Black cumin.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: Black Cumin and Sea Quest - Religious remedies?
From: mikaily.aol.com (Michael Boyle)
Date: 4 Sep 1995 04:52:09 -0400

> Does anyone know of the proper use and any therapeutic value for the following:
> Black Cumin (Nigella) Seeds
> Quest and Sea Quest
> They are mentioned in Quran as a cure-all.

Black seed is mentioned in the Hadith, or Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, not in the Quran itself. I don't know about Sea Quest. Black seed is a general immune system booster. It increases white blood cell counts and histamine levels. I take a black cumin/garlic supplement. I noticed that for a few days after first taking it that my lung capacity seemed to increase. I could breath deeper and had a very slight pain in my lungs when I did so. Perhaps it acts in some way to dialate blood vessels in the lungs or expand the alveoli somehow. I cut back on the number of capsules I was taking for a few days and this effect wore off. I also don't take the supplement much during allergy season. I noticed that when taking black seed I would have to blow my nose more every morning upon waking. I found this effect annoying. But it seems to help in the winter in fending off colds. In the Arab countries they sprinkle black seed on loaves of bread before baking, in the same way that we use caraway seeds on rye bread.