Black seed oil: every public report we counted

Where these came from

• WebMD user reviews 24 reports
• Inspire 9 reports
• City-Data forum 3 reports
• HealthUnlocked 3 reports
• Diabetes Daily forum 1 report

Asthma

2 reports: 1 helped, 1 no effect or worse, 0 mixed or too early.

• Helped Daily black seed oil plus mullein tea cleared chest mucus; cut a preventer inhaler to once daily, stopped another, no reliever for five months. HealthUnlocked, about 2021 (Date shown only as '5 years ago'; mullein started at the same time; medication changes self-reported, unclear whether doctor-supervised.)
• No effect Took kalonji oil and mullein during flares for years; flares always ended up needing prescription drugs; now controlled on a biologic. HealthUnlocked, about 2021 (Long-term, retrospective account; several herbs together, so no single-remedy test.)

Blood sugar and type 2 diabetes

4 reports: 2 helped, 1 no effect or worse, 1 mixed or too early.

• Too early After a first 1,500 mg dose of oil, one fasting reading came in lower than usual; seed powder taken earlier had disappointed. Diabetes Daily forum, 2016-01-06 (A single glucose reading after one dose.)
• Helped Taking black seed since 2012 with sesame and chia; reports no metformin, HbA1c 5.4, normal cholesterol, weight loss and fewer allergy pills. WebMD user reviews, 2021-05-29 (Several seeds and probably diet changes together; no before values given; stopping metformin is the poster's own account.)
• Helped In the first week of gel caps, joint pain and inflammation eased and glucose fell enough to lower insulin doses. WebMD user reviews, 2019-12-03 (Only one week; insulin changes self-made; low blood sugar is a risk when combined with insulin.)
• No effect Nearly five months of oil brought no weight loss, and blood sugar went up over the same period. WebMD user reviews, 2020-04-22 (Review text is cut off; it does not say the rise was caused by black seed.)

Cancer

1 report: 0 helped, 0 no effect or worse, 1 mixed or too early.

• Mixed Daily for a few months within a supplement mix; feels much better than a year earlier, no stomach issues, but still has cancer. HealthUnlocked, about 2020 (No PSA or scan result given; many supplements and conventional treatment at once.)

Other uses and general experience

33 reports: 15 helped, 10 no effect or worse, 8 mixed or too early.

• Helped Started oil softgels for allergic asthma; a year later a small, inconclusive lung nodule was gone on CT; unsure which supplement helped. City-Data forum, 2018-01-21 (No asthma outcome beyond 'kind of feel the difference' on day one; took it irregularly with grape seed extract; the nodule link is the poster's guess.)
• Helped Takes a dropperful of oil by mouth and gets near-immediate relief of a stuffy nose and easier breathing; says it loosens phlegm. City-Data forum, 2018-01-22 (Not described as asthma; no dose or duration beyond a dropper.)
• Helped After about two months, hay fever eased, breathing improved and a nagging cough stopped; also reports bald patches regrowing. WebMD user reviews, 2024-06-19 (Single review; started for another reason; no measurements.)
• Helped Black seed powder in water ended a cough and throat mucus that had lasted over three months; says it has not returned. WebMD user reviews, 2019-10-20 (One review; cause of the cough unknown.)
• Helped Quarter to half teaspoon suggested by a nurse practitioner: more energy, less joint pain, allergies easier; taking it late disturbed sleep. Side effects: poor sleep if taken late in the day. WebMD user reviews, 2019-07-26 (Three months of use; several outcomes self-assessed.)
• Worse Half teaspoon of oil with honey burned the throat and chest, set off coughing and wheezing; the burning persisted; will not take it again. Side effects: burning throat and oesophagus, cough, wheezing. WebMD user reviews, 2019-07-09 (Single dose; one unrefined product; no medical follow-up reported.)
• Helped A tablespoon each of black seed and flaxseed oil twice daily; after two weeks every psoriasis patch was smoothing and fading. Inspire, 2013-07-18 (Two weeks only; flax taken too (poster says flax alone had not helped); the thread later drew 1,531 replies.)
• Helped Takes two black cumin oil capsules daily for multiple myeloma; says they also improved scalp psoriasis. Inspire, 2013-07-19 (No myeloma outcome is stated; one line.)
• Helped Used the oil about six years earlier; skin became clear and other health issues improved; found the taste terrible. Inspire, 2013-07-20 (Recalled from years before.)
• Too early Day five on two teaspoons a day; no difference yet. Inspire, 2013-08-01 (Five days.)
• Too early Two days in and already sees a difference, describing themselves as normally sceptical. Inspire, 2013-09-03 (Two days.)
• Too early First dose of the oil would not settle; belched all day and asked whether to switch to capsules. Side effects: belching all day. Inspire, 2015-01-16 (First day only.)
• Worse Had the same unpleasant belching on black seed oil as on apple cider vinegar. Side effects: persistent belching. Inspire, 2015-01-17 (One line; no psoriasis outcome stated.)
• Helped Oil for three months cleared about half of the psoriasis, then stopped working; the improvement held after stopping. Inspire, 2015-01-17 (Self-assessed coverage; benefit faded while still taking it.)
• Helped Oil and gel caps with acetyl-L-carnitine and a nightshade-free diet: all-over clearing, sustained for about 18 months. Inspire, 2015-01-18 (Several changes at once.)
• Mixed Rubbing the oil on an arthritic knee gives some relief for a while; unsure capsules did anything; later unsure it helped at all. City-Data forum, 2017-07-05 (Topical use mixed with other ointments; posts span 2017-2019.)
• Helped Gel caps taken for asthma; within three days arthritis pain was about 95% less; five years on, no side effects. WebMD user reviews, 2025-11-24 (Asthma outcome not stated; one review.)
• Mixed After a month: fewer headaches, neck and shoulder pain gone, new hair, but cholesterol unchanged, back pain persists and itching began. Side effects: itching. WebMD user reviews, 2020-02-04 (One month; self-assessed.)
• Helped Two teaspoons daily: severe back pain gone within days and more energy, but jittery and awake from 4:30 am. Side effects: jitters, waking very early. WebMD user reviews, 2019-07-26 (Three days of use.)
• Helped A teaspoon each morning: one major migraine in the period, lasting hours instead of days; tapering migraine prescriptions. WebMD user reviews, 2023-11-17 (Under a month; tapering medicines at the same time.)
• Helped Within three days of capsules felt less inflammation, no cramps, toothaches or headaches, and lost weight; stopped only for cost. WebMD user reviews, 2021-10-01 (Asthma and blood sugar results not mentioned; many conditions.)
• Mixed A teaspoon of oil before doctor visits seems to keep blood pressure down; higher-dose capsules caused nausea and cramps. Side effects: nausea, cramps. WebMD user reviews, 2025-12-04 (Self-observed; no readings given.)
• Mixed More power in the legs, but painful constipation. Side effects: painful constipation. WebMD user reviews, 2020-09-08 (One line, under a month.)
• Helped Applied to kitchen cuts, which healed faster than with other ointments, after initial stinging. Side effects: stinging at first. WebMD user reviews, 2020-05-29 (Topical use; also describes giving it to a child for asthma, which we did not count (second-hand).)
• Mixed Quarter teaspoon daily: lost 17 lb in two months, but a rash appeared at higher doses; later developed heart failure. Side effects: eczema on shins at higher dose. WebMD user reviews, 2019-05-24 (Poster does not know whether the oil was involved; doctors stopped all supplements.)
• Worse Developed major reflux after taking the oil, still present at the time of writing. Side effects: severe acid reflux. WebMD user reviews, 2024-08-21 (Under a month of use; single review.)
• Worse No benefit; after raising the dose, a week of diarrhoea, and stomach burning and reflux still present four weeks after stopping. Side effects: diarrhoea, stomach burning, reflux. WebMD user reviews, 2024-08-17 (Under a month of use.)
• Worse About three weeks in, having awful nightmares and afraid to continue. Side effects: nightmares. WebMD user reviews, 2024-01-18 (No other outcome reported.)
• Worse A 1,500 mg gummy product caused severe throat and chest burning; saw a doctor, tests found no cause; reported it to the seller. Side effects: burning throat and oesophagus, chest pain. WebMD user reviews, 2023-11-13 (Attribution is the poster's; another review described the same reaction.)
• Worse A black seed oil, D3 and K2 blend taken alongside two antidepressants left the poster miserable for two days. Side effects: felt very unwell for two days. WebMD user reviews, 2023-10-14 (Poster calls it withdrawal; a combination product; no medical assessment reported.)
• Worse Capsules may have eased a pollen allergy but caused daytime sleepiness, nausea and headache; stopped after two days. Side effects: daytime sleepiness, nausea, headache. WebMD user reviews, 2022-08-30 (Two days of use.)
• Worse Breast pain began soon after starting and disappeared within three days of stopping, at the doctor's suggestion. Side effects: breast pain. WebMD user reviews, 2020-12-08 (Stop-and-resolve pattern reported; no rechallenge.)
• Worse After 7-10 days of a quarter teaspoon, had mini-stroke symptoms; tests found no cause; symptoms stopped after quitting. Side effects: symptoms of mini-strokes (TIA). WebMD user reviews, 2019-06-19 (Age 75 or over; no proven link.)