Black Seed Oil: TONIC’s Signature Superfood

Every TONIC ingredient serves a purpose. Black seed oil is a crucial part of our Special Sauce, the proprietary mix of plant-based ingredients that work synergistically with CBD to provide a more effective wellness solution. While, of course, our full-spectrum hemp-derived CBD is the key ingredient when it comes to endocannabinoid system support, black seed oil provides key benefits to round out the effects of CBD and provide a more integrative, balanced and powerful approach.

What is Black Seed Oil?

Many health experts claim that Black Seed Oil is a true panacea: it is able to help treat everything from allergies to hypertension. It is often said that black seed oil can “treat everything except death”.

Black Seed Oil has been applied topically and taken orally for thousands of years to help ailments from bruises and bad hair to colds and snakebites to headaches and indigestion. Since 1965 nearly 1000 scientific articles have been published about Nigella Sativa, documenting its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer and immune-enhancing properties. Human studies have been more prolific in the past couple of decades and have helped scientists pinpoint some more specific benefits.

Results of various studies have demonstrated that black seed oil and its active ingredients, specifically thymoquinone, possess pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects, supporting the common folk uses and anecdotal evidence for Nigella Sativa. “Many protective properties are attributed to reproducible radical scavenging activity as well as an interaction with numerous molecular targets involved in inflammation, including pro-inflammatory enzymes and cytokines”[1].

Phytochemicals: The Source of Black Seed Oil’s Powers

Black Seed Oil is rich in 3 key natural chemicals:

Thymoquinone (TQ)

Thymoquinone has been found to be the best antifungal compound against all tested dermatophytes (pathogenic fungus that grows on the skin, mucous membranes, hair, nails) and yeasts.

Thymohydroquinone (THQ)

Thymohydroquinone is one of the most potent natural acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors. AChE inhibitors are chemicals that stop enzyme activity and therefore increase the amount of acetylcholine that remains active in the brain. It also increases the time during which acetylcholine stays active.

We have all heard of AChE inhibitors in passing on medicine commercials, etc but do you know what they are actually used for? They have been found to be useful in addressing everything from apathy, Alzheimers, and autism to glaucoma, dementia, neurodegenerative conditions, and schizophrenia.

With so many pharmaceutical AChE inhibitors that come with adverse side effects being prescribed every day, an all-natural alternative that doesn’t carry any of those side effects is an amazing discovery!

Thymol

Thymol has been found to be among the most effective antifungal agent against molds.

In a study published in the Egyptian Journal of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, scientists tested Thymol, TQ & THQ against 30 human pathogens and were surprised to discover that each compound showed 100% inhibition for the 30 pathogens evaluated.

This study essentially proves that fungus and mold cannot exist in the presence of these phytochemicals, so it is no wonder why researchers are seeking to solve the superbug problem with Black Seed Oil.

Black Seed Oil and “Superbugs”

The research on Black Seed Oil and its ability to treat “superbugs” is perhaps the most promising.

These multi-drug-resistant bugs are becoming a significant public health risk according to the National Institute of Public Health.

• A study conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College researchers set out to determine just how potent black seed oil against some of these superbugs and pared it against several antibiotics, such as Amoxicillin, Gatifloxacin, and Tetracycline. According to the study, “Out of 144 strains tested, most of which were resistant to a number of antibiotics, 97 were inhibited by the oil of black cumin.”

Black Seed Oil and Liver Health

The liver is one of the most important organs in the body. Nearly every toxin gets processed through the liver and the bile from the liver is the key to digesting fats and keeping your mind and body happy and healthy. Liver function can be slowed due to medications, alcohol, or poor diet. However, black seed oil has been shown to be able to greatly speed up the liver’s healing process. In a recent study, scientists discovered that black seed oil benefits the function of the liver and helps prevent both damage and disease.

Black Seed Oil and Diabetes

Explained in a recent article published by the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research highlight that black seed oil “causes gradual partial regeneration of pancreatic beta-cells, increases the lowered serum insulin concentrations and decreases the elevated serum glucose.” This is actually quite profound because Nigella sativa is one of the few substances on the planet that is suggested to help prevent both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

In fact, according to the study, black seed “improves glucose tolerance as efficiently as metformin; yet it has not shown significant adverse effects and has very low toxicity.” This is HUGE because metformin, one of the most commonly prescribed type 2 diabetes drugs, can cause a wide slew of side effects.

Black Seed Oil and Weight Loss

Nigella Sativa hasn’t traditionally been used as a treatment for obesity, but its ability to lower inflammation and allow for more efficient bodily processes combined with its ability to lower these weight-gain triggers, such as:

• Appetite
• Glucose absorption in the intestine
• Liver gluconeogenesis
• Blood glucose levels
• Cholesterol
• Triglycerides

These benefits make Black Seed Oil an important supplement to combine with a healthy diet and workout regimen for maximal weight loss results.

• A study of 90 obese women found that adding black seed oil to a low-calorie diet produced more weight loss than the diet alone.  A study of 250 men found that black seed oil by itself, or in combination with turmeric, produced some weight loss and reduced risk factors for diabetes.

Black Seed Oil’s Amino Acid Profile

Black Seed Oil contains 15 amino acids, including 8 of the 9 essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, and tryptophan).

It also contains arginine – a semi-essential amino acid necessary for various metabolic processes. Arginine can improve blood flow, boost the immune system, and stimulate the release of insulin and growth hormone.

Black Seed Oil can be found in our Flex, O.G., and Chill Doses, as well as in our new skincare line, Outer Space. Just another way TONIC is taking cannabinoid-based wellness to the next level.