Best Black Seed Oil Brands

Black seed oil is an increasingly popular health supplement. It’s an extract used in Middle Eastern and South Asian medicine since ancient times. Research suggests that this extract may improve hair and skin health, support weight loss, and even reduce risk of heart disease.

In this guide:

• The 7 best black seed oil brands
• Research-backed benefits of black seed oil
• Black seed oil dosage

Top 7 Best Black Seed Oil Brands

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What Is Black Seed Oil?

Black seed oil is the layman’s term for black cumin extract. Known scientifically as nigella sativa, the plant’s seeds have been used in Middle Eastern and South Asian countries for thousands of years, both in cuisine and in medicine.

Thymoquinone (TQ): The Black Seed Poster Child

Black seed oil contains a chemical called thymoquinone, or TQ for short. Research indicates that TQ is largely responsible for many of the benefits of black seed oil. Notably, TQ has been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects.¹Nutraceuticals: Efficacy, Safety and Toxicity

Since TQ has been linked to so many beneficial effects, it’s the compound that black seed oil manufacturers focus on most. As such, you’ll see most black seed oil products list their TQ percentage, which is usually around 1%.

However, black seed oil contains many more compounds than just TQ. For example, it also contains campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, α-spinasterol, citronellol, limonene, p-cymene, citronellyl acetate, carvone, nigellone, arachidic, linolenic, linoleic, myristic, oleic, palmitic, palmitoleic, and stearic acid, to name a few.²CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF BLACK SEED OIL (NIGELLA SATIVA L.)

All that to say, TQ isn’t the only helpful compound in black seed extract. As such, TQ content shouldn’t be the only deciding factor when picking the best black seed oil for your needs.

Black Seed Oil Benefits

There are a whole lot of purported benefits of black seed oil, from weight loss to hair growth to heart health. But how much of these purported benefits is hype, and how much is factual?

Below, we’ve laid out the most research-backed benefits of black seed oil.

• Black Seed Oil Weight Loss Effects

There are many sources that claim black seed oil can help with weight loss. However, the research to support these claims is limited.

A meta-analysis of 11 studies found that black seed oil may be effective in reducing body weight.³The effects of Nigella sativa L. on obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. However, the researchers noted that due to a limited number of high-quality studies, these findings should be taken with caution. In addition, most studies were performed on obese women, so the results thus far may not be applicable to everyone.

Similarly, one study did show a very slight reduction in the body mass of overweight women supplementing black seed oil alongside exercise.⁴The Effects of 8-week Nigella sativa Supplementation and Aerobic Training on Lipid Profile and VO2 max in Sedentary Overweight Females However, the findings still need to be replicated, and should be taken with a grain of salt.

All of this indicates that black seed oil may be able to help with weight loss, but the research isn’t entirely convincing yet. However, there are supplements that research suggests may be able to help with weight loss, such as the ancient Indian herb ashwagandha.

• Black Seed Oil for Hair Loss

There is some research to suggest that black seed oil may be effective against hair loss.

One study examined the effects of a mixture of coconut and black seed oils against hair loss.⁵FORMULATION AND FINDING OUT THE EFFICACY OF THE HERBAL HAIR OIL OVER SIMPLE COCONUT OIL (PURIFIED) – A FORMULATION AND CLINICAL STUDY IN BANGLADESH The study noted a very significant reduction in hair loss symptoms throughout the trial. The mixture with black seed oil showed up to a 76% reduction in hair loss.

Another study examined the effects of a mixture containing black seed oil against thinning hair.⁶Evaluation of a Therapeutic Alternative for Telogen Effluvium: A Pilot Study At the end of the trial, 90% of the subjects demonstrated a significant increase in hair density compared to a control. Put simply, black seed oil may promote thicker, fuller hair.

• Skin Health

A few studies have demonstrated that black seed oil may be beneficial for skin health.

One study found that black seed oil may help reduce symptoms of eczema.⁷Comparison of therapeutic effect of topical Nigella with Betamethasone and Eucerin in hand eczema. Eczema as an uncomfortable skin condition that often manifests as red, itchy rashes. After applying a black seed oil mixture to the affected area twice daily for 4 weeks, subjects shown a significant reduction in eczema symptoms.

Another study found that black seed oil may be effective against psoriasis symptoms.⁸Antipsoriatic activity and cytotoxicity of ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa seeds Psoriasis is an immune system dysfunction that can lead to dry, flaky skin. Compared to a control, researchers found that the seed’s extract was able to improve these psoriasis symptoms.

A meta-analysis found that black seed oil can be effective against acne.⁹Dermatological effects of Nigella sativa This may be partly due to the extract’s anti-inflammatory effects, as discussed below.

Pycnogenol, a pine bark extract supplement, has been similarly shown to support healthy skin. In fact, much more research has been performed on this supplement’s effects on skin health. Refer to our complete pycnogenol guide for more information.

• Anti-Inflammatory and Pain Relief

One notable study examined the effects of black seed oil on pain and inflammation in rats.¹⁰Black cumin seed essential oil, as a potent analgesic and antiinflammatory drug They found that black seed oil can reduce inflammation and pain, both when taken as a supplement and when applied directly to the affected area. Other studies have similarly found correlations between black seed oil and reduction in inflammation.

• Antioxidant Effects

Black seed oil has been shown to possess antioxidant effects.¹¹Effects of Methanolic Extract and Commercial Oil of Nigella sativa L. on Blood Glucose and Antioxidant Capacity in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats¹²Antioxidant Activity of Extracts of Black Sesame Seed (Sesamum indicum L.) by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction¹³The Effects of Different Extraction Methods on Antioxidant Properties, Chemical Composition, and Thermal Behavior of Black Seed (Nigella sativa L.) Oil Antioxidants are molecules that wrangle up free radicals, which could otherwise harm your body. Having healthy levels of antioxidants helps support the immune system, nervous system, and other vital functions.

• Heart Health

Some research suggests that black seed oil may help reduce high blood pressure.¹⁴The cardiovascular actions of the volatile oil of the black seed (Nigella sativa) in rats: elucidation of the mechanism of action Further research is still needed to support these findings, but the results thus far are promising.

There is also some research that suggests that black seed oil may reduce the risk of blood clots.¹⁵Antiatherogenic Potential of Nigella sativa Seeds and Oil in Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia in Rabbits This, in turn, could potentially reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

That being said, these findings still need to be replicated. Researchers cannot yet confidently claim that black seed oil can improve heart health.

• Diabetes

Early research has shown that black seed oil may have some beneficial impact on diabetes symptoms. Notably, supplementing black seed oil has been shown to reduce blood sugar in diabetic rats.¹⁶Effects of Methanolic Extract and Commercial Oil of Nigella sativa L. on Blood Glucose and Antioxidant Capacity in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats While these findings are promising, further research on the effects of black seed oil on diabetes symptoms is still needed.

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Black Seed Oil Dosage

There is currently no officially recommended black seed oil dosage.

For internal use, most manufacturers recommend a black seed oil extract dosage of 1 teaspoon daily. Much of the research on black seed oil supplementation has used similar dosage ranges.

For hair and skin health, some people choose to apply black seed oil topically. Some of the above-cited research has found that topical black seed oil may be beneficial to hair and skin health.¹⁷Review on Clinical Trials of Black Seed (Nigella sativa ) and Its Active Constituent, Thymoquinone

In such cases, manufacturers recommend to apply black seed oil to the skin and/or scalp as needed. Many users choose to do this before bed at night. Note that it may be necessary to gently part your hair in order to get the black seed oil all the way down to your scalp.

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Summary

Research has shown that black seed oil may be beneficial to various aspects of health, including skin and hair support. Further research is needed to verify some of the wilder claims behind its effects, but black seed oil is looking promising thus far.