Herbal Health

Health

2008-01-04T00:54:00.000-08:00

Everybody talks about e-health these days, but few people have come up with a clear definition of this comparatively new term. Barely in use before 1999, this term now seems to serve as a general "buzzword," used to characterize not only "Internet medicine", but also virtually everything related to computers and medicine. The term was apparently first used by industry leaders and marketing people rather than academics. They created and used this term in line with other "e-words" such as e-commerce, e-business, e-solutions, and so on, in an attempt to convey the promises, principles, excitement (and hype) around e-commerce (electronic commerce) to the health arena, and to give an account of the new possibilities the Internet is opening up to the area of health care. Intel, for example, referred to e-health as "a concerted effort undertaken by leaders in health care and hi-tech industries to fully harness the benefits available through convergence of the Internet and health care." Because the Internet created new opportunities and challenges to the traditional health care information technology industry, the use of a new term to address these issues seemed appropriate. These "new" challenges for the health care information technology industry were mainly (1) the capability of consumers to interact with their systems online (B2C = "business to consumer"); (2) improved possibilities for institution-to-institution transmissions of data (B2B = "business to business"); (3) new possibilities for peer-to-peer communication of consumers (C2C = "consumer to consumer").

So, how can we define e-health in the academic environment? One JMIR Editorial Board member feels that the term should remain in the realm of the business and marketing sector and should be avoided in scientific medical literature and discourse. However, the term has already entered the scientific literature (today, 76 Medline-indexed articles contain the term "e-health" in the title or abstract). What remains to be done is - in good scholarly tradition - to define as well as possible what we are talking about. However, as another member of the Editorial Board noted, "stamping a definition on something like e-health is somewhat like stamping a definition on 'the Internet': It is defined how it is used - the definition cannot be pinned down, as it is a dynamic environment, constantly moving."

It seems quite clear that e-health encompasses more than a mere technological development. I would define the term and concept as follows:
e-health is an emerging field in the intersection of medical informatics, public health and business, referring to health services and information delivered or enhanced through the Internet and related technologies. In a broader sense, the term characterizes not only a technical development, but also a state-of-mind, a way of thinking, an attitude, and a commitment for networked, global thinking, to improve health care locally, regionally, and worldwide by using information and communication technology.

This definition hopefully is broad enough to apply to a dynamic environment such as the Internet and at the same time acknowledges that e-health encompasses more than just "Internet and Medicine".

As such, the "e" in e-health does not only stand for "electronic," but implies a number of other "e's," which together perhaps best characterize what e-health is all about (or what it should be). Last, but not least, all of these have been (or will be) issues addressed in articles published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Source: http://www.jmir.org/2001/2/e20/

Migraines

2008-01-04T00:52:00.001-08:00

A survey of more than 32,000 adolescents nationwide has found that migraine headaches are more common in low-income families, when there is no family history of such headaches.
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Migraine in Adolescents (Neurology)

The study also found that migraines were more prevalent in girls than in boys and in white teenagers than in black teenagers. According to background information in the article, the prevalence of migraines in adults is also significantly higher in lower educational and income level groups.

The survey, published in the July 3 issue of Neurology, used a questionnaire to survey a random sample of 120,000 households, analyzing data from the responses of 18,714 children ages 12 to 19. The sample was representative of the population in sex, age and geographic region.

When one parent was afflicted, there was no correlation of migraine prevalence with income. But when neither parent had migraines, prevalence among teenagers declined as family income went up. An average of 2.9 percent of adolescents in families earning $90,000 or more suffered migraines, compared with 5.5 percent in families with incomes under $22,500.

The authors acknowledge that the correlation may not be due to low income but to depression, substance use or some other factor; the questionnaire did not assess such issues.

“Regardless of income, migraine is a biological disease,” said Dr. Marcelo E. Bigal, the lead author and an assistant professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “But stress is a risk factor, and stress management techniques should help.”

Diabetes

2008-01-04T00:42:00.000-08:00

21-DEC-2007
Diabetes Risk Is More Nurture Than Nature: Study

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In adults, the development of insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, is influenced more by current body weight than by birth weight, results of a study in twins suggests.

The results also suggest that the postnatal (after delivery) growth pattern is potentially more important in terms of later development of insulin resistance than fetal growth.

"Previous research has shown that those who are small at birth are more likely to experience rapid weight gain in childhood, which is strongly related to obesity and increased insulin resistance in adulthood," Dr. Paula Skidmore of the University of East Anglia, Norwich, England, notes in a written statement.

"Our data show that this postnatal weight gain and current body size are the chief influencers of insulin resistance," she adds.

How the body metabolizes glucose (sugar) and insulin are thought to be programmed in the womb, Skidmore and colleagues explain. And low birth weight, as a proxy for an adverse fetal environment, has been linked to high insulin levels. However, it is not clear whether this inverse relationship is a strictly "in the womb" effect.

The investigators studied relationships between birth weight, body mass index (BMI) and change in body size over the life course and insulin resistance in 1194 female twins aged 18 to 74 years.

They failed to find any significant relationship between a person's weight at birth and the development of insulin resistance, the investigators report.

However, there was a significant positive relationship between insulin resistance and current weight; insulin resistance increased as current BMI increased.

This association was mediated equally through both individual effects and shared environment influences of the twins. There was no evidence that relationships between birth weight, BMI and change in body size and insulin resistance were mediated by genetic makeup.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, online December 2007.

Cancer

2008-01-04T00:40:00.000-08:00

Detailed Guide: Breast Cancer
What Is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that starts from cells of the breast. A malignant tumor is a group of cancer cells that may invade surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to distant areas of the body. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men can get it, too. The remainder of this document refers only to breast cancer in women. For information on breast cancer in men, see the American Cancer Society's document, Breast Cancer in Men.

Normal Breast Structure

In order to understand breast cancer, it is helpful to have some basic knowledge about the normal structure of the breasts.

The female breast is made up mainly of lobules (milk-producing glands), ducts (tiny tubes that carry the milk from the lobules to the nipple), and stroma (fatty tissue and connective tissue surrounding the ducts and lobules, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels).

Most breast cancers begin in the cells that line the ducts (ductal cancers); some begin in the cells that line the lobules (lobular cancers), and the rest in other tissues.

The Lymph (Lymphatic) System

The lymph system is important to understand because it is one of the ways in which breast cancers can spread. This system has several parts.

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped collections of immune system cells that are connected by lymphatic vessels. Lymphatic vessels are like small veins, except that they carry a clear fluid called lymph (instead of blood) away from the breast. Lymph contains tissue fluid and waste products, as well as immune system cells (cells that are important in fighting infections). Breast cancer cells can enter lymphatic vessels and begin to grow in lymph nodes.

Most lymphatic vessels in the breast connect to lymph nodes under the arm (axillary nodes). Some lymphatic vessels connect to lymph nodes inside the chest (internal mammary nodes) and those either above or below the collarbone (supraclavicular or infraclavicular nodes).

Knowing if the cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes is important because if it has, there is a higher chance that the cells could have also gotten into the bloodstream and spread (metastasized) to other sites in the body. The more lymph nodes that are involved with the breast cancer, the more likely it is that the cancer may be found in other organs as well. This is important to know because it could affect your treatment plan. But not all women with lymph node involvement develop metastases, and it is not unusual for a woman to have negative lymph nodes and later develop metastases.

Benign Breast Lumps

Most breast lumps are not cancerous; that is, they are benign. Still, some need to be sampled and viewed under a microscope to prove they are not cancer.

Fibrocystic Changes

Most lumps turn out to be fibrocystic changes. The term "fibrocystic" refers to fibrosis and cysts. Fibrosis is the formation of fibrous (or scar-like) tissue, and cysts are fluid-filled sacs. Fibrocystic changes can cause breast swelling and pain. This often happens just before a period is about to begin. Your breasts may feel lumpy and, sometimes, you may notice a clear or slightly cloudy nipple discharge.

Other Benign Breast Lumps

Benign breast tumors such as fibroadenomas or intraductal papillomas are abnormal growths, but they are not cancer and cannot spread outside of the breast to other organs. They are not life threatening. Still, some benign breast conditions are important because women with these conditions have a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

For more information see the section, "What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?" and the American Cancer Society document, Noncancerous Breast Conditions.

Breast Cancer General Terms

It is important to understand some of the key words used to describe breast cancer.

Carcinoma

This is a term used to describe a cancer that begins in the lining layer (epithelial cells) of organs such as the breast. Nearly all breast cancers are carcinomas (either ductal carcinomas or lobular carcinomas).

Adenocarcinoma

An adenocarcinoma is a type of carcinoma that starts in glandular tissue (tissue that makes and secretes a substance). The ducts and lobules of the breast are glandular tissue (they make breast milk), so cancers starting in these areas are sometimes called adenocarcinomas.

Carcinoma In Situ

This term is used for the early stage of cancer, when it is confined to the layer of cells where it began. Specifically in breast cancer, in situ means that the cancer cells remain confined to ducts (ductal carcinoma in situ) or lobules (lobular carcinoma in situ). They have not invaded into deeper tissues in the breast or spread to other organs in the body, and are sometimes referred to as non-invasive breast cancers.

Invasive (Infiltrating) Carcinoma

An invasive cancer is one that has already invaded beyond the layer of cells where it started (as opposed to carcinoma in situ). Most breast cancers are invasive carcinomas -- either invasive ductal carcinoma or invasive lobular carcinoma.

Sarcoma

Sarcomas are cancers that start from connective tissues such as fat tissue or blood vessels. Sarcomas of the breast are rare.

Types of Breast Cancers

There are several types of breast cancer, although some of them are quite rare. It is not unusual for a single breast tumor to be a combination of these types and to have a mixture of invasive and in situ cancer.

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS)

Ductal carcinoma in situ (also known as intraductal carcinoma) is the most common type of non-invasive breast cancer. DCIS means that the cancer cells are inside the ducts but have not spread through the walls of the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue.

About 1 out of 5 new breast cancer cases will be DCIS. Nearly all women diagnosed at this early stage of breast cancer can be cured. A mammogram is often the best way to find DCIS early.

When DCIS is diagnosed, the pathologist (a doctor specializing in diagnosing disease from tissue samples) will look for an area of dead or dying cancer cells, called tumor necrosis, within the tissue sample. If necrosis is present, the tumor is likely to be more aggressive. The term comedocarcinoma is often used to describe DCIS with necrosis.

Lobular Carcinoma In Situ (LCIS)

Although not a true cancer, LCIS (also called lobular neoplasia) is sometimes classified as a type of non-invasive breast cancer, and this is why it is included here. It begins in the milk-producing glands but does not grow through the wall of the lobules.

Most breast cancer specialists think that LCIS itself does not become an invasive cancer very often, but women with this condition do have a higher risk of developing an invasive breast cancer in the same breast or in the opposite breast. For this reason, women with LCIS should pay close attention to having regular mammograms.

Invasive (or Infiltrating) Ductal Carcinoma (IDC)

This is the most common type of breast cancer. It starts in a milk passage (duct) of the breast, has broken through the wall of the duct, and invaded the fatty tissue of the breast. At this point, it may have the ability to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body through the lymphatic system and bloodstream. About 8 out of 10 invasive breast cancers are infiltrating ductal carcinomas.

Invasive (or Infiltrating) Lobular Carcinoma (ILC)

Invasive lobular carcinoma starts in the milk-producing glands (lobules). Like IDC, it can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. About 1 out of 10 invasive breast cancers are ILCs. Invasive lobular carcinoma may be harder to detect by a mammogram than invasive ductal carcinoma.

Less Common Types of Breast Cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer: This uncommon type of invasive breast cancer accounts for about 1% to 3% of all breast cancers. Usually there is no single lump or tumor. Instead, inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) makes the skin of the breast look red and feel warm and gives the skin a thick, pitted appearance that looks a lot like an orange peel. Doctors now know that these changes are not caused by inflammation or infection, but by cancer cells blocking lymph vessels in the skin. The affected breast may become larger or firmer, tender, or itchy. Inflammatory breast cancer is often mistaken for infection (mastitis) in its early stages. Because there is no defined lump, it may not appear on a mammogram, which may make it even harder to catch it early. It typically has a higher chance of spreading and a worse outlook than typical invasive ductal or lobular cancer.

Mixed tumors: Mixed tumors are those that contain a variety of cell types, such as invasive ductal cancer combined with invasive lobular breast cancer. In this situation, the tumor is treated as if it were an invasive ductal cancer.

Medullary cancer: This special type of infiltrating breast cancer has a rather well-defined, distinct boundary between tumor tissue and normal tissue. It also has some other special features, including the large size of the cancer cells and the presence of immune system cells at the edges of the tumor. Medullary carcinoma accounts for about 3% to 5% of breast cancers. The outlook (prognosis) for this kind of breast cancer is generally better than for the more common types of invasive breast cancer. These are often hard to distinguish from invasive ductal carcinoma. Most cancer specialists think that true medullary cancer is very rare, and that cancers that are called medullary cancer should be treated as the usual invasive ductal breast cancer.

Metaplastic carcinoma: Metaplastic carcinoma (also known as carcinoma with metaplasia) is a very rare variant of invasive ductal cancer. These tumors include cells that are normally not found in the breast, such as cells that look like skin cells (squamous cells) or cells that make bone. These tumors are treated like invasive ductal cancer.

Mucinous carcinoma: Also known as colloid carcinoma, this rare type of invasive breast cancer is formed by mucus-producing cancer cells. The prognosis for mucinous carcinoma is usually better than for the more common types of invasive breast cancer.

Paget disease of the nipple: This type of breast cancer starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the skin of the nipple and then to the areola, the dark circle around the nipple. It is rare, accounting for only about 1% of all cases of breast cancer. The skin of the nipple and areola often appears crusted, scaly, and red, with areas of bleeding or oozing. The woman may notice burning or itching.

Paget disease is almost always associated with either ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or, more often, with infiltrating ductal carcinoma. If no lump can be felt in the breast tissue and the biopsy shows DCIS but no invasive cancer, the prognosis is excellent.

Tubular carcinoma: Tubular carcinomas are another special type of invasive ductal breast carcinoma. It was named tubular because of the way the cells look under the microscope. Tubular carcinomas account for about 2% of all breast cancers and tend to have a better prognosis than infiltrating ductal or lobular carcinomas.

Papillary carcinoma: The cells of these cancers tend to be arranged in small, finger-like projections when viewed under the microscope. These cancers are most often considered to be a subtype of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and are treated as such. In rare cases they are invasive, in which case they are treated like invasive ductal carcinoma, although the outlook is likely to be better. These cancers make up no more than 1% or 2% of all breast cancers, and they tend to be diagnosed in older women.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (adenocystic carcinoma): These cancers are so named because they have both glandular (adenoid) and cylinder-like (cystic) features when viewed under the microscope. They make up less than 1% of breast cancers. They rarely spread to the lymph nodes or distant areas, and they tend to have a very good prognosis.

Phyllodes tumor: This very rare breast tumor develops in the stroma (connective tissue) of the breast, in contrast to carcinomas, which develop in the ducts or lobules. Other names for these tumors include phylloides tumor and cystosarcoma phyllodes. These tumors are usually benign but on rare occasions may be malignant.

Benign phyllodes tumors are treated by removing the mass along with a margin of normal breast tissue. A malignant phyllodes tumor is treated by removing it along with a wider margin of normal tissue, or by mastectomy. While surgery is often all that is needed, these cancers may not respond as well to the other treatments used for invasive ductal or lobular breast cancer.

Angiosarcoma: This is a form of cancer that starts from cells that line blood vessels. It rarely occurs in the breasts. When it does, it is usually seen as a complication of radiation to the breast. It tends to develop about 5 to 10 years after radiation treatment. However, this is an extremely rare complication of breast radiation therapy. Angiosarcoma can also occur in the arm of women who develop lymphedema as a result of lymph node surgery or radiation therapy to treat breast cancer. (For information on lymphedema, see the section, "How Is Breast Cancer Treated?") These cancers tend to grow and spread quickly. Treatment is generally the same as for other sarcomas (see the American Cancer Society document Soft Tissue Sarcomas).

Source: http://www.cancer.org

Herbal Medicine

2008-01-04T00:37:00.000-08:00

These resources relate mainly to Western traditions of herbal medicine (also referred to as phytomedicine, herbal medicine or botanical medicine) that rely primarily on the use of single herbs. Other traditional systems of medicine, particularly Asian traditions, use many herbs in synergistic mixtures or blends. Examples are Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic, and Tibetan. They are not covered in the following listings. Note our Resource Guides on Ayurvedic, Tibetan medicine, and Traditional Systems of Medicine.

We are just beginning to understand the complexities of herbal medicine, with its multiplicity of active chemicals in a single herb, and the interaction of a mixture of herbs found in traditional therapies. Previously, scientific research relied on the drug development model, which focused on a single compound and mode of action. In order to effectively research whether herbal medicine is effective or even safe, we need to detect all the active chemicals that exist in a medicinal plant, but also evaluate their effects on humans individually and together. We need to know whether the production process changes the chemicals; whether these compounds interfere with each other or with other drugs; and if our current technology can accurately measure all of the potential chemicals that may play a part in the effectiveness of an "herbal drug". Herbal growers, manufacturers, researchers, medical clinicians, funding agencies are all part of the panoply of actors involved in the making of safe and effective herbal medicine.

As demand for alternative medicine has grown, so have the harvesting and collection pressures for numerous ecologies that produce the medicinal plants of interest. The largest impact on the availability has been the loss of habitat worldwide. In conjunction with loss of physical resources, many aboriginal societies who have maintained vast and important bodies of knowledge about the identification and use of medicinal plants are being lost as well. Both physical habitat and ancient knowledge, once lost, will be gone forever. An educated public is the best hope for influencing governmental decisions that will have far reaching implications.

The resources are selected and categorized to help you with your own research or background reading so you can become an intelligent, educated consumer not only of herbal products but, equally importantly, of information. Ultimately, together we will influence not only the quality of herbal medicine available to us in stores, but also whether we will maintain the diversity of plant life necessary to sustain a diversity of cultures and alternative methods for maintaining good health.

Source: http://www.amfoundation.org/herbinfo.htm

Honey

2008-01-03T18:01:00.000-08:00

Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by honey bees (and some other species of bee[citation needed]), and derived from the nectar of flowers. According to the United States National Honey Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance...this includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners". This article refers exclusively to the honey produced by honey bees (the genus Apis); honey produced by other bees[citation needed] or other insects[citation needed] has very different properties.[1]
Honey is significantly sweeter than table sugar and has attractive chemical properties for baking.[2] Honey has a distinctive flavor which leads some people to prefer it over sugar and other sweeteners.
Most microorganisms do not grow in honey because of its low water activity of 0.6[3]. However, it is important to note that honey frequently contains dormant endospores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can be dangerous to infants as the endospores can transform into toxin-producing bacteria in the infant's immature intestinal tract, leading to illness and even death[4] (See "Precautions" below).
The study of pollens and spores in raw honey (melissopalynology) can determine floral sources of honey[5]. Because bees carry an electrostatic charge, and can attract other particles, the same techniques of melissopalynology can be used in area environmental studies of radioactive particles, dust, or particulate pollution [6][7].
A main effect of bees collecting nectar to make honey is pollination, which is crucial for flowering plants [8].
The beekeeper encourages overproduction of honey within the hive so that the excess can be taken without endangering the bees. When sources of foods for the bees are short the beekeeper may have to give the bees supplementary nutrition[9].

Sumber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey

Royal Jelly

2008-01-03T17:58:00.000-08:00

Royal jelly is a honey bee secretion that is used in the nutrition of the larvae. It is secreted from the hypopharyngeal glands in the heads of young workers and used (amongst other substances) to feed all of the larvae in the colony, including those destined to become workers. If a queen is needed, the hatchling will receive only royal jelly - and in large quantities - as its food source for the first four days of its growth, and this rapid, early feeding triggers the development of queen morphology, including the fully developed ovaries needed to lay eggs. Some commercial royal jelly suppliers disseminate misinformation such as "Only queen larvae and adult queens are fed royal jelly"; the fact remains that all larvae in a colony are fed royal jelly, and adult bees do not consume it at all.[1]

Royal jelly is produced by stimulating colonies with movable frame hives to produce queen bees. Royal jelly is collected from each individual queen cell when the larva is about four days old. It is collected from queen cells because these are the only cells in which large amounts are deposited; when royal jelly is fed to worker larvae, it is fed directly to them, and they consume it as it is produced, while the cells of queen larvae are "stocked" with royal jelly much faster than the larva can consume it. Therefore, only in queen cells is the harvest of royal jelly practical.
A well-managed hive during a season of 5-6 months can produce approximately 500g of royal jelly. Since the product is perishable, producers must have immediate access to proper cold storage (e.g., a household refrigerator or freezer) in which the royal jelly is stored until it is sold or conveyed to a collection centre.
This product is combined with honey, or beeswax for preservation, as it spoils easily.

Sumber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_jelly

Olive Oil

2008-01-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive (Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with lilacs, jasmine and ash trees), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps. Olive oil is healthier than other sources of alimentary fat because of its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid) and polyphenols.

The Italian government regulates the use of different protected designation of origin labels for olive oils in accordance with EU law. Olive oils grown in the following regions are given the Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Denomination of Protected Origin) status: Aprutino Pescarese, Brisighella, Bruzzio, Chianti, Colline di Brindisi, Colline Salernitane, Penisola Sorrentina, Riviera Ligure, and Sabina. Olive oil from the Chianti region has the special quality assurance label of Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Denomination of Controlled Origin; DOC) as well as the DOP.
Among the many different olive varieties used in Italy are Frantoio, Leccino Pendolino, and Moraiolo. Demand for Italian olive oil has soared in the United States. In 1994, exports to the US totaled 28.95 million gallons, a 215% increase from 1984. The US is Italy's biggest customer, absorbing 22% of total Italian production of 131.6 million gallons in 1994. Despite shrinkage in production, Italian exports of olive oil rose by 19.2% from 1994 to 1995. A large share of the exports went to the EU, especially Spain.

Sumber: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil

Bee Pollen

2008-01-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

Bee-Pure Honey, Inc. is fresh honey direct from a real Wisconsin beekeeper. We are producers of high quality, natural honey that is minimally processed to preserve the real honey flavor of days gone by.
Our natural honey is made in Wisconsin from native wildflowers, alfalfa and clover which has been strained and heated to 160 degrees, an ideal temperature which retains the "fresh from the hive" flavor.
Benefits of Honey
The benefits of honey are universally accepted. Simple recipes using honey can offer natural relief to respiratory ailments, improve your energy and stamina, help to heal wounds, and reduce stress. In addition, pure honey is used in many beauty treatments as well. Preferred as a sweetener by the "carb" conscious dieter, honey is a natural alternative to using sugar. Drop us an email if you have any questions about the benefits of honey.

Sumber: http://www.beepurehoney.com/index.html

Nigella Sativa

2008-01-03T17:46:00.000-08:00

Black Cumin Seed
by Ingrid Naiman

Nigella sativa is one the most revered medicinal seeds in history. The best seeds come from Egypt where they grow under almost perfect conditions in oases where they are watered until the seed pods form. Black cumin seeds were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Though black cumin seeds are mentioned in the Bible as well as in the words of the Prophet Mohammed, they were not carefully researched until about forty years ago. Since this time, more than 200 studies have been conducted in universities.
The famous Greek physician Dioscorides used black cumin seeds to treat headaches and toothaches. Mohammed said that black cumin cures every disease but death itself. The reason might be found in the complex chemical structure of the seeds. These little seeds have over one hundred different chemical constituents, including abundant sources of all the essential fatty acids. Though it is the oil that is most often used medicinally, the seeds are a bit spicy and are often used whole in cooking—curries, pastries, and Mediterranean cheeses.
Nigella sativa seeds have very little aroma but are carminative, meaning they tend to aid digestion and relieve gases in the stomach and intestines. They aid peristalsis and elimination. The essential oil of black cumin is antimicrobial and helps to rid the intestines of worms.
Black cumin is regarded by many as a panacea and may therefore not be taken seriously by some, but for those inclined to dismiss folklore, it should be noted that these humble seeds have been found superior to almost every other natural remedy when used for autoimmune disorders, conditions in which patients suffer greatly because their own systems attack their bodies. Black cumin, especially when combined with garlic, is regarded as a harmonizer of the imbalance which allows immune cells to destroy healthy cells. The technical language to describe this property is "immunomodulatory action." The difference between black cumin and interferon is that there are no known side effects with black cumin when administered in normal dosages. The saying goes that the beauty of black cumin is their capacity to restore harmony.