Spice Commonly Found In Indian Kitchens Can Fight Fat, Study Reveals

When the world is going crazy about expensive anti-obesity drugs, a new study has found that a spice, commonly found in Indian kitchens, can fight fat effectively.

The name of the spice is Nigella sativa (black cumin). It is used as traditional medicine because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Now, after a recent clinical trial led by Osaka Metropolitan University, researchers have found that the spice can also help lower cholesterol levels.

To conduct the study, a team led by Associate Professor Akiko Kojima-Yuasa of the Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology used cellular experiments and human clinical trials.

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They gave the participants 5g of black cumin powder daily for eight weeks, and reported notable improvements in blood-lipid profiles. The researchers found that total cholesterol fell significantly across the study groups. The LDL ("bad") cholesterol dropped, while HDL ("good") cholesterol rose. Triglycerides also decreased, further reducing cardiovascular risk.

The analysis suggests that black cumin extract blocks the formation of new fat cells (adipogenesis) and inhibits the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, a key step in cholesterol synthesis.

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Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, especially thymoquinone, help lower oxidative stress and inflammation, both contributors to atherosclerosis.

"This study strongly suggests that black cumin seeds are useful as a functional food for preventing obesity and lifestyle-related diseases," Professor Kojima-Yuasa said in a press release. "It was so gratifying to see black cumin comprehensively demonstrate actual, demonstrable blood lipid-lowering effects in a human trial."

"We hope to perform longer-term and larger-scale clinical trials to investigate the effects of black cumin on metabolism," she added. "We are particularly interested in investigating its effects on insulin resistance in diabetes and inflammatory markers."