荷索博士专栏 | 黑种草，过去十年最成功的天然疗愈植物之一

作者：Dr. Malte Hozzel

黑种草的拉丁学名为Nigella sativa，属毛茛科。在阿拉伯语中，黑种草名为Habbah-al baraka，意思是“祝福的种子”或“来自天堂的神奇药草”，这也是黑种草在东方有着四千年历史的原因。据说，柏柏尔人和埃及牧师用黑种草香料、浸泡油乃至精油作为爱情灵药，埃及皇后纳弗雷特用它来驻颜。在传说中的法老图坦卡蒙的坟墓里，人们发现了作为陪葬品的黑种草种子。

黑种草原产于北非，主要是埃及，如今在南欧、亚洲西部都有栽种。由于其助消化的特性，在古代黑种草籽就已被加入到面包中，现在它仍是土耳其面包中的重要香料，并得名“面包香料”。

默罕默德曾说，“黑种草可治愈一切，除了死亡。”  

伊斯兰文化与黑种草有着深厚渊源，许多配方和食谱中都提到了它对健康、治疗、美容、健康等方面的价值。知名波斯医师伊本·塞纳在《医学经典》中盛赞黑种草是身体能量的活化剂，可对抗疲劳及缺乏动力。希腊医师希波克拉底和奥库里德和几名罗马医师描述了黑种草的不同功效，并将其用于处理各种身体不适。基督教教皇查理曼大帝甚至强制要求在其帝国的修道院里种植黑种草。直到18世纪，黑种草都是公认的疗愈植物，在东方医学以及传统中医中占有一席之地，在印度阿育吠陀中，黑种草种子也有着特殊的地位。

黑种草喜欢阳光充足的环境及透水的腐殖质土壤，在多石的地方和田间也能找到它们。黑种草是一年生植物，可长至50-60厘米高，茎干直立且分枝多毛，叶片互生，七八月开白花，初秋结成卵泡状果实。当植株底部开始枯萎，果实呈浅棕色，即是种子成熟可以收获之时，棕黑色的种子约2-3毫米。采收后的种子被置于棉布或亚麻布上晾干，再通过冷压、乙醚或己烷萃取，冷压榨取的黑种草油品质更高。黑种草油的气味具穿透力，辛辣而芬芳。水蒸气蒸馏黑种草种子也可得到精油，精油含较高比例的百里醌及黑种草酮，这是黑种草的重要活性成分。

黑种草浸泡油富含Ω6、Ω3，精油约占3%。黑种草种子也是维生素的重要来源，如胡萝卜素是维生素A的前身，是强力抗氧化剂，此外还有钙、铁、钾、钠等矿物质，这也使黑种草成为沙拉、蔬菜、炖菜中的重要调味品，有人甚至喜欢在咖啡或茶中丢几粒黑种草种子。

疗愈特质（黑种草精油、基础油）

·有益免疫系统；

·助消化；

·平衡荷尔蒙，改善月经问题；

·缓解皮肤过敏；

·减轻偏头痛；

·对支气管、哮喘有帮助；

·强肾；

·催乳；

·改善脱发；

·抗菌；

科学家对黑种草功效进行了深入研究，并取得了惊人成果。由于穆斯林人不断移民到西欧，黑种草重回欧洲，尤其是德国。德国医生彼得·施莱克尔博士出版的关于黑种草功效的书大大提升了公众对其疗愈效用兴趣。医生女儿的盛装舞步马患了严重哮喘，通常这种问题都是用可的松，但埃及兽医建议把黑种草籽加入到马饲料中，类似几个世纪以来处理阿拉伯马匹类似症状的方法。效果真的很错！医生又用黑种草对600名过敏患者进行了测试，70%患者痊愈。

研究显示，黑种草中的黑种草酮是强力抗组胺剂，具抗哮喘及抗敏特质，如花粉过敏，因此黑种草能有效减轻过敏。黑种草支气管扩张特性也令其有助于缓解急性鼻炎等呼吸道问题。

免疫学家与医学研究人员重新发现了黑种草种子的益处，建议将其作为营养补充剂。他们深入研究历史文献后认为，黑种草自古就是药物植物中的翘楚。黑种草中含超过100种成分，如将这些成分分离后重组则无法达到预期效果。植物成分之间的协同作用产生了特殊的疗愈结果，协同作用的产生远超我们的理解，而我们至少要达到能量医学的量子水平才能掌握部分大自然的智慧……这些化学成分混合后如何发挥协同作用依然是大自然的秘密，这或许可以解释为什么药用植物在很多情况下效用优于对抗疗法。

抗微生物的研究

抗生素，20世纪最伟大的发明，在20世纪50年代到70年代降低了人类死亡率和发病率。然而，病原体也逐渐对抗生素产生了耐药性。近年来，抗生素的耐药性已成为严重的全球健康问题，治疗费用的增长也带来了巨大负担。病原体不断产生耐药性，新的抗生素的开发费时费力且效用有限，药用植物成了新抗生素的最佳替代品。

“有证据表明，黑种草在药用植物的疗愈特性中位居前列（Ahmad等，2013）。在对实验感染山羊的小反刍动物瘟疫病毒的免疫调节和治疗效果上，黑种草可预防临床症状的发生并显著减少临床症状及组织病理学异常。”

实证经验

“我曾吃了一个月的抗生素来治疗玫瑰痤疮和口腔周围的皮炎。而在过去的6个星期连续涂抹黑种草油，它改善了皮炎和玫瑰痤疮导致的皮肤红肿和疤痕。我一般是每晚涂抹，正在考虑服用黑种草胶囊。我对黑种草的效用非常满意，也终于找到了一款天然而有效的产品。”  

参看：https://habshifa.com.au/testimonials/

“太不可思议了！我用了黑种草后一周内掉了5磅，睡的也不错。当家里人听说后都开始吃黑种草去缓解头痛、痤疮等，几个星期就用吃掉了一瓶。”

参看：https://www.bestblackseedoil.com/testimonials/

“黑种草油的效果真的是立竿见影。我有骨关节炎，几个月前右手拇指做了手术，恢复过程很慢，黑种草油帮我缓解了术后不适，很高兴我的女儿向我推荐了它。”

参看： https://www.bestblackseedoil.com/testimonials/

“我用了3个月的黑种草，完全放弃了抗过敏药！由于过敏引起的内耳问题，我常感觉头晕。西替利嗪、速达菲、美克洛嗪等抗过敏药都无法缓解，我曾以为我只能去适应眩晕。但现在不一样了，我的睡眠很不错早上起来也更有精神。黑种草还有其它好处，我从中获益良多，当然，它不是万能的……”

参看：https://www.bestblackseedoil.com/testimonials/   

结论

像黑种草这种植物的神奇在于，它们外表平凡却内涵丰富，也知道如何发挥自己与生俱来的潜力。这就是大自然！人们常说“浓缩的都是精华”，大自然恶作剧般的将巨大的疗愈能量隐藏在微小的物体中。

黑种草是独一无二的，几百年来，我们的祖先一直用感恩的心赞誉黑种草，如今，我们也加入了这一行列。

黑种草是过去十年中最成功的疗愈植物，向它致敬！

（注：译文仅供学术交流，健康问题请咨询专业医师）

英文原文：

Black Cumin – One of the Most Successful Natural Remedies of the Past Decade

Posted by DR. MALTE HOZZEL

Black Cumin or with its Latin name Nigella Sativa belongs to the crowfoot plant family (Ranunculaceae). In Arabic the plant is named Habbah-al baraka which means ‘seed of blessing’, often also called “the miracle herb from heaven”. This high reputation explains why Black Cumin has an almost four thousand years old history in the Orient. Berbers and Egyptian priests are said to have used the spice, the carrier oil and even the essential oil as a vitality drug and as a love spell. And the beautiful Egyptian Pharao queen Nofretete used it for the legendary beauty of her skin. Black Cumin seeds were found bottled as a burial gift in the tomb of the legendary Pharao Tut-Ench-Ammun

Today the herb is also grown in southern Europe, but originally it is native to North Africa, particularly Egypt, and to the western parts of Asia. Already in ancient times Black Cumin seeds were kneaded into bread dough due to its appetizing taste. Also well known still today as a spicy addition to Turkish bread it got its name as ‘bread spice’. And then then there is the famous statement ascribed to the Prophet Mohammed:

“Hold on to use this black seed, it has a remedy for every illness except death”  

No wonder that the islamic culture is deeply linked to Black Cumin as a spice – with numerous recipes and dishes mentioning its unique value for health, cure, beauty, and well-being. The famous Persian physician Ibn’Senna (Avicenna) in “The Canon of Medicine”, praised Black Cumin as a revitalizer of physical energy and as a powerful remedy agains fatigue and lack of inner drive. The Greek physician Hippokrates (460-375 BC) and later Dioskurides and several Roman physicians describe different health benefits of the herb and used it therapeutically to cure all kinds of complaints. And the Christian Emperor Charlemagne even imposed the cultivation of Black Cumin in the monasteries of his empire. Until the 18. century the herb was an accepted therapeutic. Nevertheless in Oriental medicine as well as in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Black Cumin has its recognized place as a healing plant. And in Ayurveda, the Indian art of healing, the little seeds have their special place also.

The plant prefers sunny regions and permeable humus soil, but can also be found on stony places and fields. Black Cumin is an annual plant reaching a height of 50 to 60 cm. The herb has erect shape and branched hairy stalks with interconnected leaves. The white blossoms appear in July and August. Out of these flowers develop the seeds in early autumn arranged as follicular fruits. The brownish-black seeds are about 2-3 mm big. Harvest begins when the plants start withering from the bottom, the seed capsules showing light-brown colour and the seeds have matured. The mown plants are laid down for drying on cotton or linen cloths before getting cold pressed in an oil mill. Alternatively the fat oil from the seeds can also be obtained by extracting it through ether and hexan, but the cold pressed oil is said to yield a higher quality. The taste of the oil is sharp, peppery and aromatic. And, last not least, there is also the possibility to distill or extract the seeds, yielding small amounts of essential oil with a higher percentage of the famous bio-chemical compounds “Thymoquinone” and “Nigellone”, major active ingredients of this remarkable plant.

The little seeds contain an Omega-6 and Omega-3 carrier oil with sth. like 3% of essential oils. The seeds are also a substantial source for vitamins, mainly carotene, a forerunner of Vitamin A being a powerful anti-oxidant. Among the minerals, there is worth mentioning calcium, iron, potassium and sodium. All of these nutritional treasures make Nigella a good spice in salad dressings, and vegetable dishes, stew etc. Some people also like to have a few seeds in a coffee or to prepare a tea.

Healing, healing… no end

The carrier oil or essential oil obtained by the described  procedure are

·good for the immune system

·beneficial to the digestive system

·usefull as a hormonal balancer and for menstrual problems

·an effective agent in case of skin diseases, allergies and for revitalizing the skin

·good against migraine

·very helpful for bronchial problems and asthma

·enhancing kidney function

·good for milk production in mothers

·a helper against hair loss

·efficient as an anti-microbial

The most surprising results were achieved when finally the scientists started to do profound studies concerning the effects of Black Cumin. The return to the Black Cumin plant in Europe is certainly also due to the increasing “migration” of muslim population to Western European countries, especially Germany. With the German physician Dr. Peter Schleicher who published a book on Black Cumin and its manifold effects, the public interest rose quite substantially with regards to this miracle remedy. The following story spread the revived knowledge of before: The precious dressage horse of the physician’s daughter suffered from severe asthma attacks normally treated by Cortison. An Egyptian veterinary however recommended to mix Black Cumin seeds into the horses’ food – like it is done with Arabic horses since centuries in case of similar problems. And the seeds worked well! The doctor later tested Black Cumin on 600 patients suffering from allergies – and 70% of them were cured!

Scientific studies identified Nigellone in Black Cumin which is a powerful anti-histamine being responsible for its anti-asthmatic and anti-allergic properties – for example in case of pollen allergy. Thus the outstanding results in the treatment of allergies were better understood. Nigella’s bronchio-dilatory qualities also make it a helpful remedy if respiratory ailments like allergic rhinitis require treatment.

Today immunologists and medical researchers recommend Nigella as a nutritional supplement for they have rediscovered the many beneficial health benefits of the seeds. They decided to get to the bottom of the historical reports based on experience. The results did not only confirm the messages of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, but exceeded the wildest expectations. The reason why Black Cumin was classified as a panacea among the medicinal plants already in ancient times seems to lie in its complex chemical structure. More than 100 different ingredients were found in it – and it seems that isolating them and composing certain pharma-remedies often won’t reach the desired effect. As we know today, this is because herbs possess many active compounds interacting with one another and thereby producing their special therapeutic results. And this interaction of compounds in a scenario of natural “alchemical blending” is beyond our analytical understanding of today, because we have to go at least to the “quantum level” of vibratory or energy medicine to grasp some of Nature’s intelligence here…. It still remains a secret of Mother Nature how synergistic blends of natural bio-chemical compounds function in togetherness and, in countless ways, surpass the action of a single “active ingredient”. And yes, this unsolved riddle might explain why so often all these thousands and thousands of medicinal plants in so many cases are superior to the remedies of modern medicine.

Anti-microbial research – A few examples

“Antibiotics, the marvelous drugs of the 20th century, have successively reduced the human mortality and morbidity during their golden period (from 1950s to 1970s) However, pathogens have gradually developed resistance to these miracle drugs. Recently, the antibiotics resistance has become a serious global health concern, with a huge economic burden on the community by increasing the cost of the treatments…. So far, it turns out that the development of new antibiotics, which are costly and time-consuming process, has become useless, as pathogens rabidly develop resistance to these new antibiotics…. Hence, medicinal plants appeared to be the best alternative source for new antimicrobial drugs.”

“Because of its miraculous power of healing, Nigella sativa has got the place among the top ranked evidence based herbal medicines (Ahmad et al., 2013). Current story describes the immunomodulatory and therapeutic effect of this herb against the PPR virus in experimentally infected goats. Nigella sativa prevented the occurrence of clinical signs and significant decrease in clinical signs, gross and histopathological abnormalities.”

And last not least some testimonials

“I have been using the Black Seed oil on my face for the past 6 weeks since coming of a month of antibiotics to treat the inflammation of ‘rosacea’ & perioral dermatitis. I haven’t had any new flare ups & feel the oil is healing the residual redness & scarring from the skin damage caused by the dermatitis/rosacea. I am using it at bed time every night & considering trying the capsules as well. I’m very pleased with this product & relieved I have finally found something natural that is working.”

Cf. https://habshifa.com.au/testimonials/

“OMG! Tried this stuff and lost 5 pounds in one week ,slept like a baby. When my family heard how great I was feeling now everyone takes it now. For headaches, pain, acne. The bottle is now gone within a couple weeks. ”

Cf. https://www.bestblackseedoil.com/testimonials/

“I have just started using this oil, and can already ready feel the benefits. As I have Osteoarthritis and had surgery a few months ago on my right hand and thumb. Its been a slow process at healing. But with this oil it has taken away much of the discomfort. So glad my daughter has introduced me to this wonderful healing oil. Making my world a better place.”

Cf. https://www.bestblackseedoil.com/testimonials/

“I’ve been using the blackseed for about 3 months and have completely gone off all my allergy meds! I had been having problems with dizziness due to inner ear issues brought on by allergies. Ceterizine, Sudafed and Meclizine were giving me no relief and I thought I was just going to have to adapt to having vertigo even with all those, but I’m symptom free now! I sleep better and wake right up in the morning much easier feeling more refreshed since I’m sleeping better. I’ve experienced other benefits from using this product and thought it’s not a cure-all… I’m doing much better health-wise and am sticking with it.”

Cf. https://www.bestblackseedoil.com/testimonials/

Conclusion

The miracle about a plant like Black Cumin with its tiny little seeds is that they have an unassuming external appearance, but have an innate super-knowledge of what to unfold out of the potential they are gifted with. That is Nature! Sometimes one wants to say: the smaller , the better… What a miracle again of the “pranic intelligence” of the Cosmos to encapsulate “the large in the small” and endow it with an immense treasure of curative energies, hard to summarize just in a few words. I think, we are in good company when we join in the praises which our human ancestors have been singing out of their thankful hearts for so many centuries to the Black Cumin plant, a very unique beautiful vegetal being on our planet Earth.

After all, good to remember: Black Cumin has been declared to be THE therapeutically most successful natural remedy of the past decade. Salutations to the Black Cumin Spirit!