Overview
- Participants consumed 5 grams of black cumin (Nigella sativa) powder each day for eight weeks and saw lower triglycerides, LDL and total cholesterol, alongside higher HDL.
- Lab experiments from the same research group found black cumin extract inhibited adipogenesis by blocking fat droplet accumulation and fat-cell differentiation.
- The study was led by Associate Professor Akiko Kojima-Yuasa of Osaka Metropolitan University and published in Food Science & Nutrition.
- Most reports describe a 42-participant trial involving adults with elevated cholesterol and frame black cumin as a potential functional food rather than a treatment.
- Some coverage misreported details by mixing in a separate legume study, citing 72 participants, underscoring the preliminary and carefully bounded nature of the findings.