Black seed oil, which can be ingested or applied to the skin, has been touted as a remedy for everything from headaches and obesity to insomnia to COVID-19.
Black seed oil is extracted from Nigella sativa, a plant native to the Middle East and Eastern Europe but now cultivated in a much larger area. Nigella sativa was long been used as medicine and food. For instance, in the area that is now Iran, it was traditionally used to help with menstrual cycle problems; in India, it was used for indigestion problems; and in China, it was used to treat insomnia, dizziness, and bronchial disorders….