Nutrition
Marisa HeinzeJuly 12, 2022
Lose weight with black cumin oil - how the spice plant supports diets
Black cumin is an ancient medicinal plant that was already used in ancient Egypt. Recently, black cumin oil has experienced a revival. It is said to help with various illnesses and keep vermin away. Due to the special profile of the fats it contains, black cumin oil can also support weight loss.
How can you lose weight with black cumin oil?
First the bad news: black cumin oil is not a dietary food per se. If you are looking for a crash diet with super-fast turbo results, black cumin oil is not a good choice.
The good news: due to the special composition of the fats it contains, black cumin oil can boost the fat metabolism and create a somewhat faster feeling of satiety. If you want to lose weight permanently through moderate exercise and a conscious diet, you can support this process effectively with black cumin oil. Incidentally, you can support weight loss in the same way with cumin.
What is black cumin?
Black cumin, or Nigella Sativa in Latin, is a buttercup plant. The plant grows fifteen to fifty centimetres high. It looks quite similar to the well-known garden plant 'Maid in the Green' and is also related to it. Like the 'Maid in the Green', Nigella Sativa grows as an annual.
Black cumin is not related to cumin and true caraway. Cumin and caraway are both umbelliferous plants. Caraway also grows in temperate climates, whereas cumin loves it hot.
With both spices, the dried leaves are used, either as whole grains or ground. Caraway and cumin stimulate digestion and help against flatulence. That is why both are often added to dishes that are difficult to digest. Similarly, cumin helps with weight loss.
How is black cumin oil extracted?
The yellow, black cumin oil is extracted from the ripe seeds of the black cumin. The seeds are pressed, ideally cold. Many black cumin oils come from countries where black cumin is grown. Egyptian black cumin oil is well known.
What are the characteristics of black cumin?
- External characteristics
Black cumin oil is golden yellow to reddish - depending on how ripe the seeds were when pressed and how long it has been stored. It smells somewhat peppery. The taste is slightly bitter to spicy.
- Ingredients
About 84% of black cumin oil consists of valuable unsaturated fatty acids. The body cannot produce these itself, so it has to get them from food. They are important for metabolism, blood pressure and various other bodily functions.
Various amino acids, which the body also cannot produce itself, can boost the metabolism.
The essential oils contained are said to have antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal effects.
Vitamin C is important for the immune system. Vitamins from the B group contribute to a healthy energy metabolism and thus help to maintain performance. Vitamin Eis essential for blood clotting. Beta-carotene is also essential for the immune system, eyes, skin, and hair.
Magnesium and selenium are important for muscle function, cell protection and metabolism.
Possible applications
There are many field reports and some small studies on the effects of black cumin, but large-scale studies are largely lacking. There are indications that black cumin oil has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It is therefore often recommended for allergies, acne, neurodermatitis, arthritis, immune deficiency, cancer, diabetes II, and various other diseases. Black cumin oil is also said to support weight loss.
In what way can black cumin oil help with weight loss?
Black cumin oil contains a lot of unsaturated fatty acids. While saturated fatty acids tend to block the nerve cells that trigger the feeling of satiety, unsaturated fatty acids do not. This could be one reason why unsaturated fatty acids are more likely to induce a feeling of satiety. This would mean that black seed oil, taken with meals, creates a faster feeling of satiety and thus black seed oil is helpful in losing weight.
How exactly can I lose weight with black cumin oil?
Crash diets are notoriously unhealthy. Such a radical diet is usually very one-sided. Due to the low-calorie intake, the body switches to a kind of starvation mode. This means that every single calorie is better utilised. Fatal if you return to a normal diet after the diet - the effect is the well-known yo-yo effect. You immediately put on weight again, and you may even weigh more than you did before the diet.
A varied diet with lots of fibre, vitamins, and healthy, unsaturated fats in combination with moderate exercise is the better alternative. In this way, you can manage your diet to maintain the weight you have reached.
While you want to reduce your weight, you eat a little less overall than your body consumes through the additional exercise. Here, black seed oil can help you lose weight. It contains plenty of unsaturated fatty acids, which give a good feeling of satiety and provide the body with the necessary fat-soluble vitamins.
Take half to one teaspoon of black seed oil twice a day with a meal.
An additional 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise will melt the fat slowly but permanently. If muscles are also built up, they increase the basal metabolic rate, so that your calorie consumption is higher even at rest.
Tip: You can lose weight in a similar way with cumin. Cumin stimulates intestinal activity. Incombination with a balanced diet and moderate exercise, cumin can help you lose weight.If you want to lose weight with cumin, you can simply add it to your food as a spice. It has a characteristic flavour that goes well with Mediterranean cuisine, for example.
Possible side effects of black cumin oil
Every remedy that works can also have side effects. However, black cumin oil is quite well tolerated. Some people suffer from belching after taking black cumin oil. In this case, it often helps to take the black cumin oil with a meal and not on an empty stomach. Stomach problems are also prevented in this way. Pregnant women should refrain from taking the oil or at least discuss it with their doctor, as a labour-inducing effect has been observed.
Tips for the use of black cumin oil:
- How can black cumin oil be taken?
Black cumin oil is easy to take with a teaspoon. It can also be added to salads or curd cheese as a seasoning for meals. If you do not like the taste of black cumin oil, you can use capsules.
The recommended dosage is one to three teaspoons per day.
- What is the best way to store it?
Black cumin oil can be stored for three to six months. It should not be exposed to high temperatures; a cool place is advantageous. Since it should not be exposed to light, it is often sold in amber glass bottles.
- What to look for when buying?
When buying black cumin oil, you should first make sure that it is pure black cumin oil and not just a mixture with a misleading name. In addition, the black cumin oil should be cold pressed in any case, because heat would destroy the valuable ingredients. It is especially recommended to buy black cumin oil from controlled organic farming so that the valuable ingredients are not mixed with environmental toxins.
Conclusion: lose weight with black cumin oil and cumin seeds
Just as cumin can help you lose weight, black cumin also has this property. Combined with a slightly calorie-reduced, high-fibre and varied diet and moderate exercise, permanent and sustainable weight reductions can be achieved.
Pure black cumin oil from the Nigella Sativa, which is cold-pressed, is suitable for this. Organic products are best. However, you can also use capsules if you do not like the oil. Taken with meals, it can increase the feeling of satiety and supply the body with important unsaturated fatty acids. Cumin can also support weight loss and can be added to food as a spice.