2025-11-18 14:34:10
Eating curries could help you lose weight.
Black cumin – the tiny, jet-black seeds sprinkled into creamy curries, paneer dishes and naan – has long been prized for its punchy flavour, but now scientists say it may do far more than liven up dinner.
According to a new clinical study, the humble spice appears to block the formation of fat cells and dramatically improve cholesterol levels, making it a potential weapon in the battle against obesity.
Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University recruited 42 volunteers with high cholesterol and asked half to consume 5g of black cumin powder – roughly a tablespoon – every day for eight weeks.
Those who ate the spice saw significant drops in triglycerides, “bad” LDL cholesterol and overall cholesterol, while levels of healthy HDL cholesterol jumped.
Lead scientist Professor Akiko Kojima–Yuasa said: “These findings strongly suggest black cumin seeds could be used as a functional food to prevent obesity and lifestyle-related diseases.
“It was gratifying to see actual, demonstrable lipid-lowering effects in a human trial.”
The effects were not just visible in blood tests, as cellular experiments showed extracts from the Nigella sativa plant – also known as kalonji or black seed – stopped fat cells from maturing altogether, effectively slowing the body’s ability to store fat.
The team now hopes to explore whether black cumin could help people with diabetes by improving insulin resistance, and is calling for larger, long-term trials.
The spice has been used in traditional medicine for centuries for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powers, but modern science is increasingly catching up.
A major 2021 review even described black cumin as a “miracle herb” thanks to its effects on metabolism and immunity.
Alongside curries, the seeds are used to flavour breads, soups and rice dishes across Indian, Middle Eastern and North African cuisines – meaning the key to a slimmer life might already be sitting in your spice cupboard.
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