An ancient herb Nigella Sativa, a flowering plant native to southern Asia, grows to roughly 30 cm in height. But what it lacks in height, it more than makes up in its fruits, which are home to the powerful black cumin seeds. Following a cold-pressing process, the famed black seed oil is extracted from these seeds. Lying within this versatile oil is the primary active ingredient Thymoquinone. As a phytochemical, Thymoquinone is capable of preventing and combating diseases in plants. The extensive history of this herbal medicine has shown that humans are equally capable of benefiting from its majestic healing power. Nearly three centuries ago, ancient Egyptians utilized the black seed oil from Nigella Sativa to rejuvenate the skin and face, as well as to treat digestive problems. Ibn Sina, the renowned Persian physician of the 11th century, wrote of the oil’s ability to revitalize the body’s energy, and to treat common maladies, such as fever and headaches. 5 In the contemporary age, many consume this plant’s blessed seed in combination with honey, as part of a salad, in tea, or as a form of added flavoring.

Touching upon cancer Thymoquinone is well known for its role in promoting the well-being of the immune system. This is all the more important in cases involving cancer in which the bypassing of important check points in the cell-cycle leads to the uncontrollable growth and infinite divisions of unhealthy cells. Often, the circumvented check point lies between the Gap 1 phase (G1) and Synthesis phase (S), where cytoplasmic and DNA conditions are regulated following an external signal, such as a growth factor. Therefore, the discovery that Thymoquinone is capable of halting such a detrimental act is quite important for the future of cancer treatments.1 It is also noted that Thymoquinone has repeatedly displayed the ability to impede damaged-cell functionality through facilitating apoptosis, a natural cell death inflicting little to no harm to nearby cells. It is also believed that a link exists between Thymoquinone and p53, a tumor-suppressor protein, since many more human breast cancer cells entered late apoptotic stages when treated with Thymoquinone.2 In 2016, 1.6 million people worldwide are projected to pass away from lung cancer alone. In the United States, that value checks in at slightly under 160,000 deaths, with nearly 18 Americans dead per hour. Moreover, approximately 1.8 million new cases of lung cancer will arise around the world. In light of these staggering figures, the findings of Al-Sheddi et al. provides a glimmer of hope. When viable human lung cells inflicted with cancer were exposed to Nigella Sativa extract (NSE) for 24 hours, the percent viability of the cancerous cells decreased nearly 65% as the concentration of NSE increased from .25 to 1 mg/ml.3 This cytotoxic effect, coupled with a reduction in size and adhesion capacity of the cancerous cells, is an important step in the right direction towards preventing metastasis and growth. Likewise, Thymoquinone has been identified as an effective role player in treating breast cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Motaghed et al. report that human breast cancer cells treated with Thymoquinone experienced a nearly 75% decrease in cell proliferation over a 48 hour period as the concentration of Thymoquinone increased from 0 to 300 μM. Not surprisingly, the findings of Motaghed et al. do happen to support those discussed earlier by Al-Sheddi et al. as percent viability of breast cancer cells decreased across all measured concentration levels of Thymoquinone over 72 hours.2 Such data speaks volumes, underlining the extract’s ability to sustain effective, long-term treatments. On a similar note, when human prostate cancer cells were introduced into mice (allowing the tumor to settle), certain mice given an additional injection of 6 mg/day of Thymoquinone were observed to have substantially less growth in tumor size and shape after 15 days of treatment as compared to the mice who were not administered Thymoquinone.4 Furthermore, Yi et al. noted a sharp difference in blood vessel formation from tumor angiogenesis as the untreated mice developed many more vessels. This ability to stymie vessel formation from tumor angiogenesis ensures that tumor growth and expansion into other bodily organs is abrogated.

Into the bloodstream While effective in cancer treatment, the far-reaching impact of Nigella Sativa has also been linked with glycemic control in diabetes, an illness plaguing tens of millions of people in America alone. Diabetics suffer from a considerably high level of glucose in their bloodstream due to the body’s inability to produce enough, or even any, insulin. As a result, many are at risk for eventual kidney failure. With this in mind, Type 2 Diabetics may rejoice upon hearing that similar patients experienced substantially lowered fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels when exposed to 2 gm/day of ground Nigella Sativa seeds in conjunction with current type 2 anti-diabetic medicine. The phenomenal decrease was such that at 4, 8, and 12 week intervals, FBG levels were 45, 62 and 56 mg/dl less than the baseline value. Similarly, after a 12 week duration, measured glycosylated hemoglobin levels were lowered over one and a half percent, returning to a healthy range. Amazingly, the effect of insulin resistance, the defining characteristic of type 2 diabetes, was minimized in patients administered 2 gm/day of ground Nigella Sativa seeds.6 Serviceable in the bloodstream, Nigella Sativa has been pinpointed as an effective tool in regulating cholesterol. Ali et al. exposed a test group of white female albino rats to various dosages of Nigella Sativa seeds. What they found was that after 4, 7, 10, and 14 days, the administered Nigella Sativa dosages (between 200 and 400 mg) were capable of decreasing cholesterol. Furthermore, blood triglyceride values dropped across most dosage levels after the above time periods.7 Such a finding is crucial, considering that excessive triglyceride readings can result in atherosclerosis (clogged, inflexible arteries), high cholesterol levels, elevated LDL cholesterol (responsible for plaque buildup), and lowered HDL cholesterol (which typically cleanses arteries of LDL cholesterol). Interestingly, heightened levels of triglycerides have also been correlated with diabetes, an illness equally treated by Nigella Sativa seeds.8

Unbearable pain Nigella Sativa’s panacea-like effect has also graced tender and swollen joints. Rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, occurs as a result of the immune system mistaking joints for foreign substances. Any inflicted joint will swell greatly, causing nearly unbearable pain. As an anti-inflammatory, Thymoquinone is capable of minimizing cartilage reduction and, therefore, pain. This is especially true for females, who are two and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with arthritis. A study in Egypt found that over forty percent of the given female patients in a treatment group suffering from arthritis reported an improvement in their health, with fewer swollen and tender joints, after administration of Nigella Sativa capsules.9

Bless you! The blessed seeds of Nigella Sativa have even demonstrated an ability to alleviate allergic symptoms. The immune system’s inflated response to allergens culminates in the release of histamines, the component responsible for inflammation. As a result, people may develop symptoms such as runny noses, sneezing, watery eyes, and itchy throats. A study carried out by Isik et al. found that when test subjects with predisposed allergies to dust mites were given immunotherapy for a period of time followed by a supplement of 2 gm/day of Nigella Sativa seeds, the immune system received a boost, generating an increased phagocytic and intracellular killing percentage. Moreover, the small group of healthy volunteers who participated in the study also noticed an increase in their body’s phagocytic activity after receiving one month of Nigella Sativa seed supplements.10 Hence, Thymoquinone yet again displayed the ability to minimize the effect of an unfavorable substance in the body.

A standard bearer But despite all of these promising results, has anyone heard of Nigella Sativa? In a health market dominated by pharmaceutical companies worth over $300 billion, word of a truly cost-effective, easily accessible, and safe food item spreads slowly and difficultly. According to the National Cancer Institute, the first year alone of cancer treatment can cost nearly $61,000, for either sex.11 That staggering number coupled with continually skyrocketing medical coverage costs should make alternative therapy, such as Nigella Sativa, appear even more attractive. Five patents for solutions including Nigella Sativa extracts have already been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, covering treatment for illnesses such as diabetes and viral infections, as well as cancerous cell growth.12 The FDA has already recognized Nigella Sativa, or black cumin, as being generally safe.13 And with over 1500 hits for “Nigella Sativa” and “Thymoquinone” on the PubMed website, one can only wonder how much more time will pass before pharmaceutical companies begin to take more drastic measures towards endorsing this natural, herbal medicine, especially considering that it significantly enhances the effect of current chemotherapy drugs Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin in decreasing the viability of pancreatic cancer cells.14 Will Nigella Sativa become the standard bearer for alternative medicine, known to heal the mind and body through a holistic approach to one’s pain? Will those in line with the modern medical practices acknowledge the benefits of a strongly supported panacea? Many questions abound. However, with the black seed oil reported in a Prophetic tradition to provide healing for every disease except death, one can only hope that its rich history and certain healing methods reach the eyes and ears of all inflicted with illness. * * * a Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO References

• Raghunandhakumar, S., A. Paramasivam, S. Senthilraja, C. Naveenkumar, S. Asokkumar, J. Binuclara, S. Jagan, P. Anandakumar, and T. Devaki. “Thymoquinone Inhibits Cell Proliferation through Regulation of G1/S Phase Cell Cycle Transition in N-Nitrosodiethylamine-Induced Experimental Rat Hepatocellular Carcinoma.” Toxicol Lett 223, no. 1 (Oct 23 2013): 60-72.
• Motaghed, M., F. M. Al-Hassan, and S. S. Hamid. “Cellular Responses with Thymoquinone Treatment in Human Breast Cancer Cell Line Mcf-7.” Pharmacognosy Res 5, no. 3 (Jul 2013): 200-6.
• Al-Sheddi, E. S., N. N. Farshori, M. M. Al-Oqail, J. Musarrat, A. A. Al-Khedhairy, and M. A. Siddiqui. “Cytotoxicity of Nigella Sativa Seed Oil and Extract against Human Lung Cancer Cell Line.” Asian Pac J Cancer Prev 15, no. 2 (2014): 983-7.
• Yi, T., S. G. Cho, Z. Yi, X. Pang, M. Rodriguez, Y. Wang, G. Sethi, B. B. Aggarwal, and M. Liu. “Thymoquinone Inhibits Tumor Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth through Suppressing Akt and Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase Signaling Pathways.” Mol Cancer Ther 7, no. 7 (Jul 2008): 1789-96.
• “Black Seed Oil.” Genuine Nigella Sativa. http://huile-de-nigelle.net/en/history.html.
• Bamosa, A. O., H. Kaatabi, F. M. Lebdaa, A. M. Elq, and A. Al-Sultanb. “Effect of Nigella Sativa Seeds on the Glycemic Control of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.” Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 54, no. 4 (Oct-Dec 2010): 344-54.
• Bamosa, A. O., B. A. Ali, and Z. A. al-Hawsawi. “The Effect of Thymoquinone on Blood Lipids in Rats.” Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 46, no. 2 (Apr 2002): 195-201.
• “Good vs. Bad Cholesterol.” American Heart Association. January 12, 2015. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/Good-vs-Bad-Cholesterol_UCM_305561_Article.jsp.
• Gheita, T. A., and S. A. Kenawy. “Effectiveness of Nigella Sativa Oil in the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Placebo Controlled Study.” Phytother Res 26, no. 8 (Aug 2012): 1246-8.
• Isik, H., A. Cevikbas, U. S. Gurer, B. Kiran, Y. Uresin, P. Rayaman, E. Rayaman, B. Gurbuz, and S. Buyukozturk. “Potential Adjuvant Effects of Nigella Sativa Seeds to Improve Specific Immunotherapy in Allergic Rhinitis Patients.” Med Princ Pract 19, no. 3 (2010): 206-11.
• “Cancer Prevalence and Cost of Care Projections.” Annual Costs of Cancer Care. 2011. http://costprojections.cancer.gov/annual.costs.html.
• “Are There Any Current Black Seed FDA Patent Information Available?” Black Seed Products. http://www.blackseedproducts.com/faqs/19-are-there-any-current-black-seed-fda-patent-information-available.html.
• “Substances Generally Recognized As Safe.” CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21. April 1, 2014. http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=582.10.
• Banerjee, S., A. O. Kaseb, Z. Wang, D. Kong, M. Mohammad, S. Padhye, F. H. Sarkar, and R. M. Mohammad. “Antitumor Activity of Gemcitabine and Oxaliplatin Is Augmented by Thymoquinone in Pancreatic Cancer.” Cancer Res 69, no. 13 (Jul 1 2009): 5575-83.

The various eras

The prehistoric era is considered an unknowable time inhabited by primitive and brutal humans. This era ends with the beginning of Antiquity, which saw the rise of ancient civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China. However, the West downplays them, as if they somehow damage its ego and pride.

Then comes late Antiquity, the era of classical Greece and Rome, a sort of golden age during which the West was enlightened by such philosophers as Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato, as well as by beautiful artistic and literary creations. However, these people worshipped deities, did not obey any moral codes, and also had a great thirst for stories about bandits. The Greeks of this time, however, failed to comprehend the reality of the miraculous incidents in nature and so worshipped the sun, wind, fire, and forests. Rome, a civilization based upon law, categorized people into social classes varying from superior to slave. In 380, it adopted Christianity as its official religion. Antiquity ended after the empire’s division into two and the collapse of its western portion not too long after the division.

The next approximately 1,000 years are known as the medieval era. It started off by destroying Antiquity’s intellectual and artistic works and forbidding independent thought. The Christian church, after closing down Athens Plato Academy in 529, turned toward monasticism and rejected Greek philosophy. Monasteries soon gained a monopoly over education, thought, and meditation. This is why the times became dark, for the clergy monopolized science, culture, art, literature, and thought. Religion, which provides people with peace, happiness, and security, was distorted and, assuming a personalized form, became a means of torment, oppression, and harassment through the above-mentioned bans, church taxes, and the Inquisition.

During this era, which considered such moral values such as equality, justice, love, and respect outdated, people were classified as clergy, which produced nothing but confiscated and controlled everything; nobles, who owned and exploited the land and treated the peasants as serfs; peasants who worked but could only silence their hunger; and slaves. The medieval era ended with the advent of the Renaissance (rebirth or revival), which began in northern Italy in the late fourteenth century and spread north thereafter. Antiquity’s thought, art, and culture were revived, and people tried to free themselves from feudalism and church authority.

What really happened during the dark ages?

The Dark Ages are often ignored. However, this was the time when Europe rediscovered Antiquity’s accomplishments and thought due to its contacts with Muslim Spain and Byzantium. Given this reality, why does the typical timeline skip over this period, especially since it was far from dark outside of Europe? One case stands out: the Arabian peninsula, where a new religious movement (Islam) and the beginnings of its civilization had appeared by 610. In stark contrast with Europe, it proclaimed that people were obligated to seek knowledge, fight ignorance, and improve their condition in life.

Islam’s Prophet, Muhammad, accepted Judaism and Christianity as true and set about re-establishing belief in God’s Oneness. He preached the freedom of conscience and religion by declaring there is no force in religion and that people should embrace Islam only if they sincerely believed in its truth. The Qur’an rejected all humanized angels and rejected Original Sin by stating that people would be rewarded or punished only for their own deeds in the afterlife.

The security of life, goods, and honor were accepted as basic human rights, and thus guaranteed protection. All people, without exception, had specific property rights. Each person’s rights were guaranteed by being considered halal (lawful) or haram (unlawful), with various gradations in between. Social solidarity was ensured by zakat (obligatory charity) and sadaqah (voluntary charity). This also prevented the formation of social classes and any possible class hostility. Addressing humanity as O people to show their equality, the Qur’an rejected medieval Europe’s social stratification by proclaiming that superiority depended upon belief, God-consciousness, good conduct, and helping others.

In the pre-Islamic period, women were viewed as property and daughters were considered a source of shame for their fathers. Islam made them revered spouses and beloved daughters, superior to men in being mothers, and equal in obtaining property and justice. Islam sought to abolish slavery, a universal norm at the time, gradually by introducing various sanctions. First of all, it recognized slaves as full human beings who had to be treated according to the dictum Let them eat what you eat, and let them wear what you wear. Moreover, God ordered the freeing of slaves to atone for some sins.

Islam emphasized the wrongness of medieval Europe’s social stratification by stating that everybody was equal before law. The principle of freedom from obligation, which states that everybody is essentially innocent until proven guilty, was also established. All of these practices, which have existed from the first day of Islam, have not been cancelled just because many Muslims have not observed them.

Conclusion

While Europe remained in the dark on all of the above issues, the sun of Islam was beginning to illuminate many other areas of the world. Thus, humanity’s progress toward real civilization was led by Islam during an era that was supposedly dark. As Islamic history shows, that classification betrays some obvious personal or civilizational bias.

Europe’s Dark Age was a time of great intellectual ferment in the Islamic world. Many philosophical, mathematical, medical, astronomical, and medical works produced by classical Greece and Rome, as well as India and other civilizations, was translated into Arabic by Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Among them were the works of Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Hippocrates, Euclid, Galinos, Ptolemy, and Archimedes. Such translations had a major impact upon Europe when they finally reached its shores, for they were instrumental in starting the Renaissance.

The present division of history into certain eras is based upon a Western view of history and what is important. The church rejected Antiquity’s accomplishments and caused it to be forgotten in Europe for many centuries. However, religion cannot be condemned for this, for the people who did such things deviated from its teachings. While Europe was lost in darkness, Muslims were busy creating an Islamic civilization that first enlightened their own lands and then spread outwards Spain (Andalusia). Muslim Spain eventually became a bridge between the Islamic world and Christian Europe.

Greek civilization established the beautiful, Romans established the law, and the Semites contributed religion. The Chinese actualized the useful, India gave humanity its imagination and mysticism, and Europe gave science. Islamic civilization assumed its rightful place among the world’s civilizations by exhibiting an intrinsic and original style in areas such as thought, science, art, culture, and literature. Such a magnificent civilization, if it is to be divided into eras, should be divided according to its own history, and not by the West’s criteria. Just as the West arose again, thanks to Islamic civilization, so will the Islamic world rise again, God willing.