This may be caused by overactivity of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), as in Graves’ disease, inflammation of the thyroid or a benign tumor. Thyrotoxicosis can be recognized by a goitre, which is a swelling of the neck due to enlargement of the thyroid gland. Other symptoms of thyrotoxicosis include intolerance to heat, weight loss, increased appetite, increased bowel movements, irregular menstrual cycle, rapid or irregular heartbeat, palpitations, tiredness, irritability, tremor, hair thinning/loss and retraction of the eyelids resulting in a ‘staring’ appearance.
What happens if I have too little thyroxine?
Too little production of thyroxine by the thyroid gland is known as hypothyroidism. It may be caused by autoimmune diseases, poor iodine intake or caused by the use of certain drugs. Sometimes, the cause is unknown. Thyroid hormones are essential for physical and mental development so untreated hypothyroidism before birth or during childhood can cause mental impairment and reduced growth.
Hypothyroidism in adults causes reduced metabolism. It can result in symptoms such as fatigue, intolerance of cold temperatures, low heart rate, weight gain, reduced appetite, poor memory, depression, stiffness of the muscles and reduced fertility. See the article on hypothyroidism for more information.