Herb Profile
Black Seed
Nigella sativa
Black seed (Nigella sativa), also called black cumin, is a spice whose oil is rich in thymoquinone.
Last reviewed: •4 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·A Strong
Use extra caution — May lower glucose and blood pressure; monitor with antidiabetic or antihypertensive therapy. Details
- Evidence
- Strong Evidence
- Typical onset
- Varies by prep
- Safety rating
- Moderate caution
- Best for
- Antioxidant, Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Stress resilience
- Avoid / review if
- Pregnancy At Supplemental/High Doses, Known Allergy, Hypoglycemia Prone Patients Without Monitoring.
Safety
Safety & Cautions
May lower glucose and blood pressure; monitor with antidiabetic or antihypertensive therapy. GI upset and allergic dermatitis can occur.
Elevated caution
Caution level: Elevated. One caution category applies — read it before use.
- Interaction-AwareMedication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
Detailed safety fields
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications
- Pregnancy At Supplemental/High Doses
- Known Allergy
- Hypoglycemia Prone Patients Without Monitoring.
- Antidiabetics
- Antihypertensives
- Anticoagulants/Antiplatelets
- Possible Additive Metabolic Or Sedative Effects.
Safety classifications
- Interaction-Aware: Medication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
Full safety note
- May lower glucose and blood pressure; monitor with antidiabetic or antihypertensive therapy. GI upset and allergic dermatitis can occur.
Safety labels
- Interaction-Aware
Evidence-based safety
Caution when combined
Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.
High-Priority Caution
147 flagged pairingsBleeding / anticoagulant risk
High-Priority Caution
147 flagged pairingsBleeding / anticoagulant risk
Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.
Bleeding / anticoagulant riskCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 147 of 147 pairings in this mechanism group.
- aescin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Aged Garlic Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- ajoene — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Ajwain — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Allicin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Garlic — Theoretical interaction certainty
- American Ginseng Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Andrographis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Archangelica — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Dahurica — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Pubescens — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Root — Theoretical interaction certainty
+135 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Moderate Caution
259 flagged pairingsBlood-sugar lowering · Blood-pressure effects · Sedation / CNS depression
Moderate Caution
259 flagged pairingsBlood-sugar lowering · Blood-pressure effects · Sedation / CNS depression
Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.
Blood-sugar loweringCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 110 of 110 pairings in this mechanism group.
- Acarbose — Theoretical interaction certainty
- ajoene — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Allicin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Aloe Vera — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Alpha-Lipoic Acid — Theoretical interaction certainty
- American Ginseng Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Andrographis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Anemarrhena Asphodeloides — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Tarragon — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Ashoka — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Astragalus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Astragalus Membranaceus — Theoretical interaction certainty
+98 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Blood-pressure effectsCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 81 of 81 pairings in this mechanism group.
- Agmatine sulfate — Theoretical interaction certainty
- ajoene — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Allicin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- American Ginseng Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Andrographis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Dahurica — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Astaxanthin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Astragalus Membranaceus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Beetroot extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Berberis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Bicarbonate — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Black Seed Oil — Theoretical interaction certainty
+69 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Sedation / CNS depressionCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 68 of 68 pairings in this mechanism group.
- American Yellow Lotus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Artemisia Absinthium — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Bacopa — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Black Tea — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Blue Lotus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Calamus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Catuba — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Celastrus Paniculatus — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Chamomile — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Chinese Skullcap — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Coriandrum Sativum — Theoretical interaction certainty
+56 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Evidence
Evidence Summary
Evidence lens
Most useful for practical interpretation when safety context also fits.
StrongStrong Evidence
Human clinical evidence: Present in source signals
Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mapped — Inflammatory Signaling Modulation · Oxidative Stress Modulation · Metabolic Regulation
Research maturity: Established research — Long Term Human Evidence May Be Limited.
Safety boundary: Safety note available — May lower glucose and blood pressure; monitor with antidiabetic or antihypertensive therapy.
This profile cites 4 human studies.
Study design details
Evidence Grade
Grade A: Strong Evidence
Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.
- Design Match
- Meta-analysis
- Risk of Bias
- Low
- Consistency
- Consistent
Strongest recorded design is a meta-analysis, drawn from 8 recorded studies, 5 in people. No disagreement is recorded across them.
How evidence grades work
Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.
- Strong
- Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
- Moderate
- Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
- Preliminary / Mixed
- Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
- Traditional / Theoretical
- Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (8)5 human evidence sources · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable
Filter by study class
Showing 8 of 8 studies.
What the evidence actually shows
This table contains 8 structured sources, including 5 human evidence sources; 0 are human trials.
| Study | Design | N | Dose | Duration | Population | Outcome | Result & magnitude | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PubMed · Pharmacol Res · 2016 Background | Meta-analysis Statistically combines results from multiple eligible studies; confidence still depends on the quality, consistency, and directness of those studies. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Background | Meta-analysis Statistically combines results from multiple eligible studies; confidence still depends on the quality, consistency, and directness of those studies. | — | — | — | — | — | Fasting glucose and HbA1c improved, while insulin and HOMA-IR did not clearly improve. | PubMed → |
Background | Meta-analysis Statistically combines results from multiple eligible studies; confidence still depends on the quality, consistency, and directness of those studies. | — | — | — | — | — | ICAM and VCAM measures did not significantly improve versus controls. | PubMed → |
Background | Meta-analysis Statistically combines results from multiple eligible studies; confidence still depends on the quality, consistency, and directness of those studies. | — | — | — | — | — | Large pooled evidence found favorable changes across numerous anthropometric, blood-pressure, glycemic, lipid, inflammatory, and oxidative-stress endpoints. | PubMed → |
Background | Systematic review Uses a predefined method to find and evaluate relevant studies, but may or may not pool their results statistically. | — | — | — | — | — | Pediatric trials reported possible benefits across several indications, but the evidence was too heterogeneous to support broad pediatric efficacy claims. | PubMed → |
Hannan MA et al. · Nutrients · 2021 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Show 2 more studies
PubMed indexed authors · 2012 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
PubMed indexed authors · 2006 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Dosing & Timing
- No standardized dose
- Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Seed/fiber preparations are commonly used as whole seed and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.
How Black Seed works
Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.
Mechanism Pathway — How Black Seed Works
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)
- Inflammatory Signaling Modulation
- Oxidative Stress Modulation
- Metabolic Regulation
- Vascular Function Support
- AMPK Signaling
- NF KB Modulation
Active Compounds
Key constituents studied in Black Seed, with full pharmacology and safety profiles.
Compare related active botanicals
Explore botanicals with similar chemistry, effects, or safety considerations in the Botanical Activity Atlas.
Compare & Sourcing
Compare side-by-side tradeoffs or verify active marker guidelines.
Sourcing options
Black Seed (Nigella sativa) product picks
Affiliate recommendations for Black Seed. Review safety, dose, and product quality before buying.
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Product form & quality guidelines
When sourcing Black Seed, verify the label for:
- Standardized extract: Confirm active content percentages on the supplement facts panel (e.g. standardized to specific marker compounds) rather than simple raw herb weights.
- Third-party testing: Look for independent purity labels (USP, NSF, ConsumerLab, or Eurofins) to ensure the product is free from heavy metals, solvents, and contaminants.
- Form bioavailability: Ensure the form matches evidence-supported configurations (e.g. standardized active extracts like bacosides, withanolides, or curcuminoids) for optimal onset and digestion tolerance.
Safety first · Harm reduction
This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.
Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.
Founder & Head Researcher · Oak Ridge, TN · Last reviewed August 2026
Editorial Review
Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.
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